Lemon Verbena Tea (15 Minutes)

This simple lemon verbena tea recipe comes together in just 15 minutes with loose verbena leaves and water. The aromatic, citrus-forward tea pairs well with a spoonful of honey or can be enjoyed plain for a refreshing and subtly sweet warm drink. It also serves as a wonderful lemony base for making iced tea – keep reading for detailed instructions!

Tea time in Morocco is a ritual that’s celebrated daily. It’s a key part of Moroccan cuisine that my family cherished. This verbena tea (also called Louisa in Morocco) is often served as a part of this ritual, year round.

My dad, aunts and uncles love Louisa tea so much, they took the seeds and grew their own plants in their respective new homes across North America. I remember my dad babying his plant so carefully, only to be totally devastated when it couldn’t survive the colder winter.

It used to be really difficult to find lemon verbena leaves here in Washington. Thankfully, they are much easier to source now! You can find them online or at many local Arab markets.

If you live in a warmer climate, I highly recommend growing your own plant in a pot, as the fresh leaves are a true treat when steeped as instructed in this recipe. That said, using dried leaves works great, too.

This herbaceous tea is caffeine free and gives a calming and relaxing experience, that I find to be perfect for bedtime.

It’s easy to make and delicious served piping hot or chilled as iced tea.

The flavors are versatile and easy to build on, whether it’s with a squeeze of actual lemon juice, a dollop of honey, a piece of citrus peel, or fresh fruit added to the iced version.

If you enjoy this tea, you must try this Moroccan mint tea recipe, turmeric tea, and Moroccan spiced coffee.

What You’ll Need

With such an refreshing lemony scent, you’ll be surprised to find that there is no lemon in this tea!

• Lemon verbena leaves
• Water
• Optional: honey or sugar

Find exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Step by Step Instructions

What To Enjoy With Your Tea

Moroccan tea time is a daily afternoon tradition that’s best enjoyed with sweets. Every family has their own favorite assortment of cookies and other small bites.

Here are a few that I grew up enjoying with Louisa tea regularly:

Lemon Verbena Iced Tea

Any leftovers of your lemon verbena tea can be cooled then stored in the fridge. They should keep for up to 5 days, when stored in an air tight container.

Enjoy leftovers cold directly out of the fridge or reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays to use in iced tea.

Lemon verbena iced tea is super refreshing and one of my favorite iced tea bases to build off of.

I like adding a sweetener like sugar or honey while the tea is steeping to make sure the sweetener dissolves, then chilling. From there you can add verbena tea ice cubes, a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh citrus slices, cranberries, and any other add ins you like. Bonus points if you have fresh lemon verbena leaves for a garnish!

More Moroccan Drinks

Happy sipping!

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