Iced Cucumber Lemonade with Dandelion and Lemongrass
Cold-brewed dandelion, nettle and lemongrass with cucumber, lemon juice, spearmint and honey over ice: light, herbal and thirst-quenching.
This is the iced sibling of the morning cup: the same herbs, in a far more thirst-quenching format. Cold-brewing the blend overnight pulls out the lemongrass's citrus notes while leaving the deeper bitterness of dandelion and burdock in the background where it belongs.
Cucumber is the workhorse ingredient. Beyond adding its own cool, mildly sweet flavor, cucumber is mostly water—and that is what turns a herbal cold brew into something that reads as a lemonade.
Mint and lemon do the heavy lifting on the flavor side. Spearmint specifically (not peppermint) keeps the drink garden-fresh rather than candy-cane; combined with lots of fresh lemon, it transforms a potentially bitter herbal cold brew into a genuinely crisp lemonade.
Make a pitcher for a hot afternoon, after a salty meal, or as the centerpiece of a lunch outdoors. It pairs especially well with light vegetable-heavy foods—think grain bowls, summer salads, or grilled fish.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp herb blend (or 4 tea bags)
- 750 ml cold filtered water
- 1/2 large cucumber, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)
- Juice of 2 large lemons
- Large handful fresh spearmint
- 2 tbsp honey dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices for garnish
How to make it
- 1Cold-brew: combine the herb blend, cucumber slices, and half the mint in a pitcher with cold water. Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours.
- 2Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pitcher. Discard solids.
- 3Stir in fresh lemon juice and honey syrup until combined.
- 4Add the remaining fresh mint leaves and gently muddle with a wooden spoon (don't shred).
- 5Pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with cucumber rounds, lemon slices, and a fresh mint sprig.
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