6 Health-Boosting Basil Recipes for Summer

Fresh tomato, mozzarella cheese and basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar is the ultimate easy summer hors d'Å“uvre for feeling healthy and just a little bit fancy. Serve on a back porch, with chilled white wine, if possible.

Basil helps counteract the sweetness of this recipe, which calls for first making basil-infused lemon syrup (oh my). Vodka optional.

The Quarterlife Cooks put both quinoa and basil to good use in what they call a kind of ‘deconstructed pesto.’

Mustard, shallot, olive oil and white wine vinegar can turn basil into a simple salad dressing—and one that might fight food bacteria, too; basil may work as a sort of natural preservative, fighting off low-levels of infectious bacteria that may lurk in kitchens and nearby foods.

Making homemade hummus with fresh herbs is easy if you have a food processor (and cheaper than buying most store varieties).

This recipe for grilled tuna with basil butter requires a lot of ingredients, but the prep looks easy, and the picture make it look worth it …