Rawtarian's silky green smoothie recipe
3 large bananas (peeled)
2 medium oranges (peeled - use a knife, cut generously around the edges to remove a lot of the white rind as well as the skin)
1 apple (chopped)
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup to 1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 sprinkle cinnamon
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to blender. Place soft ingredients like bananas in first, because that's what I was taught!
2. Blend in your high-speed blender until nicely smooth.
3. Empty your blender immediately. Pour green smoothie into cup(s) or a large mason jar for on-the-go.
4. Add 1-2 cups of water into your blender immediately and blend again to aid in cleaning process. Take carafe to sink and finish rinsing/cleaning blender right away. I am not a good housekeeper but the one rule in my house is to NEVER let the Vitamix carafe sit uncleaned. NEVER! Why? Because then if I'm lazy later on and it's not clean then I won't use it, then I won't know what to make, and I'll just eat nuts for dinner because I'm too lazy to clean the blender. NEVER store recipes in your blender for this reason. :)
This recipe makes quite a large green smoothie, it's a perfect breakfast for 1 person. This is my go-to breakfast.
The Rawtarian's Thoughts
I have been a raw vegan for over two years. And for breakfast almost every single day I have a green smoothie. And I am still not sick of them yet, if you can believe that! I can make them super quickly, and I always keep the main ingredients on hand.
If you have any trust in me believe me when I tell you that in order to make a tasty green smoothie you absolutely must have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. Otherwise it'll be chunky and grainy and downright disgusting and you'll have to pinch your nose to get it down.
When it comes to green smoothies texture is everything and high-speed blenders are going to take a slightly disgusting chunky mixture and turn it into a silky smoothie like the one in this photo that actually tastes delicious--like a treat. Texture is everything when it comes to this green smoothie recipe.
This may not be the most exciting green smoothie recipe in the world, but it's what I have for breakfast almost every morning so I figured that you'd like to know what I have for breaky! What I like about it as well is that it's not too expensive, since bananas are inexpensive here in Canada.
Images
Comments
Sarah
Nov 14, 2011
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I'm about to transition to a vegan and part-raw lifestyle, but don't have the cash to drop on a high-speed blender right away. Do you think using a food processor to make smoothies would be better than using my regular speed blender?
The Rawtarian
Nov 14, 2011
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Hi Sarah,
No, do not use a food processor--food processors should be used for dryer stuff. Do try your regular blender. It'll probably be fine, it just won't be as nice and smooth :)
I do understand not being able to afford a high-speed. They are expensive!!
Court
Nov 18, 2011
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I also have a green smoothie every morning and do not have a high speed blender. It does a decent job on the texture. It doesn't look quite like Laura Jane's, but you're definitely not getting chunks of greens in your mouth. I have had an twice where I used collards or kale as the greens, and the thicker stems got caught and the blender started smoking. Never had an issue with spinach though.
A fav of mine is: 3/4 C each of pineapple and dark cherries (fresh or froz), 1C nut/seed milk (almond, hemp, flax..) 1 C water, cinnamon, splash of vanilla, & 2 handfuls of greens. (optional additions are 1 t spirulina, wheatgrass shot, ground flax, salba seeds, chia seeds, a little stevia to taste...you get the idea. Anything goes!) Enjoy!
The Rawtarian
Nov 19, 2011
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OK, wow that cherry pineapple one sounds to die for. But expensive I bet! But super deelish
JT
Jan 18, 2012
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I bought a stainless steel, hand blender by Cuisinart. It does a really good job especially if you blend in a deep container. It allows you to really churn up the stuff so that your smoothie actually comes out smooth. I use the blade attachment - not the whisk. I think they're about $40 and it's also great for blending soups, etc.
Ruth Case
Apr 12, 2012
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I also have the Cuisinart hand-held immersion blender that I bought to puree soups. It is a treasusre ar that price! But I did not think of using it for smoothies; thanks I will try your suggestion.
Becky
Feb 14, 2012
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Try freecycle or craigs list free, ebay or other auction sites.
I got a champion juicer from freecycle last year, delivered to my kitchen counter. They weigh 45pounds. My motto is: nothing ventured nothing gained. Be patient and repost several times,
have fun playing with raw foods
Becky
Kristina
Mar 29, 2012
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I always use a cheapo blender for my smoothies as I can't afford to buy a good one, like a vitamix. I blend my smoothie until it is a creamy green using almost the same ingredients as this one. You can use a cheapie blender but it will not last for very long, maybe 3 months. I plan on buying a Ninja. They have 1000 watts of power, and are about a hundred dollars at Target HTH!
The Rawtarian
Mar 30, 2012
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Cheapo blender is certainly better than nothing! I did burn out a few of my cheapos before getting a VM
Hugh
Nov 16, 2011
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Green smoothies really rock! I've been drinking one everymorning for more than 5 years and love the way they set me up for a great day.
I mix up the greens and fruit with the seasons and never get tired of them. They are so easy and loaded with nutrition.
Here's a basic recipe for mine: http://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com/super-green-smoothie.html
If you're not already enjoying green smoothies I recommend you give them a whirl. Cheers!
The Rawtarian
Nov 19, 2011
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Wow, after 5 years and you're still not sick of them! I think what's great about them is switching up the flavors a bit so it's not the same every time.
liz
Nov 23, 2011
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My (and my whole family's) fave green smoothie to start the day is in the Vitamix blend together
2 cups of fresh carrot and beet juice (takes extra time but you are worth it)
1 avacado
BIG handfuls of kale, chard, broccoli etc from garden
a couple of dates
some hemp hearts
frozen fruit of choice, for me frozen organic grapes
Sooooooo good.
The Rawtarian
Nov 23, 2011
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Mmmmmmm frozen grapes, I could never put them in a smoothie b/c I love them too much as they are! :)
Sounds yummy Liz, thx for sharing. That fresh carrot/beet jc sounds good too.
Believe it or not I don't have a juicer. I am scared because they seem time consuming to clean
Tanya
Dec 01, 2011
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We change the smoothies up depending on what organic foods are available, but mostly it's apple, carrot, celery. Some common vegetable additions could be any of cucumber, kale, chard, collard. Some common fruit additions are cranberries, blueberries, pear.
A really strange combination I discovered out of desperation was celery plus pineapple. Equal amounts of each. So strange! Yet refreshing, and treat-like.
The Rawtarian
Dec 03, 2011
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Celery + pineapple - never tried that one but it sounds like it WOULD be very refreshing!
Kati
Dec 03, 2011
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I am allergic to bananas and they make me so sick! Any suggestions for alternatives that will give you the same creaminess!
The Rawtarian
Dec 05, 2011
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Try 1 avocado instead of the bananas
Holli
Jan 02, 2012
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I like the green smoothies too …and I too don’t have a vita mix yet ! But I found that juicing my greens first and then adding them to my blender with the other ingredients works great!
The Rawtarian
Jan 02, 2012
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That's a great idea as a temporary measure Holli. Thank you for sharing. I don't even have a juicer so I think you're off to a great start :)
However, I do imagine that you'll find it far less time consuming once you can do it all in one step with a high speed blender.
Keep up your enthusiasm! Talk to you soon and bye for now
Zac
Jan 08, 2012
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So, I'm preparing for my transition to 100% raw in feb. I decided to use this recipe as my first homemade green smoothie. I forgot to add the cinnamon, and dont have chia seeds, and was worried how my blender would handle it...My goodness it is soooo good! super smooth and silky and yummy! Not as pretty as yours but its close! Can't wait to do more of your recipes!
Kareen EatingRight
Jan 23, 2012
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Best.Smoothie.Ever.
Wasn't sure about the cinnamon but it rocked my world :) I replaced the water with fresh OJ. Will be writing about it on my blog!
The Rawtarian
Jan 24, 2012
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:)
Cynthia
Feb 01, 2012
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I am a very tentative beginner but I do have a vita mix! Where do you get fresh greens in January in Canada? I live in Washington State and it is tough enough here! And the next question is how can one afford it?
The Rawtarian
Feb 06, 2012
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Sigh - I know they are expensive :(
I don't get any local greens in Jan - unfortunately. All my organic produce comes from big grocery stores at this time of year
deanna
Feb 27, 2012
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Hi!
I have just made your green smoothie, I substituted the chia seeds (I didnt have any) for hemp instead. It is soooo good.
I will make more of your recipes, keep posting.
Heres to our good health!!
The Rawtarian
Feb 28, 2012
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Good substitution :) Hemp seeds would make it nice and creamy, I should think
Jenny
Feb 27, 2012
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Costco is a great place to get your organic greens for smoothies if there is one close to you. They don't have kale :( but young mixed greens and baby spinach are very affordable there.
The Rawtarian
Feb 28, 2012
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Thumbs up :)
Sondra Weidman
Feb 28, 2012
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Wonderful Smoothie ideas! and don't forget the protein ! Especially for Breakfast ! I love Dales Raw Protein!
The Rawtarian
Feb 29, 2012
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Never heard of Dale's raw protein - I'll have to look into it
Jenny
Feb 29, 2012
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Walked in today and found washed organic baby kale in a large bag @ Costco for 4.49!!! Miracles do happen :)
The Rawtarian
Feb 29, 2012
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Yay for miracles!
MyMove
Mar 11, 2012
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I love smoothies, especially green smoothies! They make me feel so healthy and I don't feel guilty about "snacking" on them. I try to take it a step further on the "greenness" by growing my own organic vegetables for the ingredients. I'm going to try out your recipe within the next week. Yay for new recipes!
The Rawtarian
Mar 12, 2012
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Great! Let me know what you think. :)
Lois Ridley
Mar 12, 2012
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I thoroughly enjoyed your podcast explaining how to make this smoothie. I don't have a Vitamix YET but I find green smoothies yummy. I like the the thicker texture actually. My teen dd helps me out and is brave with the veggies and adds many but hates the seedy nature of the smoothies when we add raspberries.
Looking forward to your future podcasts.
Alexandra Munoz
Apr 09, 2012
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An investment on a Vitamix is so worth it. I bought mine used (it's a commercial style) in 1997 and it still works wonderfully! Save the money and invest in yourself!
cherrie
Apr 10, 2012
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I just bought me some Garden of Life RAW Meal Replacement
Wish I would of bought it at the Garden of Life site instread of going to earth fare, it was almost 60 bucks for the same stuff.. i havnt tried it yet, but there is so many great benifits to it. Sounds so healthy. I think i am going to take your recipe for the green smoothie and add the raw meal replacement to it for breakfast... I am going to be a newbe at this going raw diet/lifestyle. I am so excited about it.. I just dont know what i am doing, lol...
Maybe you could list a couple of samples of what a typical day looks like.. umm an easy starter day for someone who doesnt have any kind of kitchen stuff except a crappy blender, lol.. You had sent me something on FB, but i seem to have lost it, so if you could help me out here, it would be awesome. thanks
Cameron
May 14, 2012
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I know the Vitamix is expensive. I have one but didn't buy it, it's a hand me down from my father in law. He bought it in 1991. Still going strong after 21 years. It is one of the old ones with a stainless steel container (I wonder why they don't make those anymore?).
If you can, it is really worth the investment. I use mine about 9 times a week.
21 years. What can you buy that will last 21 years?
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