Chestnut Free Garlic Basil Herb Oil
There is something deeply satisfying about a homemade herb oil that smells this good — warm garlic, woodsy rosemary and thyme, and a bright hit of fresh basil all steeped together into something you'll want to drizzle on absolutely everything. The technique here is all about patience and low heat, coaxing the garlic to a pale, fragrant gold without letting it brown, so the finished oil stays mellow and sweet rather than bitter. Pressing the fresh basil into the warm oil off the heat is a small but brilliant move — it wilts just enough to release its flavor while keeping that gorgeous green tint. Every ingredient in this recipe is straightforwardly plant-based and free from tree nuts of any kind, so there's no label-reading anxiety, no wondering about shared processing lines, just clean, simple pantry staples doing their best work. Once strained and salted, the oil is endlessly versatile — use it as a dipping oil for crusty bread, spoon it over roasted vegetables, toss it with pasta, or finish a bowl of soup with a glossy pour. It keeps in the fridge for up to five days, though honestly it tends to disappear much faster than that.
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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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