Drinks Nonalcoholic Drinks Watermelon Limeade Be the first to rate & review! This sweet watermelon limeade is a refreshing way to toast summer afternoons. By Carla Hall Carla Hall Carla Hall first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars and shared her philosophy to always cook with love. She believes food connects us all, and she strives to communicate this through her work, her cooking, and in her daily interactions with others.Expertise: cooking, soul food, food TV, cookbooks.Experience: Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC's Emmy award-winning, popular lifestyle series The Chew, and she currently brightens the mornings of millions as a Culinary Contributor to Good Morning America. Carla is featured on Food Network shows such as BakeAway Camp, Thanksgiving Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, and Worst Cooks in America, as a judge and a host. She was also a judge on Netflix's Crazy Delicious. Carla hosts a podcast on the Wondery Platform, called Say Yes with Carla Hall, focused on interviews with successful people to explore how they overcame challenges and found ways to flourish. Her latest cookbook, Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration, was published in 2018, landing on best cookbook lists across the country and receiving a NAACP Image Awards nomination.Born in Nashville, Carla grew up surrounded by soul food. When the time came for her to select her career path, she first opted for a business route – she graduated from Howard University's Business School and worked as an accountant for two years – before deciding to switch gears to work as a runway model. It was during that time, as she traveled (and ate) her way through Europe for a few years, that she truly realized her deep-rooted passion for food could be her career path.Today, she is a trained chef who has worked in several professional restaurant kitchens in and around the Washington, D.C. area and is an accomplished television personality and author. In addition to being featured in numerous cookbook collections including The Chew series of cookbooks, she authored Carla's Comfort Food: Favorite Dishes from Around the World and Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You.Carla is very active with a number of charities and not-for-profit organizations that reflect her passion for causes close to her heart. She is on the board of trustees for Helen Keller International, Pajama Program, GenYouth, and 4H. The thread which runs through all of these things is advocating for the physical and mental well-being of children.Carla lives in D.C. with her husband, Matthew Lyons. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 3, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Active Time: 15 mins Chill Time: 2 hrs Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Servings: 4 servings This summery drink is just what we want to sip all summer long. Carla Hall blends fresh watermelon for the base of the drink — make sure to pick a ripe watermelon in season. Fresh lime juice is blended in to balance the sweetness of the watermelon, but a splash of simple syrup plays up the sweet melon. Taste the limeade and use more or less simple syrup as needed. Simple Syrup Is Your Home Bar's Best Friend Hall adds seltzer water to this drink to lighten the texture and add a hint of carbonation. The seltzer water is optional; add it just when serving the drink, or offer it on the side if you aren’t sure your guests want it. This drink is at its best when it’s completely chilled; don’t skimp on the refrigeration time, and be sure to pour it over ice. And if you want to turn it into a cocktail, try stirring in 1 ounce of vodka for an adult version of this sweet seasonal drink. Ingredients 4 cups (about 1 pound, 9 ounces) cubed, peeled, seedless watermelon 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes) 1 teaspoon simple syrup, plus more to taste (see Note) Seltzer water (optional) 4 lime wheels Directions Place watermelon in a blender and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and blend. Transfer mixture to a large pitcher. Add 1 teaspoon simple syrup, taste; add more syrup to taste. Refrigerate until very cold, 2 to 4 hours (drink will separate while it sits). Fill 4 glasses with ice. Stir Watermelon Limeade and pour into ice-filled glasses. Top off with seltzer water, if desired. Garnish with lime wheels and serve. Note To make Simple Syrup, place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small jar or pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. (Simple Syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Rate It Print