Ice cream is one of America’s favorite desserts. It is a treat that is enjoyed throughout the year.

Chef John Lekic of Farmers and Chefs Restaurant in the Hudson Valley of Poughkeepsie, NY shares this dairy-free, Strawberry Basil Vegan Ice Cream recipe that is inspired by the innovative vertical gardening practices of Vertical Field. 

A few benefits of vertical gardening include: organic produce, all-season harvests (i.e., strawberries can be produced all year round), tiny carbon footprint with less need for physical growing space, a controlled growing environment which yields a consistent quality product that is also pest-free and a reduction in water use.

What I love about this recipe is that you can modify it to suit the fruit you like. For example, if you have blueberries, you can substitute it for strawberries and then use mint instead of basil. If you experienced a bumper crop of a fruit that you love and chose to freeze it, you can use that. Just make sure you defrost it so it will be easier to handle in making the recipe.

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Strawberry Basil Vegan Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 5 cups oat milk
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• 20 Tbsp or1.25 cups coconut oil
• 5 Tbs of coconut cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp arugula powder
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 4 oz. basil oil
• 10 cups strawberry puree
• 2-3 Basil leaves (you can substitute a different variety of basil or mint)

Directions

• Step one: take your strawberries and blend them in a Vitamix until a smooth consistency, then place them into a mixing bowl.
• Step two: add oat milk, water, oil, cream, basil oil, and one basil leaf into the container and blend together with a hand-held mixer.
• Step three: add sugar, salt, arugula powder, citric acid and mix again with the hand-held mixer. 
• Step four: take your completed mixture and put it into an ice cream machine and let it go until it is a nice soft-serve consistency.
• Step five: remove your completed ice cream from the ice cream machine and let cool in the freezer overnight or serve right away. 

Tips

• This recipe is best made in a small ice cream machine, not a high-speed blender or food processor. I share affiliate links and if you decide to purchase items from the links, I may make a small commission from it. This does not change the price you pay for the items.
• This is not a diet recipe. It does contain oil, but ice cream is considered a treat food so, treat it as such. A little indulgence is good for the spirit. This also means don’t eat the entire container in one sitting.
• Vegans, vegetarians, and traditional ice cream lovers will enjoy the richness of this dessert.