Soothing Ginger Root Tea Recipe

Did you know that there are many health benefits of ginger root? Yes, it's true. While most people are familiar with the trendy turmeric root, turmeric isn't the only healthy root out there. Ginger can be incredibly wholesome, but be careful not to eat too much.

Health coach and recipe developer, Miriam Hahn, brings us this recipe for ginger root tea. Hahn loves to "drink this tea at all times of the day or even right before bed." It's simple to make and only requires a few ingredients to throw together. Similar to your mug of nightly chamomile tea, this ginger root tea is very comforting.

And while this might seem like a winter beverage, Hahn says that "in the summer months when it is hot, I keep a batch of this in a mason jar in the fridge and pour [it] over ice." Yum! How refreshing does that sound?

To make this ginger root tea, you can start by gathering your ingredients. You'll need fresh ginger, water, dried orange peel, lemon juice, and raw honey. Hahn emphasizes that in addition to the ginger itself, the other key ingredient is the dried orange peel. She notes that the orange flavor complements the ginger and says "there are a lot of healthy compounds in citrus peels and using the dried form is easy to add to all types of teas."

Let's get working on the main ingredient: ginger. As a health coach, Hahn says that ginger "helps with joint pain and acts as a pain reliever. Ginger is also great for digestion and for building a strong immune system." 

To start, go ahead and peel the ginger using a vegetable peeler. Then, using a microplane, grate the ginger until you have about 1 tablespoon.

Next, add the water to a small pot. Add the freshly grated ginger and the dried orange peel to the water. Place this pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Then, lower the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Next, remove the pot from the heat. Using a colander, strain the ginger tea into two mugs. Since you will not need them anymore, discard the ginger and orange peel.

Now, add some lemon juice into each mug. Hahn states that "Lemon is also full of antioxidants and helps to alkalize the body." Then, add about 1 tablespoon of honey for sweetness. Hahn suggests "for those that want it a little sweeter, you can add some Stevia." Give each mug a good stir and place a slice of lemon inside for garnish.