Very Green Iced Tea
Want a zingingly refreshing recipe for iced tea made with matcha green tea? Then this very green iced tea is for you.
You don’t want an iced green tea? Oh go on, at least try it. It’s very good.
I made Green Ginger Lemonade from Sabrina Ghayour’s Feasts a couple of weeks ago. I love it. It’s so refreshing. And I wondered what it would be like with some green tea added in to make it a little energy booster. In fairness the citrus, mint, ginger and sugar in this makes it a bit of a pick-me-up anyway. But yes adding in some green tea makes it just that bit more of a booster.
I’m trying to give up coffee. I’m not really managing to do it. I love this – but I still seem to need coffee to start the day. But I’m hoping that some blood pumping exercise in the morning followed by a pitcher of this, sipped slowly throughout the day, I could manage it.
Maybe?
This does contain 6 tablespoons of caster sugar – but it’s not really sweet. It has just enough sweetness that the citrus and grated ginger flavours are smoothed out nicely.
So this is a drink that adults will enjoy but it’s nowhere near sweet enough for children. You could add more sugar to it but to be honest I think six tablespoons is plenty. You could try adding less but honestly it needs it.
But I think sugary drinks in hot weather are actually a good idea. Unless you cant take sugar for medical reasons, of course.
The lemons, limes, mint, dill and ginger in this also add nutrients to the sweetness. So it’s not like it’s empty calories. And of course matcha green tea is supposed to be very good for you.
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon of match green tea powder
- 4 - 6 tablespoons (~ 60g) caster sugar
- 500ml tepid water
- ice
- leaves from 3-4 sprigs of mint (about 2 tablespoons)
- some dill fronds (about 1 teaspoon)
- 5cm root ginger, grated
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 limes, zest and juice
Instructions
- Mix the green tea powder with the sugar and put in a measuring jug. Pour in 200 ml of hot water and stir till everything is dissolved and blended together. Top up with cold water till you 500ml of tepid sweet green tea.
- Half fill a blender with ice. Add the mint leaves, grated ginger, dill, zest of the lemon and lime, and pour over the lemon and lime juice. Pour the tepid and sweet green tea on top. Blend until well blended - it takes a good 30 seconds to a minute.
- The raw ginger can give this a very slight sort of fibrous texture but if you leave it to chill for 1 hour it seems to soften the ginger somehow.
Recipe update
OK so I made this again today (July 10 ’18) – because I love it. I made it really quickly at lunchtime and used the first tablespoon that came to hand. I have tablespoons that I use for eating and ones that I use for cooking and I suddenly realised (for the first time?!?!!) one set is much bigger than the other. So when I say 6 tablespoons of sugar in this recipe I actually mean about 60g of caster sugar and not six large tablespoons as then this does become quite sweet.
Hope you try this and enjoy it – and the gorgeous sunshine!