Gluten Free Cucumber-Basil Watermelon Agua Fresca
Summer in a glass doesn't get much more refreshing than this. Ripe watermelon and cool cucumber are blended together with fragrant basil, bright lime juice, and a touch of honey, then strained into a pitcher of pure, jewel-toned goodness. The fine-mesh straining step is what sets this apart from a chunky smoothie — it gives you a silky, restaurant-quality drink that's light enough to sip all afternoon. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of gluten, so there's no label-reading required and no hidden grain-based additives to worry about. The honey keeps things gently sweet without overpowering the fresh fruit, and the sea salt quietly ties all the flavors together in a way that makes the whole thing taste more complex than the ingredient list suggests. Serve it over a big pile of ice with a sprig of basil tucked in the glass and it looks as stunning as it tastes. It's the kind of drink that disappears fast at a backyard gathering, so you might want to double the batch.
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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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