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This spinach apple smoothie is dairy free, vegan, gluten free, and so refreshing! Adding this green smoothie to your diet is an easy, healthy choice for breakfast or a mid-day snack.
Adding greens to your diet on a daily basis can be a challenge. Especially if you don't enjoy the taste! Leafy greens in particular are some of the most nutritious foods you can eat, and several doctors recommend at least one serving of leafy greens or another cruciferous vegetable every day.
If you’re like me, eating a bowl of spinach is not at all appealing, even with a tasty dressing. I'm more of a romaine lettuce type of person when I eat a salad. I've never been able to get onboard with eating kale or spinach.
However, in a spinach smoothie I can't taste the spinach at all! Smoothies are pretty much the only way I get any spinach into my diet. It's great for breakfast or a healthy snack!
Spinach smoothie benefits
Spinach is filled with nutrients, and this smoothie contains 2 cups of it! It’s high in Vitamin C, which can give your immune system a boost, and it’s also high in calcium which is great for bone health! There are also a plethora of other benefits to eating raw spinach, as with any cruciferous vegetable.
This green smoothie also contains other healthy produce such as celery, green apple, and banana.
Ingredients
This smoothie recipe in particular contains several beneficial ingredients. Here is what you'll need:
- Spinach
- Oat milk (or another plant-based milk, such as almond milk)
- Green apple (I use Granny Smith)
- Medjool dates (adds sweetness and creates a thicker texture)
- Hemp seeds (for added protein!)
- Celery
- Ginger powder
- Frozen banana
- Lemon juice
- Ice (just to chill the smoothie)
- Chia seeds (optional)
Keep scrolling for the full recipe.
Substitutions or Additions
- I like using oat milk for this smoothie because it has a creamy texture and adds a nice, subtle taste. However, this would also be great with almond milk. I haven't tried it with other milks, but use whatever one you like. Just keep in mind that different milks can affect the taste of the smoothie. For example, coconut milk would likely give this smoothie a coconut flavour, whereas almond milk and oat milk are much more subtle.
- You can swap out the hemp seeds for chia seeds, but I personally like adding both. They give the smoothie added thickness and nutrition, and they don't affect the taste.
- If you have fresh ginger, that would be even better than powder! Use about 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger if you have it. If you're worried about adding too much, start with a little, then add more as needed.
- The dates, green apple, and lemon juice add plenty of sweetness for my liking, but if you want your smoothie to be sweeter, you can always add a little maple syrup or agave.
Tips for making this green smoothie
- My first tip for making any green smoothie, is to have a high-power blender. If you're committed to eating a whole-foods plant-based diet, I would say it is a must to invest in a good blender! It may seem ridiculously expensive, but you will be able to create creamy smooth sauces, dressings, and smoothies. I use a Vitamix (<-- affiliate link) and it is fantastic! Every model is good, so you don't have to get the most expensive one, and you can even get a refurbished one for less!
- If you don't have a Vitamix or another powerful blender, I recommend blending the spinach with the milk first. This will ensure that the spinach breaks down and you don't get left with leafy chunks in your smoothie. I used to do this with my old blender, but I'm telling you, it isn't even necessary with a Vitamix.
- If you don't have a powerful blender, you will probably also need to soak your dates first so that they are easier to break down and blend. If you don't want to wait hours for them to soak, pour some boiling water on them and let them soak for about 15 minutes.
- You don't have to peel the apple, but again this may vary the texture depending on your blender. As you can see, the blender you have is super important to how you make this smoothie and the texture you will end up with. If you are concerned about your blender not being able to handle some apple peel, you can peel the apple.
- I like to add chia seeds to my smoothie for added health benefits because they don't affect the taste. You can stir them in at the end of blending if you don't mind the texture, or you can blend them.
For more green smoothies, check out these recipes:
- Arugula Smoothie with Pineapple and Mango
- Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie
- Avocado Smoothie with Pineapple and Ginger
- Chocolate Blueberry Green Smoothie
Pin this smoothie recipe for later!
Spinach Apple Smoothie
Equipment
- High-powered blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup oat milk
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 2 Medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 celery rib
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ frozen banana
- Juice of half of a lemon
- ½ cup ice (to cool)
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds (optional)
Instructions
*If you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, you can toss everything in and blend until smooth. I use a Vitamix and it all blended easily for me in one go. If your blender doesn’t have that level of power, I recommend following the steps below:
- Add your milk and spinach to a blender, and blend until the spinach is broken down.
- Next, chop your apple and add it to the blender along with the dates (see notes below about peeling the apple and soaking the dates). Ensure the dates are pitted before adding to the blender.
- Next, chop your banana and celery. Add them, along with all remaining ingredients except for ice into the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Finally, add the ice to cool the smoothie and give it a nice texture.
- Mix or blend in chia seeds if desired. If you want the chia seeds to thicken your smoothie, wait just a few minutes before drinking it, or else drink immediately. If will foam up more and become thicker as time goes on, so it doesn’t save well.
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