Savory Garden Green Smoothie

I think I speak for many when I say I could probably live on green smoothies alone. I drink one just about every morning, changing up the flavors & ingredients, sometimes adding protein powders & superfood additives, sometimes keeping it simple with fruit, greens & coconut water. I love my sweet green smoothies, & it had never occurred to me that a savory all-veggie-based green smoothie could be just as satisfying.

I’ve been reading Raw & Simple & came across a recipe for a Garden Smoothie & instantly had a plan for all the leftover crudites from my recent housewarming party. I tend to over-plan & over-prepare, & at the end of the night had bags of fresh-cut veggies that weren’t used to replenish the platter. I thought to myself, “How in the world will I eat all of those vegetables?” The simple solution? A savory green smoothie. Oftentimes, when I am trying to clean out the crisper, I throw whatever I can into the juicer. But this time around, I was looking for something a bit more substantial. If you are lucky enough to have a Vitamix, your leftover veggies can be whipped up into a creamy, delicious drink in seconds. I can’t attest to how it would work in a regular blender, but it’s worth a try. I did not take accurate “measurements”; rather haphazardly threw stuff in. Call it “intuitive” smoothie making.

SAVORY GARDEN GREEN SMOOTHIE

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan

Recipe Type: Smoothie, Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegan, Raw

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of filtered water

• A handful of spinach leaves

• A handful of cucumber slices

• A handful of celery sticks

• A handful of yellow bell pepper pieces

• A handful of orange bell pepper pieces

• A handful of cherry tomatoes

• ½ avocado

• 2 small garlic cloves

• ½ shallot

• a few sprigs of fresh basil

• 1 cup ice

• sea salt to taste

• a few shakes of Tabasco

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Turn on full speed & blend until smooth.

2. Adjust seasoning & heat to preference.

I really enjoyed this smoothie, so much in fact that I am on my third batch of it! That’s a lot of leftover veggies, & a lot of veggie-vita-goodness in my system. I like to enjoy this super cold, as it’s been warm & muggy around here, but I bet this would go down nicely as a soup if left in the Vitamix long enough to heat it. Don’t waste your leftover veggies! Juice ‘em, make a delicious broth, or by all means, make a smoothie. To your health!