25 Fresh Basil Recipes That Show How Versatile The Summer Herb Really Is

If you’re anything like us, fresh herbs don’t make it to your dinner plate as much as they could. They’re too often relegated to garnish at the end, and it’s way too easy to drop them off our grocery shopping lists (or buy them and let them languish forgotten in the back of our fridges). Join us in attempting to change that, starting with one of our favorites: basil. Particularly during the summer, when it’s plentiful and cheap, we love using basil to add color, flavor, and a little class to every meal. Check out our 25 basil recipes for ideas—it’s not just a garnish anymore.

Because basil is such a summer-y herb, it only makes sense that it’s front and center in some of our favorite summer recipes. We’re making caprese and panzanella salads all season long, and while we change up the flavors and cooking methods (peach burrata caprese anyone? Maybe a sheet-pan panzanella?), the one constant is gorgeous basil. You can even use it to brighten up your favorite warm weather drinks. We love adding it to summer cocktails, like our spiked sparkling basil lemonade (with DIY basil vodka 😍), our watermelon gin martini, or our frozen strawberry margarita, but really, it can jazz up anything from sparkling water to iced tea.

Craving that sunshine, but it’s an abysmally wintery day? Basil can add some brightness to your cold weather meals too. It’s true that basil is extra delicious during warmer months, but thanks to greenhouses can still be enjoyed year-round in recipes like pesto or green goddess dressing. We’d be remiss in not mentioning how vital it is to one of our favorite flavor combos too: Cream, tomatoes, and basil combine to turn everything from chicken to shrimp into a delicious Tuscan-butter-inspired meal that’s always in our weeknight dinner rotation.

If you’re really sitting on a major bounty of basil (lucky!), you can just add it as a garnish to every meal. Check out our Italian pasta recipes and tomato recipes for more meals and recipes where basil will be a perfect fit too.