Summery Strawberry Sangria Recipe
When the temperature rises, it's hard to beat a cold drink — even more so if it happens to be a pitcher of fruity sangria. There's no need to buy out the produce section with this delicious concoction. As a holistic dietitian, recipe developer Jaime Shelbert from Wholly Nourished knows the importance of balancing healthy food with tasty flavors. And that's exactly what she has created with this fun strawberry sangria recipe.
"I love how refreshing this drink is," Shelbert notes, adding that "it's such a beautiful summer drink and would be even more delicious when fresh strawberries are in season." Whether you're picking them from your garden or getting strawberries at your local farmer's market or grocery store, it's hard to go wrong here. Plus, Shelbert has an extra trick up her sleeve: "The secret ingredient is basil!" She's a big fan of the pairing and shares that "guests are always impressed even though it's not hard to make." There's no need to wait to play the host to try out this strawberry sangria recipe. If you have 10 minutes to spare, you'll be sipping away before you know it.
Gather the ingredients for this strawberry sangria recipe
For starters, the recipe calls for a strawberry syrup. For this component, you'll need 2 cups of frozen strawberries (make sure to defrost them first), ½ cup of water, and ¼ cup of sugar. Once it's ready, you'll let ½ cup of fresh basil leaves steep in the syrup. Shelbert explains that the basil "brightens the flavors and adds an herbiness at the same time." If you've never tasted the duo, you're in for a treat.
To assemble the sangria, you'll need 2 cups of fresh strawberries (plus extra for garnish if desired), one bottle of white wine, and 1 cup of sparkling water. As for the wine selection, Shelbert suggests something light and crisp such as Pinot Grigio.
If you want to experiment with this sangria recipe, Shelbert recommends "lemon wedges to further brighten the flavor or other berries such as raspberries and blueberries." Meanwhile, if bubbles are your jam, her tip is to swap in Prosecco instead of still white wine and sparkling water.
Start by making the strawberry syrup
Start by roughly chopping up the frozen strawberries — this will be easier if you allowed them some time to defrost. Set a medium-sized saucepan on the stovetop and pour in the water and sugar, then toss in the chopped berries. Raise the heat to medium, giving the mixture an occasional stir for 3 to 4 minutes as the sugar dissolves.
When the mixture starts to boil, decrease the burner to a low heat and let the contents simmer for 5 minutes. With the help of a potato masher or other tool, press the strawberries to squish the juices into the syrup.
Steep the basil in the syrup then strain it
Once the strawberry syrup is ready, turn off the heat. Mix in ½ cup of fresh basil leaves and place the syrup to the side while the herb steeps. Allow the basil to infuse into the syrup for at least 20 minutes while it further cools down. Shelbert notes that "the longer it sits the stronger the basil flavor."
When you are satisfied with the taste, separate the syrup from the leaves and strawberry pulp with a fine mesh strainer. As you pour the syrup through, use a spoon to press down on the fruit to ensure you are getting all of the strawberry flavor. At this point you should collect about ⅔ cup of strawberry syrup.
Slice your fresh strawberries
Make sure your fresh strawberries are washed, then grab a cutting board. One by one, thinly slice the fruit lengthwise into manageable pieces. You wouldn't want to suddenly choke on a strawberry while you were casually sipping away at your sangria, right?
Assemble the strawberry sangria in a pitcher and serve
If you have a large pitcher, now is the time to use it — and if not, get creative and use a bowl or a big vase. Start by pouring the strawberry basil syrup and bottle of wine into your vessel. Then, add the strawberry slices and the rest of the basil leaves. Top it all off with some sparkling water and give the mixture a gentle stir.
Serve this delightful sangria immediately or let it sit in the refrigerator for a bit while the flavors amplify. If you are not serving it right away, Shelbert recommends only adding the sparkling water when you are ready to drink it.
You won't have a hard time finding excuses to whip this up, and Shelbert is equally enthusiastic: "Summer is the perfect time to serve this sangria whether it be a backyard barbecue or a fancier get together. This works well for brunch as well."
- 2 cups frozen strawberries, defrosted
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed, divided
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, plus extra for garnish
- 1 (750-milliliter) bottle white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Roughly chop the frozen strawberries.
- Add the water, sugar, and chopped frozen berries to a medium saucepan.
- Heat the contents over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Using a potato masher or similar tool, mash the strawberries a bit to release the juices into the syrup.
- Remove the strawberry syrup from the heat and stir in half of the basil leaves.
- Set the syrup aside for at least 20 minutes to allow the basil to steep while the mixture to cools. The longer it sits the stronger the basil flavor.
- Strain the strawberry basil syrup using a fine-mesh strainer. Press the mixture down with a spoon to extract all of the syrup from the strawberries. You should end up with about ⅔ cup of syrup.
- Thinly slice the fresh strawberries lengthwise.
- Add the strawberry basil syrup and wine to a pitcher followed by the fresh strawberries, the remaining basil leaves, and the sparkling water.
- Stir and serve immediately or refrigerate briefly to allow the flavors to develop.
| Calories per Serving | 203 |
| Total Fat | 0.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 23.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 15.7 g |
| Sodium | 9.3 mg |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
