Green Smoothie Flavors Learned from Experience

Throw some fruits, green vegetables and a little liquid in a blender and blend until smooth. My attitude about green smoothies made the process simple. The flavors of some of the concoctions made my family jumpy every time they heard the whining of the blender.

Taking the Green Smoothie Detox with the Green Smoothie Queens opened my eyes (and my taste buds) to a world of possibilities. It also helped me to understand that some foods are made to be blended and others should be left to their own devices.

Vegetables

• Spinach – I use it a lot in my smoothies as the green ingredient (most green smoothie experts would say I use it TOO much). Although I know I need more variety, I find that it provides a green punch without offering any flavor.

• Romaine lettuce – this works well as a second major green ingredient. Be sure to taste a piece of the lettuce before cramming it into the blended. The deeper you go into the romaine head the more bitter the leaves can become.

• Leaf lettuce – another good green to use that provides very little flavor to the overall smoothie.

• Celery – be careful with this green. I have used it as a staple in soups and stews but discovered that it has a surprising peppery flavor when blended into smoothies. I prefer it in my savory smoothie mixes.

• Cucumbers – another good addition to my savory smoothies. Not overpowering, but still provide a subtle taste addition.

• Zucchini – I never imagined that I would say that raw zucchini works great in anything. It provides a crunch for raw spaghetti and chili without adding too much to the flavor. It works well blended into sweet or savory smoothies.

• Avocado – not much in the direction of flavor but it does a LOT to thicken up the smoothie.

Fruits and Spices

• Strawberries – frozen or fresh these berries pack a punch and demand to be recognized! Keep in mind that fresh only last a few days in the frig.

• Pineapple – another demanding addition to the smoothie. A little fresh pineapple will go a long ways. The best thing about pineapple is that it can last for several weeks if left whole – just cut off what you need from the whole pineapple and then seal that whole piece back up for later use).

• Apples – a mild addition, but the peel can be tough to get finely ground.

• Coconut – a fun flavor but the meat of is another tough item to get ground up and it will affect the texture of the smoothie.

• Ginger – interesting flavor but can almost get spicy. Works well when combined with carrots. DO NOT taste raw ginger on its own – it burned my tongue.

• Cumin – great spice addition to savory smoothies – almost adds a sweet touch.

This only begins to scratch the surface of the flavors that abound. The more I try the more I discover about what works in different applications. Experiment with smaller amounts before diving into a full blender. I am not an expert in green smoothie mixing but I am sharing what my own recipes have revealed.

See what flavor combinations your pallet enjoys. Make your journey unique – but come back and share your successes and failures so we can all learn together.