Tomaten-Basilikum-Aufstrich (tomato and basil spread)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Spread
- 150 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, oil reserved rounded
- 40 ml olive oil, or reserved oil from the tomatoes rounded
- 1 garlic clove rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- 20 g fresh basil rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Method
Method
- Blend the sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice until mostly smooth, scraping down as needed.
- Add the basil and pulse briefly, just until roughly incorporated with visible flecks, about 30 seconds.
- Season with salt. Chill before serving.
Notes
- Use sun-dried tomatoes, not fresh ones. Fresh tomatoes carry too much water to give a spread any real body; sun-dried ones bring concentrated flavour without diluting the texture.
- Add the basil at the very end and blend only briefly. Prolonged contact with the blade bruises the leaves and turns their bright green dull and brownish; a short pulse keeps the colour and flavour fresher.
- Save the oil the sun-dried tomatoes came in. It’s already infused with tomato flavour and works well in place of some or all of the added olive oil.
- It keeps for 5 days in the fridge, though the basil’s colour dulls slightly with time.
Ingredient substitutions
- Fresh basil can be swapped for a mix of basil and parsley for a milder flavour.
- A handful of pine nuts or walnuts blended in adds richness and a pesto-like character.
- Serve on toasted bread, tossed through pasta, or as a dip.