Balsamic watermelon slushie: a cool, alcohol-free pause

A cool, alcohol-free pause for a hot afternoon, 1 minute in a blender. When everyone else reaches for something sweet, this is a bright, refreshing glass of your own.

Watermelon is mostly water, which makes this genuinely hydrating, and it carries the antioxidant pigments that give the fruit its deep color, including lycopene. A little acid from balsamic and lime sharpens the flavor, so only a small amount of honey is needed, or none at all if you would rather let the fruit stand on its own and keep the sugar low.

Pour it into a glass you like, add a sprig of basil or mint, and sit somewhere cool. Take a breath before the first sip. The pause is part of the refreshment.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen cubed watermelon
• 1.5 cups sparkling water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Method

Add the frozen watermelon, sparkling water, honey, balsamic vinegar, and lime juice to a blender. Blend until slushy and smooth, then pour and serve right away while it is still cold.

A closing note

No appliance beyond a blender is needed here. Make it look beautiful, drink it slowly, and let it be the small summer mercy it is.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*

*Lower-sugar note: the sugar here is the watermelon, not added sweetener. For a lighter serving, use a smaller portion, or blend in a splash of water or coconut milk to stretch the batch so each serving carries less.*