This is a variation on the already-delicious basil lemonade, subbing in green tea for the plain water to give it a little more depth. If you’ve got a lot of old-ish green tea around, this is a great way to use it up. Since tea doesn’t go “bad,” it just gets weaker, you can be less concerned with quality when you’re using it in a recipe like this.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese or Chinese-style loose green tea (or 6 tea bags)
  • 6 cups filtered water
  • 3 tablespoons agave
  • 12 fresh basil leaves (roughly 3 tablespoons minced)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Brew green tea concentrate by steeping tea in 2 cups of the filtered water at about 160°F for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Pour tea concentrate, lemon juice, remaining 4 cups of water, agave, and basil leaves into your Vitamix. Blend until the basil is completely broken down.
  3. Serve over ice right away, or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

(based on this Detoxinista recipe)