Pork Free Chilled Cucumber Mint Lemonade
Cool, herbaceous, and genuinely refreshing, this cucumber mint lemonade is the kind of drink that makes a hot afternoon feel instantly more manageable. Fresh English cucumber is blended and strained into the pitcher, lending a clean, subtly vegetal sweetness that plays beautifully against bright lemon juice. A homemade mint simple syrup — steeped just long enough to turn fragrant and pale green — brings everything together with a floral lift that bottled mixers simply can't replicate. Maple syrup stands in for refined sugar, giving the syrup a gentle depth without overpowering the delicate flavors. The whole thing gets chilled before serving, so every glass over ice is properly cold and cohesive rather than watery and rushed. It's naturally free of any animal-derived or meat-based ingredients, so there's nothing to scrutinize on a label or swap out — just fresh produce and pantry staples doing exactly what they should.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the mint simple syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
For the lemonade
- 1 medium english cucumber (about 10 oz), peeled and roughly chopped
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons)
- 2 cups cold water
For serving
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 4 thin lemon slices (optional)
- 4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the 1/2 cup water and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the maple syrup fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the mint leaves, and let steep for 10 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant and pale green. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
- 2
Place the chopped cucumber in a blender with 1/2 cup of the cold water and blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain the cucumber purée through the fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract all the juice; discard the pulp.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!