Is it too early to declare an official drink of summer 2019? Because I think this Watermelon Limeade might just be the one.
It’s sweet, tart, ultra refreshing, and made with literally just two ingredients in 10 minutes flat.
What you’ll need to make it happen:
Watermelon. You’ll only need half a stand-sized watermelon to make about 4 cups of limeade, so save the other half for snacking or for another batch tomorrow (trust me, you’re going to want another batch tomorrow). Pro tip: I like to skip the juicy, messy work of actually cutting up my melon for this recipe; instead, I just use an ice cream scoop (or even a sturdy metal spoon) and scoop the flesh directly out of the melon and into the blender.
Limes. I like the tart-sweet balance of two limes in this recipe, but you could increase it to three or four if you want an extra sour drink. We’re using the entire lime in this drink (skin + flesh) so be sure to grab organic limes!
Here comes the fun part: we’re going to cut the limes into quarters- skin still on- and blend them up with the watermelon until nearly smooth (this only takes me about 20 seconds in my blender). Then, the juice gets poured through a fine mesh strainer to catch any watermelon seeds, chunks of lime zest, or pulpy bits of either that didn’t quite blend completely.
The final result is a bright red, naturally sweetened, perfectly tart drink that’s full of bright lime flavor and tastes like summer in a cup.
All that’s left to do is pour a glass over ice, stick a straw in it, and enjoy.
It’s the perfect crowd pleasing drink to make for all your summer barbecues (it can sit in the fridge for up to 3 days, if you want to make it in advance-just give it a shake before serving as the watermelon will settle a bit!), is so refreshing after a day spent at the beach, and is my current favorite mixer for a fun play on gin & juice with a splash each of gin and seltzer.
If you’re a watermelon lover, you are going to OBSESS over this ridiculously easy, super hydrating, fun summer drink. If you try it out, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, or taking a picture of your 2 Ingredient Watermelon Limeade and sharing it with me on Instagram so I can see!
2 Ingredient Watermelon Limeade
Time: 10 minutes
Yields: about 4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-large watermelon (you’ll only need half of it, to yield about 8 cups of watermelon chunks)
- 2 limes
- ice, for serving
Instructions:
- Cut watermelon in half, reserving half to use at a later time. Use an ice cream scoop or sturdy metal spoon to scoop all the flesh from the watermelon half into your blender. Be sure to pour any juice left in the bottom of the watermelon into the blender once you’ve scooped out all of the flesh.
- Cut the limes into 4 (keep the skin on!), then place them in the blender with the watermelon.
- Blend on high for 10-20 seconds, or until watermelon is pureed and only small chunks of lime remain.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl (a measuring cup with a pour spout makes transferring it into a pitcher much easier), then pour the watermelon juice through the strainer, stirring/pressing with a spoon to get all the liquid out of the pulp.
- Discard the pulp, then transfer your watermelon/lime juice to a pitcher, and pour over ice to serve! Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but will settle, so be sure to shake well before serving!