Vegan Garlic Basil Herb Oil
There is something almost meditative about making your own infused oil from scratch, and the result here is genuinely stunning — bright green-tinged, deeply fragrant, and layered with the flavors of garlic, basil, thyme, and rosemary. The technique is all about patience and low heat: the garlic is coaxed into pale golden softness rather than browned, which keeps the oil tasting clean and mellow rather than sharp or bitter. Fresh basil goes in off the heat, steeping in the residual warmth until the oil takes on that gorgeous color and a floral, herby depth. Everything is entirely plant-based by nature, so there is nothing to swap or second-guess — just good olive oil and fresh aromatics doing exactly what they do best. Once strained and salted, it is endlessly versatile: drizzle it over roasted vegetables, swipe it across crusty bread, finish a bowl of pasta, or use it as a base for a quick vinaigrette. It keeps in the refrigerator 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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