This creamy basil dressing pairs perfectly with almost any salad and is Whole30 and paleo friendly as well. I especially love it with grilled salmon for the perfect light salad compliment.
A little bit of inspiration for this dressing came from my creamy cilantro sauce, which is affectionately known on social media as “the sauce”. But it’s not lost on me that many people do not appreciate the taste of cilantro. I actually find basil to be a more popular herb!
What makes this dressing really delicious is the freshness from the parsley and basil. It balances nicely with mayonnaise to give it a bit of creaminess without being too heavy.
Mayo Options
My favorite store-bought options for anyone following a migraine diet is either Sir Kensington’s Organic or Primal Kitchen’s Avocado Mayo. Both of these options do have some questionable ingredients. With Sir Kensington Organic, there’s a bit of lemon juice. The way I justify this is the lemon juice is labeled next to the sugar, which is labeled as 0 grams. Ingredient labels begin with what the most used ingredient is, and end with the least used. Therefore you know the amount of lemon juice is probably very small.
With Primal Kitchen, the avocado oil is highly refined and therefore should not present an issue with tyramine that a regular, ripe avocado might. Still, I don’t necessarily love the flavor in cooking.
My absolute favorite tasting mayo will always be homemade. I have two options on the site – one with eggs and one without. Don’t let using raw egg scare you – you can buy pasteurized eggs or do it yourself. And if you think of how many times you’ve gotten sick sneaking cookie dough or cake batter you’ll probably realize how rare it actually is!
Homemade Mayonnaise
Vegan Egg-less Mayo
What to Pair with Creamy Basil Dressing
A few ideas for this creamy basil dressing are:
- A simple salad with cucumber and grilled shrimp or salmon
- Mixed with cooked chicken for a chicken salad
- As a dipping sauce for grilled or seared fish
- On top of these chicken poppers
- As a dip for chips or veggies
Dressings & Sauces
If creamy basil dressing isn’t your thing or doesn’t quite match with what you’re making, check out these other dressings and sauces that are migraine-friendly.
Whole30 Tartar Sauce
Homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce
Creamy Curry Dressing
Maple Vinaigrette
Basil Vinaigrette
Creamy Basil Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup light oil, like canola or grapeseed
- kosher salt and peper
Instructions
- Combine the mayo, basil, parsley, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor and pulse till chopped, combined. If you have a top with an opening, slowly drizzle in the oil as your processor is running until totally smooth and a light green color. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill for about 30 minutes, if possible.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 2/3-3/4 cup of dressing and it will keep for at least 5 days.
- You can use olive oil, I just find it has a stronger flavor. Lighter oils allow the herbs to shine.
- See post for recommended mayos, especially if you want egg-free.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can just chop up everything really well and whisk it together. I advise chilling for longer, since the flavors won't be as blended...or use a blender!
Nutrition
Thank you for this yummy recipe! I’m only 3 weeks into my elimination journey, and it has been rough. Your recipes and website have not only brought inspiration to my cooking, but it has also brought emotional relief. Taking out regular salad dressings has made it just that much harder to get veggies into my day. I am excited to try all your dressings and sauces! Thank you over and over!
OMG ITS SO GOOD!!!!!! Make this all the time and i’m addicted
I wanted to use up some of my basil before it started to flower and this was the perfect dressing. I used vegan mayo and vegan sour cream and it was delicious. Definitely will be in my summer salad dressing repertoire
This basil dressing is amazing! I was so sad to give up my flavor-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressings and figured I’d never enjoy a salad again. But this dressing is incredible! Just a little bit goes a long way in a salad – it’s packed with flavor! Yum!
So easy and delicious. This was perfect for a summer (distanced) lunch with my friends!