Christmas

Super easy mulled wine recipe

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Looking for a mulled wine recipe? This tempting drink wine has to be one of the great treats of the festive season. Deliciously warming, its distinctive aroma signals the arrival of Christmas.

Adding spices to your mulled wine is an easy way to boost antioxidant levels. Antioxidants are one of the most powerful weapons we have in combatting disease. They help our bodies fight a range of illnesses, from heart disease to cancer. Cinnamon, cloves and star anise all help to boost our antioxidant levels. Not only that, they also add a distinct seasonal cheer!

Studies show that red wine may have some health benefits for us too. A study led by Professor Tim Spector revealed that drinking a small amount of red wine increases our microbial gut diversity. Why is this important? Well it’s been found that having more beneficial bacteria in your gut (your gut microbiome) can have all sorts of health benefits, including keep you slim, improving mental health and staving off disease.

Enjoy our mulled wine recipe with friends and loved ones (and perhaps a mince pie or two!).

Watch Liz make mulled wine

Enjoy more delicious festive recipes

Wellbeing Wisdom

  • Spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise help boost our antioxidant levels
  • Some studies have revealed that ‘resveratrol’ in red wine may have the potential to kill the damaged cells that can lead to certain cancers

Ingredients

  • 2 oranges, organic (or well scrubbed)
  • 1 lemon, peel (organic, unwaxed or well scrubbed)
  • 100g caster sugar
  • A generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 3 sticks cinnamon
  • 6 cloves, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 bottles of fruity inexpensive red wine, preferably organic
  • 500ml water
  • 5 star anise

Method

Use the below as a guideline, but feel free to add your own additional spices such as vanilla and cardamom.

  1. Peel and juice one orange into a large saucepan along with the lemon peel, sugar and all the spices apart from the star anise. Add just enough water or a little wine to cover the sugar, then simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil for a few minutes to infuse the spices until you have a sticky syrup.
  2. Then add the bottles of wine and star anise to the pan and heat gently until warm. Be careful not to let the mulled wine boil at this stage otherwise the alcohol will burn off, together with many of the healthy benefits of red wine!
  3. Ladle into glasses and decorate with a wedge of orange (studded with a few extra cloves if you wish). To make a less alcoholic version, simply add a little more orange juice and water. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the red wine with cranberry juice.