Artificial Food Coloring Free Garlic Basil Herb Oil
Bottled herb oils from the store often sneak in preservatives, natural flavor blends, or dyes you'd never expect in something that looks so simple. This homemade version keeps things completely clean — just olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt, nothing more. The technique is all about low, patient heat: garlic cloves warm slowly until pale golden and fragrant, then fresh basil steeps in the residual warmth until the oil turns a gorgeous, natural green. No artificial color needed — that vivid hue comes entirely from the basil itself. Once strained, you're left with a silky, deeply aromatic oil that's as beautiful as anything you'd find on a restaurant table. Drizzle it over bread, pasta, roasted vegetables, or grilled proteins and it instantly elevates whatever it touches. It keeps in the fridge for up to five days, so you can make a batch and reach for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest heat your burner allows and warm until the oil reaches a gentle, lazy sizzle around the garlic — small bubbles forming slowly at the edges of the cloves, about 8–10 minutes. The garlic should turn pale golden and fragrant but not brown; if it begins to color quickly, lift the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves, pressing them gently into the warm oil with a spoon. Let the basil steep in the residual heat for 5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the oil is bright green-tinged and fragrant.
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