Chicago restaurant Bar Toma serves up delicious antipasti, wood-fired pizza and gourmet pasta, including a lineup of homemade gelato and sorbet. For better or worse, though, Ghirardelli is located next door, and customers can feel compelled to partake in the franchise’s mountainous sundaes. A Chicago (dessert) pro tip is to indulge in the in-house dessert at Bar Toma, particularly a hefty scoop of the blueberry basil sorbet.
In an effort to recreate this simple, heavenly scoop of sorbet, we modified this Epicurious recipe by throwing in freshly picked basil leaves, chopped and pureed with blueberries and boiled simple sugar. The result? An icy, indulgent sorbet that feels guilt-free.
Tip: keep a floss pick near. The blueberry seeds can be pesky.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: At least 3 hours in the freezer
Total Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
6 basil leaves
2 cartons of fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Photo by Katherine Richter
Instructions:
1. In a medium saucepan, boil the sugar, water and salt to make a simple syrup mixture. Allow to cool for 15 minutes after boiling.
Photo by Katherine Richter
2. While the syrup is cooling, squeeze lemon juice to add to the blender.
Photo by Katherine Richter
3. Chop the basil leaves to add to the blender.
Photo by Katherine Richter
4. Puree the blueberries, lemon juice, basil and simple syrup in a blender or food processor.
Photo by Katherine Richter
5. Freeze for at least 3 hours (or as desired) then enjoy.
Photo by Katherine Richter
More treats to keep you cool: