Honey-Lemon Herbal Tea with Elderberry and Thyme
A warm and fragrant herbal tea blending honey, lemon, elderberry, and thyme to soothe sore throats and ease cold symptoms naturally. This recipe, ready in about 20 minutes, brings together water, dried elderberries, fresh thyme sprigs for a refreshing, crowd-pleasing drink — a bright, easy pour for parties, gatherings, or any warm-weather afternoon when you want something festive without alcohol-only options. Each serving lands at about 60 calories and feeds 4, so it works for entertaining, brunch, or a non-alcoholic option at the bar cart. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp dried elderberries
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 lemon slices
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Instructions
- Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 2 tbsp dried elderberries and 3 fresh thyme sprigs, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the water is deeply infused.
- Step 2: Remove the saucepan from heat and strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a teapot or heatproof pitcher, discarding solids.
- Step 3: Stir in 3 tbsp honey and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice while the tea is still warm to dissolve honey completely and preserve vitamin C.
- Step 4: Pour the tea into cups and garnish each with a lemon slice. Sip slowly to relieve throat irritation and boost immunity during colds.








