Basil is the gift that keeps on giving. It is an herb that adds amazing flavor and freshness to your dishes, while also providing vitamins and nutrients that are fantastic for your health.
If you have yet to plant your basil crop this season, never fear! It is not too late to plant your basil garden. Better yet, Gardenuity has herb garden kits with fully rooted basil plants that are available to you if you are getting a bit of a late start.
Continue reading for 20 different ways to enjoy your fresh basil.
20 Ways to Enjoy Fresh Basil
- Garnish Toast
- Toast, specifically sourdough toast, is one of our favorite summer trends this year. Adding basil from your garden is a great way to freshen up your creation. If you want to get really fancy, you can even make your own sourdough bread! Check out these toast topper recipes and add basil to your favorites.
- Ice Cream Topping
- There is nothing like a bit of shredded basil to top your ice cream with flair. Fresh basil makes the perfect accent to classic vanilla, or a sweet sorbet flavor, like peach or plum. You can also make delicious basil ice cream – growing your own desert? Yes please.
- Top Whole Leaves onto Pizza
- Whether it’s a classic Margherita Pie, or a creation entirely of your own, you can never go wrong with adding basil on top of your pizza. You can try adding whole leaves, or shredding it. If you want a more fresh result, save the basil for after the pizza comes out of the oven.
- Herb Infused Salsa Verde
- This is a recipe we absolutely adore. Salsa verde is a great dipping or topping option for chips, tortillas, nachos, soup and tacos. Tangy with a little bit of spice, adding basil to this recipe is the perfect touch. Check it out here.
- Spice Up Your Pup’s Dinner
- Basil has amazing health benefits for your faithful companion, too! Adding 2-3 leaves of basil to your dog’s kibble provides a boost to their immune system. Read this article if you want to learn more about healthy herbs and spices for dogs.
- Basil + Cucumber Rum Cocktail
- There’s nothing better than a fresh cocktail to close out a long, hot summer day. Enjoy our basil and cucumber rum cocktail recipe with fresh ingredients from your garden! If you want to use more herbs from your garden, mint also goes great in this cocktail.
- Basil Lemonade
- Who knew lemonade could get even more refreshing? Adding basil to your lemonade is a fail-safe way to make a delicious beverage. Bonus points if your lemonade is homemade! You can add basil to your drink and let the flavor diffuse, or you can muddle the leaves into the bottom of your glass for a stronger flavor.
- Basil + Lemon Water
- Adding lemon to your water is a classic twist on hydration. If you want to freshen up your water even more, try adding basil into the mix. Staying hydrated is so important; adding in fun, fresh ingredients is a great way to make sure you keep drinking your water.
- Basil Butter
- Basil butter is a super easy and extremely delicious addition to your kitchen. Finely chop 3-4 leaves of basil for every ¼ cup of butter, and mix it together. Spread your basil butter on top of toast with a sprinkle of sea salt, and you will be in heaven.
- Basil Popcorn
- Basil popcorn is a simple and easy treat that you can enjoy at any time of the day. Make your popcorn, add butter and finely chop a few leaves of fresh basil to sprinkle on top. Bonus points if you add your fresh basil butter instead of regular butter!
- Spicy Strawberry Basil Margarita
- Nothing says summertime like a refreshing, homemade margarita. This spicy strawberry basil margarita is a sweet and fresh twist on the classic cocktail. Add sugar to the rim, instead of salt, if you have a particularly insatiable sweet tooth. Try the recipe here.
- Dry your Basil
- Drying basil from your garden is a great option to limit what you’re consuming from the store. Dry your basil by placing it on a parchment-lined baking tray and baking for 2-4 hours. Once you take it out, crunch up the leaves and store in an air-tight container.
- Watermelon Salad with Basil + Feta
- We love this sweet and tangy recipe from Jessica Seinfeld; this salad is a super creative way to enjoy watermelon and basil! Two summertime favorites. This recipe is a great appetizer, and a great way to use up your fresh basil harvest.
- Basil Ice Cubes
- Putting basil in your ice is a fantastic way to store and enjoy your fresh basil. Keeping basil in ice is one way to keep it fresh; when you’re ready to use it, simply thaw the ice and your basil is good to go! If you want a way to enjoy the benefits of basil in your beverage, pop the basil cubes into any drink for a fresh flavor.
- Baked Basil Chips
- We love this recipe for baked basil chips from Simply Scratch. All you need to make this delicious snack is fresh basil, sea salt, olive oil, and your oven. These tasty chips can be enjoyed at any time of the day, and they are so easy to make.
- Garnish your Pasta
- Fresh basil is the timeless garnish for most any pasta creation. Take some fresh basil from your garden and add either whole leaves, or shredded pieces to top off your dish. This is a delicious addition to a classic spaghetti or any dish that uses pesto!
- Caprese Salad Kabobs
- We love this kabob style Caprese salad; a classic way to enjoy your fresh basil, with a fun twist. All you need is your fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and some fresh tomatoes; skewer them up, drizzle with some olive oil, add a pinch of salt, and enjoy. Bonus points if your tomatoes are also homegrown!
- Strawberry Basil Lemonade Vodka Cocktail
- This sweet and tangy basil beverage is perfect for enjoying a sweltering summer day. The best part is that you can skip the vodka, and serve up some strawberry basil lemonade for the kids.
- Basil Decor
- Your basil plant is so beautiful. In fact, it would make the perfect addition to your next floral arrangement. Chop off some stalks from your garden and place them in a vase. And voila! If you really want to keep enjoying your basil decor, you can dry it out in the sun and hang it on your wall for some bohemian flair.
- Herbal Laundry Sachet
- Using basil as a way to freshen up your next load of laundry is a fantastic way to use the basil from your garden this summer. Fill a small muslin bag with fresh basil leaves, and throw it in the dryer with your load. If you want to get creative, you can also add some of your other favorite herbs from the garden; lavender, rosemary, sage, you name it.
