Welcome Spring with This Salty Cucumber Lime Soda

As the temps heat up and you start sweating more on runs, you may find yourself craving salt. Spring drinks like this one replenish the salt lost in sweat. It’s a light soda reminiscent of drinks commonly served in more tropical parts of the world. In South India, where Biju Thomas, author of Feed Zone Table, grew up, green mango is often used. In fact, that was the inspiration for the Skratch Labs Hyper Hydration Mix with Mangos. Here we use fresh cucumber, another delicious flavor that is both inexpensive and available year-round.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold water
• 1 medium cucumber, partially peeled lengthwise and cut in half
• Juice from 1 lime, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 lime, peel on (reserve the rest for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 4 cups soda water

Garnish

• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse sugar
• Remaining lime, sliced
• Remaining half cucumber, cut into long wedges

Instructions

1. MAKE A SUGAR-SALT RIM. Mix together the salt and sugar. Run a lime slice along the rim of each glass, then twist it in the salt and sugar mixture until lightly coated.
2. MAKE THE SODA. In a blender, combine the water, half of the cucumber, lime juice, lime quarter, dissolved sugar, and salt. Pulse until the lime quarter is completely broken down.
3. Fill glasses with ice and a cucumber wedge. Pour the juice mixture through a mesh strainer to fill individual glasses half full. Top off with soda water and a slice of lime.

Per serving: Calories 25, Protein 0 g, Carbs 7 g, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Sodium 813 mg

Adapted from Feed Zone Table: Family-Style Meals to Nourish Life and Sport by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim, with permission of VeloPress.

From Women’s Running