There is something to be said about a Cucumber when you’re trying to beat the heat of summer. It’s such a refreshing, crisp, and oh-so-healthy fruit. Yes, that’s right, I said fruit. It’s available any time of year, but it’s peak times are right now, from May to August. Seems fitting since this is the time I want to beat the heat the most. This cool cucumber melon smoothie did the trick!

This week for #SundaySupper we are focusing on recipes that help to beat the heat. Think – no cooking, or low cooking (like the crock pot). I started thinking about this when I was planning my recipe. What is one thing I make a lot of during the summer months, and immediately I went straight to smoothies. Of course, it helps that Isabel reminded me of that when I got frustrated and couldn’t come up with anything new and a little different. (Something I strive for so often, it’s really ridiculous). So thank you Isabel for keeping me grounded and not allowing me to give up.

Anyway, smoothies are my summer thing. I definitely eat less during the summer, I am just always thirsty. I’d rather have a thirst quenching drink than anything else.

Sweet Basil and Cucumber Melon Smoothie

A smoothie isn’t really all that different or unique, and they are really healthy, but throw in some home grown sweet basil, fresh from the garden cucumbers and some almond milk together and you have the beginnings of one super healthy smoothie and honestly the most refreshing smoothie I’ve ever had. Toss in a couple of chunks of Cantaloupe just to enhance the flavor a bit and you might be surprised at just how tasty this Sweet Basil and Cucumber Melon Smoothie is. Make it even more healthy if your melon is sweet enough on it’s own. Jut eliminate the agave nectar/honey step, most of the time it doesn’t need it.

Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie

Yield: 2 -4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Perfect for a beat the heat, hot summer day – a cool, refreshing Cucumber Melon Smoothie with a little bit of a twist.

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Ingredients

• 1½ C. cantaloupe, cut into cubes
• 2 Seedless Cucumbers, or de-seed a regular cucumber, sliced. I kept the peel on, but you can take it off if you want.
• ¼ c. fresh chopped sweet basil, more if you like it, I do and usually do a ½ cup
• 1 c. almond milk, I used vanilla to give it a little extra flavor
• 2 tsp agave nectar or honey
• Crushed Ice

Instructions

1. In your blender, toss in the sweet basil and chop well. Add some of the almond milk. Add the cucumbers and cantaloupe and blend until smooth. Add the rest of the almond milk, the agave nectar or honey and at least a cup of ice, but I usually use 2 or 3 cups of ice. It extends the smoothies and it still tastes great.
2. Serve!

This was by far one of the best smoothies I’ve ever had. The point of a smoothie is to cool down usually. But I wanted something that was not only going to cool me down, but also refresh me a bit. This Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie did the trick. Not only did I cool off down to my core, but it quenched my thirst which was something I was truly after with this particular smoothie.

And if you’re still around, I hope you’ll go check out all the other participants AND check out my original beat the heat post – a delicious Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad. (with 3 ways to eat it as a meal!)

This week’s #SundaySupper team has taken on the challenge of the #BeatTheHeat theme and totally outdone themselves with  mouthwatering appetizers, sweet cool treats, refreshing drinks to cool you down and scrumptious main dishes that require little to no heat. Be sure and check them out!

#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

• Refreshing Chunky Shrimp Salsa ~ The Weekend Gourmet
• Totally Cool Green Hummus ~ My Kitchen and I
• Smoked Whitefish Salad Bagel Bites ~ Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Watermelon and Goat Cheese Bites ~ Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
• Strawberry Gazpacho ~ Diabetic Foodie
• Grilled Loaded Baked Potato Skins ~ In the Kitchen with KP
• Sweet & Tangy Chili Lime Fruit Salad ~ Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:

• Cool Cucumber Salad ~ Momma’s Meals
• Lemony Garbanzo Kale Salad with Tuna ~ Shockingly Delicious
• Hungarian Cucumber Salad Recipe – Uborkasaláta Recept ~ The Watering Mouth
• Tomato Salad with Macadamia Cheese ~ Cooking’s Good Vegetarian Cafe
• Char-Grilled Corn Salad ~ The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Summertime Sweet Pea Salad ~ Granny’s Down Home Southern Cooking
• Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw ~ Damn Delicious
• Cold Cucumber and Rice Salad ~ Mama.Mommy.Mom
• Chilly Dilly Cucumber Soup with Shrimp ~ Comfy Cuisine
• Mom’s Creamy Pea Salad ~ Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Greek (Yogurt) Potato Salad ~ Family Foodie

#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:

• Rainbow Slaw with Steak and Chipotle Crema ~ Cooking By The Seat of our Pants
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken ~ Make Dinner Easy
• Rolling with Kimbap ~ Kimchi Mom
• Ranch Chicken Tacos ~ Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Serrano Ham, Mozzarella and Arugula Sandwiches ~ Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork ~ Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• No Bake Pizza ~ The Meltaways

#BeatTheHeat Desserts:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Supper for a Steal
• No-Cook Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream ~ Chocolate Moosey
• Peach Sorbet ~ Magnolia Days
• Icebox Chocolate Pie ~ Doggie at the Dinner Table
• Honey and Elderflower Ice Cream ~ Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Blackberry Lavender Popsicles ~ Girlichef
• Frozen Chocolate Bananas ~ In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Strawberry-Lime Margarita Ice Cream ~ Cookistry
• Elegant Fruit Jellies ~ Happy Baking Days
• Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches ~ That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Baker Street
• Vanilla Peach Swirl Frozen Yogurt ~ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Espresso and Toasted Almond Semifreddo ~ The Messy Baker
• Mango Ice Cream ~ Queen’s Notebook
• Raspberry Mousse ~ Basic and Delicious
• White Apricot & Honeysuckle Sorbet ~ Family Spice

#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:

• Shirley Temple ~ Cravings of a Lunatic
• Prickly Pear White Wine Spritzer ~ Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Classic Daquiri ~ Katherine Martinelli
• Salty Lassi ~ Soni’s Food for Thought
• Blueberry Mint Lemonade ~ Pescetarian Journal
• Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie ~ Daily Dish Recipes

Wine Pairings Provided By: ENOFYLZ

Make sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day today (Sunday), and at 3:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper Twitter chat!  You are welcome to join in and we’d love it! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!  We’ll be sharing great recipes and tips all afternoon, and we’ll be talking all things #BeatTheHeat during our chat!

We’d also love to feature your recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers! So make sure you join in!!

Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie