Summers can be intense and the good old lemonade or Nimbu Pani (as known in India) never misses to hit the spot.
But have you tried elevating it to the next level with some awesome flavors of Ginger and Basil? Ever since I made this Basil Ginger Lemonade, it’s been our go-to drink during summers. Our other favorite summer drinks which are almost on repeat are Chabeel (Kachhi lassi) and Virgin Mojito .
This Ginger Basil Lemonade is
Cool and refreshing Comes together in 5 mins Full of basil and ginger flavor healthy and delicious Crowd pleaser!!
Ginger Basil lemonade is everything you crave in lemonade and more. It has that tanginess from lemons, the sweet refreshing flavor from basil with a spicy kick from the ginger. All this is balanced with sweetness from sugar and saltiness from salt brings this drink together. I prefer using Dorot Basil and Ginger to make my Lemonade as it makes it a breeze to make it without compromising flavor. Just pop everything into a blender, blend, and voila you are ready to serve! But you can also make it with fresh ingredients and it’s equally easy just the prep work adds to the time.
Benefits
Adding Ginger and Basil to your lemonade will not just elevate its taste and flavor but also adds a ton of health benefits to a plain old lemonade.
Ginger and Basil, both have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and are believed to strengthen and boost immunity. Ginger can help to relieve digestive problems. Basil is believed to reduces stress and purify the blood. Lemon we all know is a great source of Vitamin C.
Overall a win-win drink and you will really love how well the flavors marry. So let see how to make Ginger Basil Lemonade!
Recipe Ingredients
Ginger - you can use freshly grated ginger or frozen ginger cubes available in the market.
I’ve used the Dorot ginger cubes available in Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and Wholefoods.
They make everything a breeze since it requires no chopping, peeling, and cutting so no mess, no cleanup. Just pop a cube out directly into your blender and you are set!
Basil - Similar to ginger, you can use fresh basil leaves or Dorot basil cubes.
Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not the bottled kind.
Salt - I like to add a combination of salt and black salt (kala namak) since along with added nutrients, it also adds a nice pungent flavor to this drink which we love. Feel free to skip it if you can’t find it and replace with salt.
Simple syrup - This is my preferred choice of sweetener for this drink. You can replace it with honey, agave, or maple syrup but substitutions will cause the flavor to vary.
Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
Step by Step Method
Prep work
Wash and pat dry lemons, ginger, and basil leaves. It’s ok to leave the skin on for ginger, just make sure to wash and wipe it thoroughly. Juice the lemons, grate the ginger. Make simple syrup - boil equal parts 1:1 cup of water and sugar until the sugar dissolved. Let it cool and store the airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the concentrate
1 and 2 - Add all the ingredients to the blender like basil, ginger, lemon juice, simple syrup, salt, black salt, ice cubes, and water. 3 - Blend until smooth. Basil ginger lemonade concentrate is ready!! You can store it for up to 4-5 days in the fridge or even freeze it in ice cube trays. 4 - For serving, take two glasses, add ice to them. Fill them halfway with the concentrate. You can pass it through a sieve I just prefer to add it directly. Top the remaining half with sparkling water (preferred) or chilled water. Mix it well and serve garnished with lemon slices and basil leaves. Alternatively, you can also make it in a pitcher or jug by mixing equal parts of concentrate and sparkling water (or water). Keep it refrigerated. Cool and refreshing Basil Ginger Lemonade is ready!
Recipe Tips
To get the maximum juice out of lemons, before cutting them, roll them over the counter by pressing with your palms or heat them in the microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds.
Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
Elevate the taste with black salt (kala namak), little goes a long way.
Use sweetener of choice (simple syrup, jaggery, honey, agave, or maple syrup) and adjust the quantity to your taste.
Depending on your preference for Basil flavor you can increase or decrease the number of basil leaves.
Replace sparkling water with alcohol for that adult version Ginger Basil cocktail.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Frequently asked questions
More Summer Drink Recipes
Hope you enjoy this Basil Ginger Lemonade !! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
