Lemon Verbena Iced Tea

Name: Lemon Verbena Iced Tea
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

RECIPE: Excerpted with permission from Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Amon and Jenna Muller. Published by Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2026.

Photo: Molly DeCoudreaux

March 09, 2026

A citrusy iced tea for warm, sunny days.

Full Belly Farm, a sustainable Northern California farm that stocks produce for iconic Bay Area restaurants such as Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe, celebrates its 15 years with Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm, a collection of recipes and stories. One such must-try drink recipe is this iced tea made with lemon verbena, which the farm grows in abundance. But for those who aren’t as fortunate, they offer that this iced tea can also be made with dried verbena leaves. “It is citrusy without being sour,” they write. “You can also make a hot tea with this herb, but we like it best on the hottest of days, over ice.”

Ingredients

1 gallon water
2 oz. fresh lemon verbena leaves (about 2 large handfuls)
1/2 cup sugar or honey, or to taste
ice

Tools:large pot, strainer, pitcher
Garnish:lemon verbena sprigs or lemon slices

Preparation

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon verbena leaves. Cover and steep for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on desired strength.

While the tea is still warm, stir in the sugar or honey until completely dissolved. Adjust the sweetness to your preference.

Strain the tea into a pitcher (discard the leaves). Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.

Fill glasses with ice and pour the tea over. Garnish.