It is hotter than Hades right now, but who's complaining when it's the perfect excuse to make and drink a tall glass of iced cardamom green tea? It's loaded with antioxidants, has just 30 calories per serving, and it is so, so delicious! Serve with slices of lemon and lots of ice.
This is the time of year I love to indulge in some of my favorite cooling drinks, like mango lassi and watermelon smoothie. Another delicious drink that I created only last year, the one we make most often now, is this iced cardamom green tea.
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A healthy, refreshing (and easy) drink
This is an alluring drink. It always gets rave reviews from guests and there isn't a drop left in the pitcher by the time they leave. Desi tells me he could drink it by the gallon. So could I.
Part of the allure of this iced cardamom green tea is that it is also a very healthy drink, with the goodness of green tea, the delicate aroma of green cardamom and a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. Lemon adds vitamins and a dash of tang to balance out the slight bitterness of the tea.
As the cook, one of my favorite things about this beverage is that it is so stunningly easy to make. The time needed to make it is about the time it takes to boil water in your kitchen. And all I need to do is slice a lemon or two.
Ingredients
- Green cardamom pods. Before I came up with the idea of adding cardamom to my iced green tea, I was not a green tea fan (unless you are talking about this matcha green tea latte--so good!). I found plain green tea too bitter for my liking. But the sweetness and aroma of cardamom elevates the green tea and makes it so yummy!
- Green tea bags. You can use loose leaf tea but using tea bags keeps the recipe simpler.
- Maple syrup. The maple syrup stains the tea brown, but I don't mind that. I love its rich sweetness with the green tea. You can use any sugar of your choice in this recipe.
- Lemons. Lemons, sliced thin and tossed into the green tea, add a lovely tang that dovetails beautifully with the bitter tea and the sweet maple syrup.
Variations
- Add a few sprigs of mint or lemon balm to the pitcher for more cooling deliciousness.
- For more sweetness, add slices of orange to the green tea instead of lemon.
How to make iced cardamom green tea
- Place 6 cups water in a saucepan. Add crushed cardamom pods and bring to a boil.
- Turn off heat, then steep the tea bags in the water. Cover and let the green tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Filter the green tea into a pitcher and add the maple syrup. When it reaches room temperature add the slices of lemon. Chill thoroughly for at least 3-4 hours. Serve over ice.
Storage
- The iced green tea will keep in the fridge for up to a week. The lemon rind tends to make the tea bitter if left in the fridge for days, so if you are making this recipe well in advance add the lemon slices to the pitcher before serving.
Top tips
- Crushing the cardamom pods releases their aroma. Use a heavy knife or a pestle to just gently crush the pods, then add the whole pods with the seeds to the water.
- Tweak the quantity of maple syrup or sugar to your liking. I use a teaspoon for each cup, which adds a hint of sweetness but doesn't make the tea sweet.
- You can also adjust the quantity of lemon slices you add to the iced cardamom green tea. Use two lemons for a tangier tea.
More delicious and cooling drinks
Recipe card
Iced Cardamom Green Tea
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 6 green cardamom pods (crushed lightly with a knife or in a mortar and pestle to expose the seeds)
- 6 green tea bags
- 6 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar of your choice)
- 1-2 lemons (thinly sliced into rounds)
Instructions
- Place the water in a saucepan. Add crushed cardamom pods and bring to a boil.
- Turn off heat, then steep the tea bags in the water. Cover and let the green tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Filter the green tea into a pitcher and add the maple syrup. When it reaches room temperature add the slices of lemon. Chill thoroughly for at least 3-4 hours. Serve over ice.
Nutrition Information
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Bianca says
Oooh so so good. I made it yesterday as soon as your recipe dropped. Perfect for summer. I added a little more maple syrup coz we like our tea sweet. Yummy!
Vaishali says
Yay! So happy you loved it.
Deb says
Hi! I was wondering if I can use powdered cardamom instead of the crushed whole seed?
Vaishali says
Yes, absolutely. Use a half teaspoon to a teaspoon.