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.
abderezak tabti says
This looks very healthy I also liked the name grennie
Jen says
This smoothie is delicious. I wanted to make a similar green juice I got from Maison Kayser, and this does the trick (but keeps the fiber from the fruits and veggies). I halved the recipe because I was making it just for myself. I added 2 cups of spinach (in addition to the kale), and 1/4 bulb of fennel. Did not need any sweetener. Used 6 grapes. Absolutely delicious. Made it in my vitamix and it came out great (tried to make it in my magic bullet last year and it just could not liquefy enough). Used less ice because I haven’t tried ice in my vitamix yet, but I’d like it a little colder, so may increase the ice next time. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Fran says
So refreshing. I am trying to add a Greenie Smoothie to my food program daily. This was the first combo I tired. I especially like the hint of mint taste. I also used fresh apple cider for the liquid. Delicious.
angela says
Hey Tori,
I’ve tried it yesterday and I must say it was even more successful than I expected !
Thanks for sharing
ey Tori, says
It’s a great green smoothie recipe. I tried it yesterday and it was even more successful than I expected ! Thanks for sharing !
Jada says
How much will all of these ingredients will cost?
Tori Avey says
Jada, I can’t tell you that as prices vary based on location, availability, organic vs. non-organic and seasonality.
Dora says
Hello, I am a Breast Cancer Survivor as of April of 2015 and I have been juicing since my chemotherapy, but now my question is how much is too much? I am drinking one cup a day, but want to boost it up to two a day, is that too much? And I am eating healthy..
Tori Avey says
Hi Dora, I would love to help you but that is probably a question best answered by your doctor or a nutritionist. I would think two per day is probably fine, however you should definitely double check with your doctor to be sure!
Susan says
Wonderful taste–specifically the cinnamon but one question. It seemed very gritty. Is that what it should be like? I thought maybe it was the mint or the cinnamon making a gritty.
Tori Avey says
Hi Susan– it is likely the kale that is making it taste gritty. You need a great blender to really pulverize those big stalks of kale. You can try blending it longer, or next time try using baby kale, which is more tender and easy to blend. Glad you liked the flavor!
Tracy says
Wow, had this today, very, very good. I forgot to add the cinnamon and still tasty. Next time I may try without the stevia. Thanks!!!!
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome Tracy! 🙂
Aurora Montelongo says
Just wanted to see if this greenie juice was all that and more. Wow, was I surprised, I made it and gave some to my grown son and we both loved it. Thank you it was awesome, this is a keeper in my recipe book.
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Aurora! I won’t rest till we’re all converts to the Greenie. I have one every day! 🙂
Leta says
I will try this out on my teenage boys tomorrow for breakfast 🙂 Grapes freeze beautifully, which I discovered years go on this nutty diet where you would eat only fruit, and only one type of fruit at that, a day. I was in college, and loved the grape days as my girlfriends and I rationalized that frozen grapes in sauvignon blanc made a fine dinner.
Tori Avey says
LOL! That’s an interesting diet if I ever heard one Leta. 🙂
Kay W says
Wow! This look so delicious, I’ve been trying different “green smoothie” recipies for the past few months.
Nothing has looked this good though 🙂
Kim says
What a fanstastic recipe! I’ve been adding chia seeds (which fills it out and they’re great for you) and I’m completely addicted!
Nina says
Sorry about the name mistake Tori. Do you use all of the other ingredients, only omitting the pear and the grapes? Can you a red apple instead of the green if up want?
Any suggestions for making it thicker?
I am so surprised that we both really LOVED it…. thanks again.
Tori Avey says
No worries! To thicken, try using a little less water. It should be pretty thick on its own, though. A red apple will work fine, but I think the green apple has slightly less natural sugar (I could be wrong about that though– I’m not a nutritionist). So happy you love it! I’m going to convert the whole world to the Greenie, one drink at a time!! 😉
Nina says
Thanks Sarah, I jumped the gun – the mint smell made me do it… and made the greenie just before I received your reply.
I cut up the apple and the pear in chunks and added them all at once, in the order given. We did have to use the tamper, but not for long .. the Vitamix gobbled up everything after a few ‘tamps’.
I got my husband to ‘reluctantly’ agree to try some … He was on his second glass before I had finished my first!!
🙁 Unfortunately it did exactly what I had hoped it wouldn’t.. I have Diabetics 2 and I avoid a lot of fruit at one time… I had 2 glasses and my blood sugar jumped 110 points in about an hour and a quarter. Not good, but worth it. I’ll try much less when I make it for my now hooked hubby.
Do you have any suggestions for one made with less carbs?????
Tori Avey says
Hi Nina, actually my name is Tori– the commenter above is a reader. 🙂 Yes, you can cut the natural fruit sugar significantly by cutting out the pear and the grapes. We often make it with only the green apple, and it tastes great, plus it cuts the sugar by almost 2/3.
Sarah says
Thanks a lot for sharing one of the best ways to make green smoothie! I use coconut water as my base and it tastes good and kids are beginning to love it.
Nina says
I am dying to try this greenie. Three questions –
if I make the whole recipe (as above), can I save half for later in the day?
I have a Vitamix 750 – can I put all ingredients, in the order given above, in at once since it is so powerful, or do I have to divide them as listed in the recipe?
do the grapes HAVE to be cold and if so, how long in the fridge?
Tori Avey says
Hi Nina! Yes, you can store the unused smoothie in the fridge, but you will want to stir/reblend it before drinking, as it will separate a bit. I have a Vitamix too, and I do not recommend putting everything in at once… it’s a powerful blender, but even the Vitamix can get stuck with so many different ingredients in the mix. Grapes don’t HAVE to be cold, no…sometimes I add them at room temp. 🙂 Enjoy!!
Kim says
Hi Nina,
I’ve been splitting this into two bottles and taking one in to work each day. I find a quick shake is enough to recombine the mixture, and I’ll sometimes add a little extra water if it’s thickened up in the mean time.
Sid says
HI Tori,
I don’t make green smoothies for my family and friends very often but I’m planning on making them one of my “goto” dishes when the kitchen is hot during the dog days of summer, without AC, up here on the coast of Maine. I do a lot of “nutritiarian” cooking for a healthy diet to control my blood pressure and colesterol without meds. Have your tried other green leafy veggies like organic chard and collard greens in the basic recipe yet. I bet that’ll be just fine and we won’t OD on kale and spinach 😉
Jim says
Hi Sid. I stopped making green smoothies about 6 years ago because I got a oxalate/calcium kidney stone. I was given a pamphlet by the emergency room doctor that showed greens have high oxalate levels. In fact spinach and swiss chard have the highest amounts of oxalates that can combine with calcium and create a kidney stone. I never want to go through that pain again so I stopped doing green smoothies.
Tim says
Just made this for the first time, delicious!!! By any chance do you have any idea how many calories are in this?
Betty Freedman says
I like to make a green smoothie using citrus (peeled orange, lemon juice and or lime juice), fresh pineapple slices, and spinach in my vitamix. I use orange juice a instead of water and do not need to add extra sweetener. Sometimes I use frozen fruit instead of ice cubes. The pineapple and citrus blend is wonderful; I am going to add cinnamon next time!