Hibiscus Green Tea Soda

From the recipe archives, first posted September 2010. Updated with a new photo. -Jen

Soda can be a hard habit to break. If you’re looking for a tasty alternative try making your own tea soda. It’s easy to make, and can be customized to your tastes. Simply brew double strength tea (I like the combination of green tea with a fruity herbal tea like hibiscus) and serve with plenty of ice and some sparkling water. Here’s a simple hibiscus green tea soda recipe to get you started.

Hibiscus Green Tea Soda
1 green tea bag
1 hibiscus herbal tea bag
1 cup water, heated just to boiling
1 to 2 teaspoons honey, agave nectar or desired sweetener (optional)
Ice cubes
Sparkling water, seltzer or club soda, chilled

In a heatproof container, steep green and herbal tea bags in heated water for 4 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Add honey or desired sweetener to tea; stir to dissolve. Chill tea mixture for at least 1 hour. To serve, fill 2 glasses with ice. Divide tea mixture between glasses. Top with sparkling water.

Makes 2 servings

Tip: The best part of making your own tea soda is that you can control the sweetness. If you enjoy drinking unsweetened iced tea, don’t add any sweetener. For a flavor boost add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice.

Recipe Link:
Cherry Lemonade

Product Links:
Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Starter Kit

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Matcha Mango Smoothies

Looking to boost the flavor and nutrition of your breakfast smoothie? Try adding green tea to the mix. Simply use brewed and chilled green tea in place of some of the liquid like soymilk or juice. Or, blend matcha tea powder into your favorite smoothie. Matcha is powdered whole leaf Japanese green tea. Only a small amount of the high quality tea is needed to impart the flavor and color of green tea to smoothies. Here’s a simple green tea smoothie recipe made with matcha tea.

Matcha Mango Smoothies
1 1/4 cups mango chunks
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk or low-fat milk
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon matcha tea powder
1/2 cup ice cubes
Honey or agave syrup (optional)

Add mango, soymilk, yogurt and matcha tea powder to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes; cover and blend until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add honey or agave syrup if needed; cover and blend to combine. Pour into 2 glasses.

Makes 2 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Tip: Adding too much matcha tea can result in a bitter flavor. Start with a small amount of matcha and adjust according to taste.

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