Vegetarian Green Tea with Lemon Balm and Ginger
This soothing brew is the kind of thing you'll want to make on slow mornings or whenever you need a quiet moment to reset. Fresh lemon balm leaves bring a gentle, citrusy calm to the cup, while thinly sliced ginger adds just enough warmth and spice to keep things interesting. The green tea itself is handled with care here — the water is pulled off the heat and allowed to cool slightly before steeping, which is the small but crucial step that keeps the flavor clean and bright rather than sharp and bitter. Raw honey rounds everything out with a soft sweetness, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end lifts the whole thing beautifully. Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally plant-based, so there's nothing to swap or second-guess — just simple, wholesome components working in harmony. It comes together in under ten minutes and feels genuinely restorative, which is a rare combination.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tsp loose-leaf green tea (or 2 green tea bags)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon balm leaves, lightly packed
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1–2 tsp raw honey, to taste
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the filtered water and sliced ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the temperature drop for 1–2 minutes until it is no longer at a rolling boil — green tea steeps best around 170–180°F (77–82°C) to avoid bitterness.
- 2
Add the green tea and fresh lemon balm leaves to the hot ginger water. Steep for 3–5 minutes, until the tea is a clear pale gold and the lemon balm aroma is noticeable. Do not steep longer than 5 minutes, as the green tea will turn bitter.
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