5-Ingredient Immune Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tonic Recipe
Apr 05, 2020 • Updated Feb 07, 2024
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A delicious immune-boosting turmeric tonic made with only 5 ingredients. This Golden Immune Booster is vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and 100% natural!
What is a Turmeric Tonic?
A turmeric tonic is a beverage with health-promoting properties. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which is believed to have various health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidant properties.
The combination of lemon juice, fresh ginger, and other healthy ingredients, like black pepper, cinnamon, and/or cayenne pepper, add to the immune-boosting health benefits and natural sweetness of this turmeric drink.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Whether you’ve got the sniffles, feel under the weather, or just want to boost your immune system during cold and flu season, you HAVE to try this Golden Immune Booster, aka Turmeric Tonic. It’s a simple 5-ingredient recipe that takes about 8 minutes to make! I love sipping on this golden tonic during the winter months and whenever I feel something coming on.
It’s made with healing ingredients known to support the immune system and tastes like a spiced hot lemonade. Even if you’re not a ginger or turmeric lover, I promise this drink is delicious. I’ve included notes to modify for taste, and you can always top it off with a touch of maple syrup or raw honey (if not vegan) to sweeten it as well. I personally used to drink it with a teaspoon of maple syrup, and as my taste buds adjusted, I came to love the flavor on its own.
To make it, all you need to do is throw everything into a pot of boiling water and let it “steep,” then strain and enjoy it either hot or iced!
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Ginger → contains gingerol, which is really powerful and medicinal. While ginger is commonly consumed for its soothing effect on the digestive system, it is also a wonderful ingredient that helps to reduce inflammation. Fresh organic ginger root may also protect the respiratory system, making it a wonderful plant to consume while feeling kinda blah.
- Turmeric Powder → contains curcumin, a really incredible anti-inflammatory compound that promotes joint health and more! When consumed in high quantities, it has been shown to help fight inflammation and increase the body’s antioxidant capacity. It gives our drink the most incredible golden colour, and can be quite potent, especially when grated fresh from the root.
- Lemons → not only provide vitamin C, but also give our drink its lemonade-y flavour. The peels, which we’re also using, contain D-limonene, and powerful health benefits that lemons provide. When peels are squeezed, they release essential oils, so we’re boiling the whole peel to take advantage of the benefits it has to offer, too! You can also add a slice of fresh lemon to garnish.
- Black Pepper → I know what you’re thinking–why on earth would we add black pepper to a drink? We’re adding just the smallest amount, a pinch, because it actually helps to increase the absorption of curcumin from turmeric. Trust me when I say you won’t taste it, but you’ll definitely want to add it as piperine (the active ingredient in black pepper) boosts the turmeric health benefits.
- Optional add-ins → In addition to the ingredients above, you can also consider adding a touch of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick, astragalus for an adaptogenic boost, organic cinnamon, or maple syrup to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Bring water to a low boil while you prepare your ingredients.
- Grate fresh ginger until you have a loose 1 tablespoon worth, and add to the pot of hot water.
- Next, squeeze lemon juice into the pot and add skins as well.
- Add turmeric and black pepper, stir well, and turn the heat off. Allow mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Strain and enjoy!
Secrets to Success
- To streamline the preparation and make this drink a lot more quickly, I typically like to start by letting the water sit on the stovetop as I prepare the ingredients. Usually, in the time that it takes to bring the water to a boil, I’ve already finished ingredient prep, and that’s how I get this done in 8 minutes or less!
- Because vitamin C content tends to decrease in plants as you introduce high heat, I would recommend adding your lemons last. You want to bring everything to a boil, but don’t want to over boil, as you do want to keep as much vitamin C in tact as possible!
Try These Healthy Recipes
Golden Milk Cacao Latte AKA Turmeric Latte for People Who Hate Turmeric
Lemon Raspberry Poppyseed Muffins
Try this recipe out and tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
5-Ingredient Immune Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tonic Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups water
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric powder
- pinch of black pepper
- optional
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp astragalus
- maple syrup to taste
Instructions
- Bring water to a low boil while you prepare your ingredients.
- Grate fresh ginger until you have a loose 1 tablespoon worth, and add to the pot.
- Next squeeze lemon juice into the pot, and add skins as well.
- Add turmeric and black pepper, stir well and turn the heat off. Allow mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Strain and enjoy!
Notes
Secrets to Success
- To streamline the preparation and make this drink a lot more quickly, I typically like to start by letting the water sit on the stovetop as I prepare the ingredients. Usually, in the time that it takes to bring the water to a boil, I’ve already finished ingredient prep, and that’s how I get this done in 8 minutes or less!
- Because vitamin C content tends to decrease in plants as you introduce high heat, I would recommend adding your lemons last. You want to bring everything to a boil, but don’t want to over boil, as you do want to keep as much vitamin C in tact as possible!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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