SERVES 4 TO 6
I’m a garlic bread fiend. I just can’t get enough. Can you? Am I alone here? Didn’t think so. Here we have a little garlic bread recipe done my way. I love packing in as many fresh herbs as possible—to the point where the buttery spread is bright green. If you have a garden or even a tiny bit of space outside of your apartment or fire escape for a few pots, try growing some lemon and lime basil. These varieties are bursting with citrusy and tangy flavor. I simply adore them. But feel free to play with any herbs that you can get your hands on. (I’ve provided a few different variations on the following page.) I like to throw in some lemon zest and lemon juice to give this recipe a bright little pop, too! Slather the herbed butter onto two halves of a loaf of crusty bread and wrap it tightly to bake it. This infuses the whole loaf of bread beautifully with deliciousness, while also allowing the garlic and shallots to become tender and sweet. Then separate the halves and bake butter-side up until crispy. Perfection.
1½ cups tightly packed fresh lime basil (see Variations)
1½ cups tightly packed fresh lemon or lime basil (see Variations)
1 cup vegan butter
½ cup chopped shallot (about 1 large)
½ cup chopped garlic (1 to 2 heads)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1½ teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 loaves ciabatta bread, cut lengthwise in half (like you would for a large sandwich)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small blender or food processor, combine the basil, vegan butter, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.
Spread your desired amount of the butter on the cut sides of the halved loaves. Sandwich the halves together, buttered sides together, and tightly wrap each loaf with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes to infuse the bread with flavor. Remove from the oven, but leave the oven on.
Carefully, unwrap the bread and separate the halves. Using a bread knife, cut the halves into desired shapes or leave the halves whole. Cutting into smaller pieces will yield crispier bread, as there will be more surface to toast. Your choice!
Place the bread, herb butter–side facing up, on the baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden brown or you reach your desired crispiness, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS
If you can’t find fresh lemon or lime basil, try any of these easy variations of fresh herbs along with the remaining ingredients for the herb butter.
2 cups chopped sweet basil + 1 cup chopped fresh chives
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½ cup chopped fresh oregano + ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme + 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary + 1 cup chopped fresh chives + ½ cup chopped green onions
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1 cup chopped fresh tarragon + 1 cup chopped fresh chives
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1 cup chopped fresh parsley + 1 cup chopped fresh dill + 1 cup chopped fresh chives
lagniappe: You can store the herb butter tightly sealed in the fridge for a few weeks or, better yet, in the freezer for the wintertime when you do not have access to the glorious summer herbs.