7 Easy Smoothie Recipes Using Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs bring color, flavor, and vitality to all sorts of recipes: from soups and salads to sandwiches and casseroles. As great as they are in boosting the WOW factorof cooked savory dishes, they’re just as great in with fruit-based dishes—case in point: Smoothies! Here are 7 easy smoothie recipes using fresh herbs.
The below recipe ideas are mere templates for ingredient combinations that work well together and complement the herbs listed. The formula for how much fruit, milk, yogurt, etc. in each is up to your individual palate. Some like a really thick smoothie—so add more frozen fruit. Some like a more icy, slushy smoothie—so add a small handful of ice.
Also, these ideas aren’t sweetened at all. They call upon the natural sweetness of the fruits themselves and any natural sugars in your milk or yogurt of choice. If you like a sweeter smoothie or you aren’t used to the “green” flavor of fresh herbs, try using vanilla milk or yogurt, or maybe just a small dollop of honey in the mix.
Once you get comfortable tossing fresh herbs into fruit-based smoothies, you’ll see how easy it is to use them is all sorts of fruit-based recipes you never thought of: pies, tarts, galettes, puddings, parfaits, compotes … the limits are truly endless. Enjoy experimenting!
- Frozen banana, yogurt or milk, and mint. A frozen banana smoothie is refreshing in its own right, but a bit of fresh mint in the mix adds an even more invigorating kick. Try 1 frozen banana + ½ cup yogurt + ¼ to ½ cup loosely pack mint leaves + a splash of milk.
- Avocado, strawberry, and mint. Creamy, thick, and berrylicious, this combination is rich yet simple. Try ½ avocado + ½ cup strawberries + ½ cup yogurt + ¼ to ½ cup loosely pack mint leaves + a splash of milk.
- Avocado, tropical fruit, and cilantro. For a south-of-the-border inspired smoothie, mix up this invigorating summery quaff. Awesome tropical fruits to experiment with include frozen mango, pineapple chunks, or guava. Try ½ avocado + 1 cup frozen tropical fruit + ½ cup to 1 cup milk + ¼ to ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves.
- Frozen cherries, lime, and basil. This ingredients in this smoothie would make for one mean cocktail, but they’re just as delicious in a healthy smoothie. Try 1 cup frozen cherries + 1 lime, juiced + 1 cup milk + ¼ to ½ cup loosely packed basil leaves.
- Frozen blueberries, lime or lemon, and basil. As bare-bones as the above cherry smoothie, and just as every drop delicious. Try 1 cup frozen blueberries + 1 lime or small lemon, juiced + 1 cup milk + ¼ to ½ cup loosely packed basil leaves.
- Ginger, apple, lemon juice, and parsley. This near-green juice is tart, sharp, and tangy—a great palate-cleanser! Try 1 apple + 1/2-inch peeled raw ginger + 1 small lemon, juiced + ¼ to ½ cup loosely packed parsley leaves.
- Raspberry, yogurt, and rosemary. This smoothie combination is both uplifting from the raspberries and soothing from the fresh rosemary. Rosemary is more concentrated in flavor than leafy herbs like parsley or basil, so you can use far less of it in your recipes. Try 1 cup frozen raspberries + 1 cup yogurt + 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped.
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