Xanthan Gum Free Chilled Cucumber Mint Lemonade
Few drinks hit as hard as a cold, herby lemonade on a warm day, and this cucumber mint version takes the classic completely up a notch. Fresh English cucumber gets blended and strained into pure, clean juice that gives the drink a cool, almost spa-like depth without any weird texture or cloudiness. A homemade mint simple syrup — made with maple syrup instead of refined white sugar — brings a floral sweetness that store-bought lemonade simply cannot compete with. Because every ingredient here is naturally free of thickeners and stabilizers, you never have to squint at a label wondering what's lurking in the mix. The whole process is straightforward: make the syrup, blend and strain the cucumber, stir everything together, and chill. It's genuinely refreshing, beautifully pale green, and impressive enough to serve at a gathering without anyone guessing how easy it was to pull off.
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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.
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