Basil-Lime Chicken with Spinach Vermicelli
Lime gives this sauce a great tangy flavor that goes great with the basil and chicken.
In a blender or mini food processor, combine the crème fraiche and basil until smooth. Set aside for 2 hours to allow the flavors to infuse. For a dairy free version, use cashew cream or some silken tofu.
In a skillet, sauté the chicken breast in the butter and oil until fully cooked. Set aside and keep warm.
Pour wine into skillet to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce wine by half.
Stir in basil cream, zest, reserved chicken (and any of its accumulated juices), stirring until sauce is warmed. The great thing about using crème fraiche compared to sour cream is that it won’t curdle if the sauce gets overheated and comes to a boil.
Serve chicken and sauce over a bed of cooked noodles or rice.The fresh basil in the sauce will start to lose its vibrant green color the longer it is heated, so be sure to serve the dish immediately. The beautiful green colored spinach vermicelli I had hoped would retain their lovely color once cooked, but they didn’t (it still tasted great though!).

Basil-Lime Chicken with Spinach Vermicelli
Ingredients
- 6 oz crème fraiche
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves 70g
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter or margarine
- ½ cup white wine
- Zest for ½ lime
- 200 g GF spinach vermicelli or other GF noodle
Instructions
- In a blender or mini food processor, combine the crème fraiche and basil until smooth. Set aside for 2 hours to allow the flavors to infuse.
- In a skillet, sauté the chicken breast in the butter and oil until fully cooked. Set aside and keep warm.
- Pour wine into skillet to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce wine by half.
- Stir in basil cream, zest, reserved chicken (and any of its accumulated juices), stirring until sauce is warmed.
- The basil will start to lose its vibrant green color the longer it is heated, so be sure to serve the dish immediately over a bed of cooked rice vermicelli or steamed rice.
Notes
*For a dairy free version, in place of the crème fraiche try; cashew cream or silken tofu.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. You are right, homemade is definitely better on so many levels.