Not Just Pesto: Basil Is A Wonderful Addition To Any Meal

By
Maya D
-
Basil
Image by tookapic from Pixabay

Fresh, refreshing, and full of flavor, basil is a wonderful and delicious herb that can be incorporated into almost any recipe.

Here are 3 ideas to incorporate this amazing fresh spice into your next meal.

Tomato And Basil Salad

To make this beautiful salad, simply cut a variety of tomatoes coarsely, add fresh basil leaves, season with quality olive oil, salt and pepper. You can also add a nice firm cheese to the salad to give it a nice extra kick. 

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Tomato Salads I absolutely love tomato salads 🍅 especially at this time of the year, when there is an abundance of them. I was lucky enough to be given loads of lovely homegrown tomatoes. Here are 3 ways of using them. 1. Tomato, Red Onion and Basil Salad. Cut your tomatoes in different ways- add a layer of very thinly sliced red onion or shallots. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finish with fresh basil leaves. 2. Same as above but topped with some grilled Halloumi and a sprinkle of fresh chopped red chilli 🌶 3. Tomato Salad with Pesto Chop your tomatoes, add sliced onion (optional). Sprinkle on some mixed dried herbs or dried oregano- this is a great way if you don’t have fresh herbs to hand. Season well. Mix some green pesto with some extra virgin olive oil to make it pourable and drizzle over the tomatoes. #tomatosalad #freshtomatosalad #homegrowmtomatoes #tomatoandbasil #tomatoandbasilsalad #tomatobasil #tomato #tomatoes #simplesalad #delicious #quicksalad #easysalad #tastyrecipes #tastysalad #tomatorecipes #simplerecipes #simplerecipesarethebest

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A Fragrant Delicious Soup

Add fresh basil leaves to any vegetable soup you make at home. Combined with vegetables like zucchini, carrots, and potatoes—the basil will upgrade any soup and make it into an amazing meal.

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Meet my go-to lentil soup! (Recipe link in our profile) I make this soup with lentils, carrots, turmeric, and fresh lemon whenever I’m in need of some healthy comfort food. It’s savory, satisfying, and utterly delicious. Get the recipe by clicking the link in our profile > @inspiredtaste .⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Sooooooo good! First tried this at my mother in law’s and thought it was delicious. I didn’t ask for the recipe for stupid crazy reasons. Anyway found it and made it yesterday. I had two bowls the minute I turned the stove off. Just had another bowl. So satisfying and lemony. I love all the ingredients. Perfect. Thank you. A fave" – Sarah⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #soup #souprecipe #lentils #lentilsoup #healthysoup #inspiredtaste #recipes #recipe #foodgawker #recipeoftheday #buzzfeast #huffposttaste #forkyeah #f52grams #beautifulcuisines #buzzfeedfood #thekitchn #spoonfeed #eatfamous #dailyfoodfeed #yahoofood #feedyoursoull #newforkcity #eatingfortheinsta #vegan #feedfeed #infatuation #tastingtable #eattheworld #vegetablesoup

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Italian Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a Spanish soup from the region of Andalusia, which usually consists of fresh vegetables that are ground to a uniform texture. To add the Italian twist to the dish, you can make a version of the cold soup, soaked in basil flavors. It is better to use fresh and ripe date tomatoes and lots of fresh garlic, to prepare this delightful dish.

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Any #gazpacho fans? . Gazpacho is a cold raw vegetable soup from southern Spain, basically a blended salad. It is cool, refreshing and easy to make. It is also a great alternative to a Bloody Mary 😉 You can mix it with vodka, tequila, gin. Get creative! There are hundreds if not thousands of recipes and variations. I included one of mine. GAZPACHO 2 oz Aqua Perfecta Basil eau de vie 1 oz dry Sherry 2.5 oz Homemade Strawberry Gazpacho 0.25 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 1 barspoon Strawberry Rose Maple Syrup @runamokmaple Rim: Habanero Rose Herb Crystals @freshoriginsmicrogreens Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain into a cocktail glass. Cheers! Strawberry Gazpacho Recipe * 2 (16 oz. containers) organic strawberries * 1 cup seedless watermelon * 1 small seeded red pepper, chopped * 1 heirloom tomato, quartered * 1 small shallot minced * 1 small garlic clove * 2 tbsp dry sherry * 2 tbsp strawberry vinegar (or champagne vinegar) * 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup * 5 fresh basil leaves * 5 fresh mint leaves * pinch of salt, pepper, cayenne Add all ingredients to the food processor. Blend until smooth, about 5 min. Chill for 2 hours or overnight. I like to strain mine through a fine mesh strainer for smoother consistency. ©️Cocktail.Vision2020

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