Sweet strawberries, fresh basil, and zesty lemon come together in this bright, easy-to-make thirst-quencher.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fruit & Herbs
01 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
02 - 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed, plus extra for garnish
03 - 1 lemon, sliced into thin wheels for garnish
→ Lemonade Base
04 - 0.5 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 2 to 3 lemons)
05 - 0.33 cup granulated sugar, or honey or maple syrup to taste
06 - 3 cups cold water
07 - 1 cup ice cubes
→ Optional
08 - 0.5 cup sparkling water for topping
09 - Fresh strawberries for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a blender, combine strawberries, basil leaves, lemon juice, and sugar. Blend until smooth.
02 - Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp, pressing gently with a spoon.
03 - Add cold water to the pitcher and stir to combine.
04 - Add ice cubes and lemon slices to the pitcher.
05 - Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more sugar or syrup if needed.
06 - Pour into glasses over extra ice, topping with sparkling water for a fizzy finish if desired.
07 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves and strawberry slices.