Citric Acid Free Beet & Lemon Vegetable Tonic
This vibrant, jewel-toned tonic is earthy, bright, and surprisingly refreshing — the kind of drink that makes you feel like you're doing something genuinely good for yourself. Beet brings a deep, slightly sweet backbone, while cucumber and celery keep things cool and hydrating, and fresh ginger adds a gentle kick that lingers in the best way. Here's the catch with this recipe: lemon juice is listed as an ingredient, and lemon juice is a significant source of citric acid. If you are avoiding citric acid in all forms — including naturally occurring citric acid from citrus fruit — you will want to omit the lemon entirely or substitute a small splash of something like apple cider vinegar if that fits your specific needs. The tonic still works beautifully without it, since beet, ginger, and parsley carry plenty of flavor on their own. The method is straightforward blending followed by straining through a fine-mesh sieve, so you end up with a smooth, pulp-free liquid rather than a thick smoothie. A pinch of sea salt rounds everything out, and the optional turmeric adds a subtle warmth and a gorgeous golden undertone to that deep magenta color. Serve it over ice right away and it is genuinely stunning in the glass.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
- 1 medium beet (about 6 oz), peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ medium cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tbsp)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 cup cold filtered water
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the chopped beet, cucumber, celery, lemon juice, ginger, parsley, water, and sea salt to a blender. If using turmeric, add it now.
- 2
Blend on high speed for 60–90 seconds, until the mixture is fully broken down and uniformly deep magenta with no visible chunks.
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