Artificial Food Coloring Free Bright Italian Herb Oil
That vivid green color you see in this herb oil comes entirely from fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley — no dyes, no additives, just real plants doing what they do best. Warming the olive oil gently and letting the herbs steep is the key move here: it coaxes out the natural pigments and aromatics so the finished oil looks almost too pretty to use. A little garlic-infused oil, dried or fresh oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes round out the flavor into something that tastes like it came from a good Italian restaurant. It's the kind of condiment that makes a simple bowl of bread or a plate of roasted vegetables feel genuinely special. For anyone navigating labels and ingredient lists to avoid synthetic dyes, this is a refreshing reminder that the most beautiful food on the table often needs nothing artificial at all. Make a jar on the weekend and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Roughly chop the basil and parsley leaves on a cutting board, or bruise them lightly with a mortar and pestle until the leaves are broken down and fragrant — this helps release their color and flavor into the oil.
- 2
Combine the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic-infused olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Warm until the oil is just hot to the touch and shimmers slightly, about 2–3 minutes — do not let it simmer or smoke.
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