Dairy Free Cucumber-Basil Watermelon Agua Fresca
Summer drinks can be a minefield of hidden dairy — think creamy lemonades, smoothies built on yogurt, or store-bought fruit drinks with surprising milk-derived additives. This agua fresca sidesteps all of that completely, relying on nothing but fresh fruit, vegetables, and a handful of pantry staples to deliver something genuinely refreshing. Ripe watermelon and cool English cucumber get blended together with fragrant basil, bright lime juice, a touch of honey, and a pinch of sea salt before being strained into a silky, pulp-free drink that looks almost too pretty to pour. The straining step is what sets this apart from a basic smoothie — it gives you that clean, light texture you'd find at a great taqueria, without any thickness or heaviness. A little back-and-forth with the honey and lime at the end means you can dial the sweetness and tartness exactly to your taste. Poured over ice and finished with a sprig of basil or a ribbon of cucumber, it's the kind of drink that makes a regular Tuesday feel like a backyard party.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about ½ small watermelon)
- 1 medium english cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1–2 tbsp honey, or to taste
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- fresh basil sprigs or thin cucumber slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the watermelon cubes, chopped cucumber, basil leaves, lime juice, honey, salt, and cold water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45–60 seconds.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer in batches, pressing gently on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
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