Vegetarian Cherry Lime Soda

Total time30 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time5 min

4.5

(14)

There is something deeply satisfying about a homemade soda that looks as stunning as it tastes, and this cherry lime version delivers on both counts. Fresh or frozen sweet cherries are simmered with honey and water until they surrender a gorgeous, deep ruby syrup that no store-bought bottle can match. Bright lime juice cuts through the sweetness with just the right amount of tartness, and chilled sparkling water brings the whole thing to life with a gentle, refreshing fizz. The technique is simple — cook, strain, cool, pour — and the result feels far more special than the effort involved. It's naturally sweetened with honey and built entirely from real, recognizable ingredients, so there's no label-reading required. Serve it over ice with a lime wedge and a few fresh cherries on top, and it looks like something you'd pay way too much for at a trendy café.

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the cherry syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen sweet cherries, pitted
¼ cup water
2 tbsp honey

For serving

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
1 cup ice cubes
2 lime wedges (optional)
4 fresh cherries, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the pitted cherries, water, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the cherries gently with a spoon, until the cherries have softened and released their juice and the liquid is a deep ruby color, about 5 minutes.
2
Pour the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the solids firmly to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the solids. Let the cherry syrup cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

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