This caffeine-free ginger thyme tea is easy to make at home
and perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather.
I woke up Thanksgiving morning with the beginnings of a cold. Black Friday was even worse, with the irrepressible urge to nap setting in a mere three hours after I woke up. Yesterday, after getting over ten hours of sleep the night before, I spent the hours between six and eight pm dozing off on the couch with a purring cat on my stomach and a scarf wrapped around my head. I’ve gone through two pocket packs of tissues and finally had to cave and buy a full-size box.
Since I know a lot of people get sick around the holidays, I thought I’d share my favorite homemade remedy: a simple ginger thyme tea.
I’ve always made this tea with just ginger, lemon, and honey, but my mom told me that a friend of hers from France uses thyme to make tea when she’s under the weather. I tried adding a sprig to my tried and true formula, and loved the pop of green color and herbal undertones it added to the drink.
The ginger makes this tea nice and spicy–if you simmer it for long enough, it will burn a bit going down. However, for me at least, a little burn lets me know it’s working. This tonic is equally good for both colds and sore throats, and can also help soothe an upset stomach.
This morning I mustered up the energy to make this tea, but ran out of steam before I could cook breakfast. I ended up getting out my emergency snack stash–a big hunk of Callebaut bittersweet chocolate. (The only reason I can keep that chocolate in my pantry for any length of time is because I have to get out a cutting board and a chef’s knife to chop off some pieces before I can eat any–if it were ready to go straight from the cupboard it’d be gone in an hour.)
Anyway, chocolate always makes me thirsty, so I washed it down with my second cup of this tea, and was surprised by how well the two went together. Somehow the bittersweet chocolate and the spicy-sweet-citrusy tea were the perfect combination.
So, if you’re not feeling well this holiday season, let tea and chocolate be your go-to remedy! I bet you’ll be feeling better in no time.
Ginger Thyme Tea
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This caffeine-free ginger thyme tea is easy to make at home and perfect for when you're feeling under the weather.
Author: Becky Winkler
Recipe type: Gluten free, Paleo, Drink, Tea
Serves: 4 six-ounce servings
Ingredients
- One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
- 4 lemon slices
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- Honey (or your sweetener of choice), to taste
Instructions
- Place the sliced ginger and four cups of water in a kettle or saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for five to ten minutes (simmering for longer will yield a more intense ginger flavor). Remove from the heat and steep for five minutes.
- Put a lemon slice and a thyme sprig in each mug. Pour the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into the mugs.
- Season with honey (or your favorite sweetener) to taste. (I use about half a teaspoon of honey per serving.) Remove the lemon slice after a minute, or leave it in for a stronger citrus flavor. Enjoy hot and feel better!
Roshni Parate says
December 5, 2018 at 3:04 amThanks for this amazing ginger tea recipe i will surely give it a try and after few day will let you know how it worked for me.
Becky says
December 6, 2018 at 11:04 amGreat! Hope you enjoy it!
Great nutrition says
February 15, 2015 at 10:49 pmTea and muffins as a mid morning snack lifts my mood
Rebecca Winkler says
February 15, 2015 at 10:52 pmMmm, tea and muffins sound perfect for a snowy day like today 🙂
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
December 6, 2014 at 4:36 amMy grandmother always used to say, "Have a piece of chocolate, lovey!" for whatever ailed us. Your tea combined with the chocolate piece is an even better remedy!
Rebecca Winkler says
December 17, 2014 at 3:03 pmYour grandmother was on to something!! 🙂 Thanks, Betsy!
Alanna says
December 5, 2014 at 12:37 amThis looks so refreshing! I always reach for ginger when I'm starting to feel under the weather. Will definitely be making this!!
Rebecca Winkler says
December 5, 2014 at 3:48 pmThank you, Alanna! Hope you enjoy it!
OMG! Yummy says
December 4, 2014 at 9:10 pmGreat photos! I love your cure – tea and chocolate. I know we will get along famously if we get a chance to meet in person :-). I've always had hot lemon and honey when I have a cold. I added ginger recently when a friend of mine had an upset stomach. Love the idea of a little fresh thyme! Lovely.
Rebecca Winkler says
December 5, 2014 at 3:45 pmThank you, Beth! I'm sure you're right–it would be so much fun to get to meet you in real life 🙂
Marissa says
December 1, 2014 at 5:17 pmI love ginger tea, but have never thought to add thyme. I'm definitely going to try this.
Rebecca Winkler says
December 1, 2014 at 6:18 pmHope you like it, Marissa!
Janie Penn says
December 1, 2014 at 1:37 am… pretty pictures!
Rebecca Winkler says
December 1, 2014 at 2:33 amThank you! 🙂