Basil Salt (small batch)

The food processor does the work quickly: basil leaves and coarse salt pulse together until the salt takes on the green of the herb and the mixture smells like a summer kitchen. It goes onto a baking sheet and into a low oven to dry out completely; the moisture in the basil needs to leave before the salt will store properly. Once dry, it can be broken up and kept in a jar. About one cup is the yield, which is generous enough to use freely and small enough that it stays fresh and fragrant rather than sitting forgotten at the back of a spice drawer.

The uses are wide: finishing salt on eggs, pasta, grilled vegetables, pizza or any dish where a pinch of something herbal at the end would make a difference. It also makes a practical and genuinely useful gift, the kind that gets used immediately rather than displayed on a shelf.

Why You’ll Keep Making This

Salt is a natural preservative, it draws moisture out of whatever it comes into contact with, which is why this technique works. The food processor breaks the basil cells and releases the essential oils directly into the salt crystals, which absorb and hold them. The low oven temperature then removes the remaining moisture from the basil without cooking it, high heat high would destroy the volatile compounds that give basil its fragrance. What you’re left with is salt that has permanently absorbed the flavor rather than just being mixed with dried herb, which is why basil salt tastes more like fresh basil than any dried basil product ever does.

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Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Fresh basil leaves
• Coarse salt – this can be kosher or sea salt, but traditional table salt will also work.

Watch this short video below to see how quickly and easily this recipe comes together, so you know what to expect before you start.

How to Make Basil Salt

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How to Use Basil Salt

This could become an endless list, as basil and salt and be used in so many recipes, especially the ones with tomato an basil. Here are a few categories:

• Pasta, like Tomato Basil Gnocchi or Orecchiette with Creamy Basil & Blue Cheese Sauce.
• Pizza and savory pies, like Mediterranean Phyllo Pizza Caprese.
• Soups, like Caribbean Citrus Tomato Soup.
• Toast or sandwiches, like Salami Caprese Ciabatta.
• Salads, like Caprese Pasta Salad for Two or Farro, Corn Salad with Peach & Burrata.
• Fish, chicken or any type of protein, like Pine Nut-Crusted Chicken Parmesan or Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes or Grilled Salmon with Wine in Foil.

Frequently Asked Questions