Seed Oil Free Cucumber-Basil Watermelon Agua Fresca
Few drinks hit as hard as a cold, fruit-forward agua fresca on a warm day, and this version layers juicy watermelon with cool cucumber and fragrant fresh basil in a way that feels genuinely special. Every ingredient here is whole and recognizable — real fruit, fresh herbs, lime juice, honey, and sea salt — so there is absolutely nothing hiding in the glass that shouldn't be there. That matters more than people realize, because plenty of bottled beverages and flavored drinks sneak in refined vegetable or seed oils through emulsifiers and flavorings you'd never expect. This recipe sidesteps all of that entirely by keeping things beautifully simple. Blending everything together and straining it through a fine-mesh sieve gives you a silky, jewel-toned drink with a clean finish that no store-bought version can match. The honey and lime let you dial in the sweet-tart balance to your exact taste, and a handful of ice plus a sprig of basil turns it into something you'd happily serve at a dinner party or sip straight from a tall glass on the porch.
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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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