Nothing says summer like fresh strawberry basil lemonade! There's also a bonus recipe for a strawberry basil-chia variation at the end of the post!
To me, fresh lemonade just says "summer is here!" And one of the fun things about making your own lemonade is that there's plenty of room to experiment with different flavors.
I've found one really good way to reduce the sugar in lemonade while still keeping the sweetness is by adding other fruit purees to it. Strawberries work really well because they
have a natural sweetness that blends beautifully with the tartness from the lemons.
To take it to the next level of flavor, I decided to put some basil in this recipe as well. It's one of my favorite herbs (especially during the summer months) because it
has a beautiful fresh, bright flavor, and goes well with all sorts of fruits, veggies, and meats.
Another reason I love basil so much is it happens to be one of the few herbs I've been really successful at growing a few years in row now. Everyone always says how easy it is to grow herbs (and I love gardening), but to be honest, I've killed a lot of different herb plants. :( But basil has been one of my success stories.
It loves the sun, does well in containers or in the ground, and doesn't need much attention to keep growing happily wherever it is. This year, I even decided to get a little adventurous and try growing Thai Basil (pictured in this recipe) instead of the traditional sweet basil and it's awesome. Plus it has purple stems and flowers which are extra pretty.
If you don't have fresh basil around, you can leave it out, but I think it's a special addition to this recipe that's worth trying, and I think it's totally worth trying to grow at home - one $4
plant will grow and give you fresh basil on-hand all summer long, which is much cheaper than buying it every time you need it for a recipe. On a side note, do not use dried basil
in this recipe. It will come out weird and gross.
I've also included a bonus recipe in this post! One day I was browsing through the produce section at Target, and since I'm a dietitian and naturally love reading labels on everything I see in the store (yes, I really do this), I decided to head over to the fresh juice area and read some of the labels. That's where I saw these really interesting "chia juice" blends, that are basically fresh juice with chia seeds hanging out in there with the juice.
I've written quite a bit about chia seeds and their awesome "plump up in liquid" properties before on the blog, but I normally use them to make puddings or add to smoothies or baked goods, not actually adding them in a drink. So I went home and tossed some chia seeds into extra lemonade I had, and the result was awesome! After a few hours, the seeds gel, just like they always do when you add them to a liquid, which creates a really fun-textured drink.
Not to mention adding these little seeds provides a bonus of nutrition by way of fiber, heart-healthy omega 3 fats, and a little boost of protein. If you're already planning to make this lemonade recipe, go ahead and separate part of it out and try the chia addition. You'll be glad you did! You can also add chia seeds to water or other drinks for the same effect.
Just remember to let it sit in the fridge for at least of few hours or preferably overnight so the seeds have time to do their thing and form that interesting gel-like texture. I hope these
recipes help you kick off a sweet summer!
Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2-3 sprigs fresh basil
- 2 cups strawberries (green tops removed)
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
Directions:
- Place the first cup of water, sugar, and basil in a small saucepan and place on the stove at medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely into the water. Set aside to cool, and remove the basil before adding to the rest of the lemonade mixture.
- Place the strawberries and the other 3 cups of water into a blender (if you're blender is small, you can add just 2 cups of water), and blend until the strawberries are completely pureed. (Option: If you don't like strawberry seeds in your lemonade, you can strain the the strawberry mixture to remove the seeds before mixing with the lemon juice.)
- In a large pitcher, combine the cooled water-sugar-basil mixture with the strawberry puree and the add the lemon juice. Stir to combine well. Refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 2-3 days.
Happy Eating!
~Amber
Bonus Recipe!
Strawberry Basil Chia Lemonade
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2-3 sprigs fresh basil
- 2 cups strawberries (green tops removed)
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
Directions:
- Place the first cup of water, sugar, and basil in a small saucepan and place on the stove at medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely into the water. Set aside to cool, and remove the basil before adding to the rest of the lemonade mixture.
- Place the strawberries and the other 3 cups of water into a blender (if you're blender is small, you can add just 2 cups of water), and blend until the strawberries are completely pureed. (Option: If you don't like strawberry seeds in your lemonade, you can strain the the strawberry mixture to remove the seeds before mixing with the lemon juice.)
- In a large pitcher, combine the cooled water-sugar-basil mixture with the strawberry puree and the add the lemon juice. Add the chia seeds. Stir to combine well. Refrigerate until at least 3-4 hours to let the chia seeds gel or up to 2-3 days. (Note: You made need to use a spoon to stir or break up any of the chia seeds that stick together when they gel)
Happy Eating!
~Amber
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