There are lots and lots of recipes for smoothies out there. And smoothies aren't just for blending fruit, either. Vegetables are a wonderful addition to any smoothie recipe, and there are lots of ways to add these healthy components to your next smoothie. Although many smoothies combine fruits and vegetables, which helps to balance sweet and savory flavors, this one is strictly full of vegetables.
When you whip up one of these vegetable smoothies, it's like drinking a tall, icy, delicious V8! Except with these smoothies, you made it yourself, and you exactly know what went into it, so you can feel confident that what you are drinking or eating is full of healthful, delicious ingredients.
If that sounds a little daunting and unappealing to you, you ought to try it out. If you enjoy vegetable juice or tomato juice, it's a lot like drinking one of those, but icier!
"If you're looking for a way to jumpstart your morning or get more vegetables into your day, this is an ideal solution. As long as you have a blender, you can mix and match this recipe to use up any vegetables you have in your fridge. I loved the green color thanks to the spinach!" —Tracy Wilk
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups tomato juice
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1/3 cup carrot juice
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1 stalk celery, with leaves
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1/2 cup spinach leaves
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1/2 medium cucumber, peeled
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1 cup ice
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Celery stalk for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a blender, place the tomato juice, carrot juice, celery, spinach, cucumber, and ice. You could also use any other small appliance that makes smoothies. Do not use a juicer as the juices will simply strain the juice out of the vegetables and leave behind the fiber-rich and nutrient-rich portion of the vegetables.
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Process the mixture until it is smooth. You may add water or more ice if the consistency of the smoothie is thicker or thinner than you would like.
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Pour the smoothie equally into 2 glasses and garnish with an extra slice of cucumber or a celery stalk.
Tips
- There are lots of smoothie machines and appliances out there, but if you don't have an appliance specifically for that, it's ok. You can use a good old blender and get the same results. Just make sure you use the setting that is most likely to make your smoothie as smooth as possible.
- You can always opt to leave the skin on the cucumber. And be sure to use the leaves on the celery stalk. It's less wasteful and the leaves can add terrific flavor to your smoothie.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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71 | Calories |
1g | Fat |
15g | Carbs |
4g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 2 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 71 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 1g | 1% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 556mg | 24% |
Total Carbohydrate 15g | 5% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
Total Sugars 8g | |
Protein 4g | |
Vitamin C 138mg | 691% |
Calcium 116mg | 9% |
Iron 3mg | 15% |
Potassium 898mg | 19% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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