Italian-Style Salsa with Dorot Basil Vinaigrette

This Italian Style Salsa with Dorot Basil Vinaigrette is a refreshing summer salad made with corn, tomatoes, and avocadoes. It's healthy and gluten free!

This post was sponsored by Dorot but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I love to garden. There is almost nothing more I enjoy in life than watering plants and pulling weeds. I think we even managed to construct a fence this year strong enough to keep the deer out of it (SCORE!) so we can feed ourselves and not just the local wildlife.

My favorite things to grow are vegetables of any kind and herbs - especially herbs. There is something so satisfying about sprinkling those little seeds into pots, watching them grow into mature plants, and then walking outside to pluck a few of the fragrant leaves to chop and garnish a nice meal.

There's just one catch - I live in Minnesota and walking outside to pluck fragrant leaves off my porch herbs isn't an option 7 months out of the year.

Then I discovered Dorot fresh frozen portion controlled herbs. This means fresh herbs aren't just for summertime - this means fresh herbs all year round (DOUBLE SCORE!). It means I can make delicious dishes like this Italian Style Salsa with Dorot Basil Vinaigrette.

Seriously, this stuff is so cool. Dorot herbs are harvested at their peak freshness, flash frozen, and packed into pre-portioned little trays. They keep in the freezer for up to 2 years.

You simply remove the plastic wrap, pop as many cubes as you need into your dish, and return what you didn't use back to the freezer.

I purchased a few packages of the chopped basil in the frozen vegetable section of my local Trader Joe's this past weekend and started thinking about incorporating it into summer BBQ dishes.

Summer means lots of front porch grilling at our house. We have an awesome front porch that manages to stay cool in 90 degree heat and we live near a river which means listening to frogs and loons whenever we hang out there. (Our cats like to hang out on the front porch as well).

BBQ food can get kind of heavy so I always like to incorporate some lighter fare. I also love to put a twist on traditional recipes. Like this Italian-Style Salsa with Dorot Basil Vinaigrette.

It has all the fresh vegetables you find in a Mexican-style salsa but is given an Italian twist with Dorot chopped basil.

How To Make Italian Style Salsa

This Italian-style salsa couldn't be easier.

1. Simply boil (or grill) 3 cobs of sweet corn (about 2 cups). Cut the kernels off the cobs when finished and place in a large bowl.
2. Finely chop 1 red bell pepper, chop 1 package of cherry tomatoes into quarters (about 2 cups), and dice 2 avocados.
3. Place all of these ingredients into the bowl and get ready to make the vinaigrette.

You can use frozen corn in place of fresh corn if that's what you have on hand.

How To Make Basil Vinaigrette

To make the vinaigrette:

1. Add 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 6 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 4 tsp. maple syrup (can use honey, agave, or white sugar), 1 clove of minced garlic, 6 cubes Dorot chopped basil (slightly thawed), and a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper to a mason jar.
2. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously (I learned that trick from The Pioneer Woman). The vinaigrette will emulsify and the basil will become incorporated into the dressing. I’m telling you, this stuff works magic. I had a perfectly seasoned vinaigrette in a matter of minutes.
3. The only thing left is to pour the vinaigrette over the veggies and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with an additional pinch of salt and pepper.

You can use as much or as little of the dressing as you like. This salsa is ready to serve right away. No need to let the flavors marinate because the Dorot basil seriously shines through!

What To Serve With Italian Style Salsa

This Italian-Style Salsa with Dorot Basil Vinaigrette is basically summer in a bowl. It's so light and refreshing -You can eat it with chips, on crostini or any type of toasted bread, or as a salad.

You could even use it to top a grilled burger, chicken breast, or grilled veggies.

I love that next winter (when there's no porch grilling) I can open my freezer. pull out some Dorot basil, and re-create my summer in a bowl. And it will be just as fresh as it was in June.