Passover has passed over, and I’m guessing that most of you are more than ready to leave the matzo behind. Enter the green smoothie, or as my husband has nicknamed it, “The Greenie.” I introduced the concept of a green smoothie to him after seeing different variations on several food blogs. The concept is simple—blend greens, fruit, water and other ingredients together to make a healthy tonic. Drink your veggies, so to speak. The idea appealed to my husband, who likes greens in moderation but can’t stomach more than a serving or two a day. After that, he likes to tell me that he feels “like a goat.” I don’t blame him, but I know how important it is for us to consume fresh greens each day. With the green smoothie, we’re drinking our greens, so it doesn’t feel as cumbersome as a salad.
We experimented with different green smoothie combinations, and while many were good, they weren’t quite perfect. Then my husband took over. He started with the combination I’d been playing with—water, greens, fresh mint, apple, pear and lime juice. He cut the amount of water significantly in order to make the smoothie thicker and less watery. He also added cinnamon, which I think is inspired. Cinnamon balances blood sugar by increasing the body’s ability to metabolize sugar, which means less sugar is stored as body fat. It’s often recommended as a natural dietary aide to diabetics, and it happens to taste fantastic in a green smoothie. For the final touch, he added a bit of natural sweetener– not a lot, just a hint of sweetness. We usually use a packet of Truvia (stevia-based sweetener), but you can also use 1 tbsp agave nectar.
The result was a green smoothie that we actually love to drink… in fact, it’s become a daily ritual in our home. The mint and lime juice give it a fresh, crisp edge that is somewhat similar to my favorite summer beverage, limonana. It’s a thick drink, and some of the greens will cling to the glass, which I like to polish off with a spoon. My dog Marley enjoys a Greenie dog treat each day, and we’ve taken to enjoying our own daily Greenie Smoothie as well. This concoction might look strange on paper. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I’ve made it for a few people (including some skeptics), and everybody has liked it so far. I’m telling you, it’s magical… especially the way it makes you feel.
A few tips. Organic is important. You’re blending together whole vegetables and fruits (including peels), and you want to keep the drink as clean as possible. If you can afford organics, I highly recommend them. Kale is pretty bitter unprocessed, but when you process it (or massage it, as in my kale salad recipes), natural sweetness is released. The same is true for kale smoothies. Blending the kale removes any bitterness and renders the greens much sweeter than they are whole… so if you’re anti-kale, this is a great way to try it. If you’re using kale, don’t remove the stalks—they contain tons of fiber. Also, make sure you follow the steps in the order suggested. If you simply cram all the ingredients into the blender at once, they won’t blend properly (even if you have a powerful Vitamix-style blender).
Kale is one of the most nutritionally dense foods in existence. It helps to reduce cholesterol, lowers cancer risk, increases fiber intake, and has a broad range of healthful antioxidants. That said, I recently learned that raw kale contains a lot of Vitamin K, which can be a problem for people taking blood thinners. It also has a natural compound that can suppress thyroid function in certain individuals (not everybody though). Because of these risk factors, my husband and I switch off between raw kale and raw spinach. The incredible health benefits of kale tend to outweigh the negatives, in my opinion, but it’s better to be safe than sorry… plus, I feel it’s never a good idea to eat too much of any one thing. A diet with a variety of healthy foods should be the goal. If you have a sensitive stomach, stick to fresh spinach (at least in the beginning), as it’s a bit easier to digest. Luckily, this smoothie is equally delicious with either spinach or kale– and you can switch up the lime juice with lemon, if you prefer. Note: Since posting this smoothie, my husband and I have started adding grapes to the mix for added natural sweetness. It’s delish, so I’m adding grapes to the recipe!
Just look at all of the green goodness you’re getting in one drink! It’ll make you feel like a million bucks. Honest! Have you ever made a green smoothie before? What’s your favorite combination?
Recommended Products:
The Greenie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 organic ripe green apple cut into chunks, core discarded
- 1 organic ripe green pear cut into chunks, core discarded
- 2 cups organic roughly chopped fresh kale or spinach
- 1/2 cup organic roughly chopped fresh mint
- 20 chilled green or moscato grapes
- 12 ice cubes
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon stevia or 1 tbsp agave nectar, or more to taste (we use 1 packet of Truvia)
- 1 lime (juiced, or more to taste)
NOTES
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups cold water into the blender. Add one small handful of the apple and pear chunks. Blend till the mixture is thoroughly liquid. Continue adding the apple and pear chunks in small handfuls, blending each handful one at a time, till all of the fruit chunks are blended in.
- Add the greens and mint, one handful at a time, and blend in batches till all of the greens have been blended in. Add the grapes, ice cubes, cinnamon, agave or stevia and lime juice. Blend till the ice cubes are thoroughly crushed and the mixture is smooth. I blend it for at least 1 minute to make sure all of the greens are totally pulverized.
- Serve. Though it’s enough for 3 medium servings, my husband and I divide this recipe between 2 large mugs. There is always a little left over after we fill our glasses, which we usually polish off between the two of us. This recipe is the best health tonic ever. Each time we drink it we feel refreshed, energized and ready to take on the day.
- Note: Make sure you follow the steps in the order suggested. If you simply cram all the ingredients into the blender at once, they won't blend properly.
Mommypage says
This looks very healthy! Kale is definitely one of the most healthy foods to eat. It’s a great idea to add it to a smoothie – that probably makes it taste even better!
Ryan says
Beautiful recipe, and I love the name, “The Greenie”. Mint is one of my favorite smoothie ingredients. I harvested 3 varieties of mint last summer while foraging and dried out most of it for my smoothies in the winter. If you haven’t, give dried mint a try, it’s yummy too 🙂
Marla says
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! I have just started green”smoothing” over the last month and I have never felt better…so here are a few ideas—-I keep frozen Apple juice concentrate in the freezer and add a spoonful or two to the mix–Also I core a fresh pineapple,freeze the chunks and use them as my first “fruit layer”—Also freeze sliced banana and include that if you like–I start with 4-6 oz filtered water–to that I add a combination of spinach and Kale–sometimes include celery or cucumber–add lemon AND ginger and then add the fruit of your choice–I have frozen melons,berries, grapes and kiwi and I always add the fruit frozen—–my freezer now looks like a frozen produce market! You can adjust the viscosity of this phenomenal potion by the amount of liquid added…….Experiment,have fun and L”Chaim TO LIFE and TO YOUR HEALTH!
Mashugana says
Could you please post more Smoothie recipe that you use
TIA
Marla says
There are many websites devoted to smoothies—Two of the very best I have found:GreenSmoothiegirl.com and IncredibleSmoothies.com…….FULL of valuable info–comprehensive,easy and DELISH!…….Cheers!
Mashugana says
I have a Vitamix and will be shopping for the ingredients. I use organic when I can get it, because when I finish removing the skin (all the nutrition) it just is not worth it.
Michelle says
My friend, Paige, adds blueberries, a few pineapple chunks for sweetness but not too much sugar and turmeric for its health benefits as well. She always adds the cinnamon. It IS literally health in a glass and so delicious and filling!
robyn says
another fruit that changes completely upon chopping: cranberries. i freeze them at thanksgiving to have all year long. you could throw a few into this for color, taste and antioxidants.
Ber says
This sounds delicious and will have to go try it soon. Thanks!
lois says
Have you tried this in a juicer? I just purchased on and I am eager to juice lots of different combinations. We were recently in Cancun and had a “green juice” daily!
Tori Avey says
Haven’t tried it as a juice yet. If you try it let us know how it turns out please! 🙂
Lori says
Green smoothies are a daily in our house. The only way I can get my 2 and 4-yr old girls to get raw leafy greens in (understandable). My go-to combo is: 1/2 bunch of kale, 1 stalk celery, 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 orange, 1 banana. I also add 3 T of chia seeds. I blend this with water & ice cubes in my vitamix, and it’s fabulous. If I have lemon on hand, I squeeze 1/2 a fresh lemon in. It does make a difference. I also get all
Of this organic (at whole foods, trader joes, & Costco). Tori, I’m exited to try your specific recipe here!
Naomi says
I have purchased kale so many times but wound up throwing it out because the bitterness didn’t agree with me. (I tried various ways, including kale chips). Your greenie drink was a breakthrough! I love it, so refreshing and tasty. The mint and cinnamon give it a delightful and slightly exotic essence.
Tori Avey says
Yay Naomi! I’m thrilled you like it. Yesterday we added some fresh grapes to the mix which gave it an extra boost of natural sweetness, I think I’ll add it to the recipe as an option. You might want to try it next time!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
There is so, so, much goodness in here!! Yum!
leigh says
I’m trying it tomorrow! Sounds great!
Tori Avey says
Enjoy Leigh!
j says
My son has been drinking this daily for months. He is healthy, and incredibly handsome and smart. (His wife would agree).
He got me to try this. He offered me a glass, but I turned that down for a teaspoon and I told him I would only taste it while standing at the sink (in case I gagged or something gross).
Surprise! It was lovely. Delicious and refreshing. He uses banana, blueberries, strawberries as well, the mint – and other stuff.
Tori Avey says
I have a couple of friends who turned their noses up at first glance, but now they’re officially green smoothie converts. If you can get past the color, I find it quite tasty. We sometimes add berries too, although then it doesn’t look green… more like an unappealing brown mish-mosh. Tasty though!
Cookin Canuck says
I have yet to make a green smoothie, and I honestly don’t know what’s taking me so long to get to it. This version looks like a great excuse to start some serious smoothie-making.
Tori Avey says
It was such a “fad” that I wasn’t sure I wanted to jump in. Now that I have, I totally get it and I’m loving it!
Robin G. says
When I’m in a juicing phase I have a “go to” recipe for my vegetable juicer: (1) 2 or 3 carrots, (2) 1 or 2 stalks of celery, (3) something green (usually a handful of spinach), (4) some flavor (either a piece of ginger or a slice of lemon), and (5) something round (i.e., apple/pear/orange). I love the idea of adding mint or cinnamon!!!! I’m going to try your recipe in my Vitamix – I have learned when making a smoothie to always put liquid into the container first, then add the softer/easier items before the harder/heavier items (so the ice cubes would be added last and push the other ingredients down into the blades). I’ve also learned when operating my model to start on “Variable Level-1” and to slowly increase the speed to “Variable Level-10” and then when everything is incorporated I up the speed to “High” and continue blending for another 30 – 60 seconds (depending on the recipe). Wanna know why all this stuff is on my mind??? Because on the 5th day of Passover I was so unpleasantly stuffed with holiday desserts that I decided to go on a juice fast for the remainder of the holiday. Footnote for those keeping Kosher: generally, it is believed that a blender can not (or not easily) be Kashered for Passover. Enjoy!!!!
Tori Avey says
Ha! I hear you Robin. I am on a serious cleansing diet right now. This smoothie is just the thing I need to bring my body back into balance. I usually use the frozen drinks setting on my Vitamix, I’ll have to try the variable settings next time. I do agree that starting with the more liquid ingredients first is the way to go… and add slowly in small handfuls!
Allison says
I am the only one in my house who likes green smoothies, so I have had good luck making them for myself with my stick blender. You just have to make sure the container you’re using is wide enough, and move the blender around to get all the pieces. I like frozen fruit instead of ice cubes.
Tori Avey says
Great tips Allison, thanks!
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says
Great idea with the cinnamon! This sounds refreshing after all of the heavy Passover foods of late.
Tori Avey says
My feelings exactly! A nice change of pace from all the matzo and brisket.
Sam Lurie says
My dad has cancer and I make a daily version of this drink. Its a real super nutritionally powerful mix of alkalines we should all embrace. I add celery and cucumber. Also I peel all the veg before juicing to eliminate harmful pesticides that will contaminate all that goodness. Hope some readers pick up on this tip
Tori Avey says
Hi Sam, so sorry to hear about your dad. It really is an incredible drink. Yes, I mentioned the pesticide thing in the post, which is why I recommend buying organics if your budget allows. The peels of the fruits contain fiber and nutrients, so ultimately buying organic and cleaning really well is the best option. However, if organic isn’t in your budget, peeling is a must!
Sara says
Beautiful! I think my iPad actually smells fresher just browsing this recipe! Since you asked, my favorite combo is cucumber, kale, fennel (bulb or fronds or both), ginger, mint, pear. With or without half a lime. I like it through the juicer and then with a dash of seltzer over ice, or in the blender with ice. Yummy!
Tori Avey says
Sounds refreshing Sara! 🙂 I like juicing too, though I think I prefer the smoothie because you get all the good fiber and nutrition from the whole fruit. Juicing is nice during the summer, though, when it’s super hot out and you don’t feel like a thicker drink.