Sweetgreen Pesto Vinaigrette

This Sweetgreen Pesto Vinaigrette is an easy to make copycat salad dressing recipe that takes just a few minutes to make. Use it to make a Hummus Crunch Salad, Chicken Pesto Parm Salad or a Caramelized Garlic Steak Salad.

If you enjoy Sweetgreen salad dressings, you’ll also want to try their classic Sweetgreen Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe, which is used to make a Sweetgreen Peach & Goat Cheese Salad as well as a Harvest Bowl.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• Sweetgreen Copycat — This pesto vinaigrette dressing is a Sweetgreen copycat recipe that can be used on homemade Sweetgreen salads.
• Fresh Basil — This pesto vinaigrette is made with fresh basil leaves, making it the best spring & summer salad dressing recipe. It is also a great recipe to make if you have a lot of fresh basil leaves that you are looking to use up.
• Versatile — This is a light yet flavorful dressing that is versatile and can be used on a variety of fresh salads.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Basil: You’ll need a large bunch of basil leaves for this vinaigrette dressing. You need fresh basil leaves — dried basil will not work as a substitute. However, you could use a combination of fresh herbs for a variation, such as thyme or oregano.
• Garlic: This vinaigrette has a bit of freshly minced garlic for a small kick of flavor.
• Olive Oil: Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil. You can use another type of oil as a substitute, such as avocado oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is used as the “vinegar” part of this vinaigrette. You could use white wine vinegar as a substitute.
• Umami Seasoning: This recipe has a pinch of Sweetgreen’s umami seasoning (which is the same seasoning used to make Sweetgreen’s roasted sweet potatoes). However, it is not essential and you can skip it to save time. You can also use a store bought umami seasoning to save time.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Add the basil leaves, garlic, apple cider vinegar, water and umami seasoning to a food processor.

Step 2: Blend on high until the basil leaves are fully broken down and the dressing is smooth. Then, add in the olive oil and blend on low until well emulsified.

Expert Tips

• Store dressing in the fridge. Store leftover pesto vinaigrette dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Mix in other herbs. For a unique variation, mix in some other fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano.
• Shake well before serving. All vinaigrette dressings will separate after they have been sitting for a while. Shake the dressing well for 20 to 30 seconds before pouring it over your salad.
• Make a double batch. If you have a larger food processor, it may be easier to make a double batch of this recipe. The larger quantity of liquid will help the vinaigrette blend more smoothly and break down the basil more finely.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe