This is the sweetest and creamiest way to cleanse and hit the reset button after the holiday madness.
I love a good refreshing smoothie that doesn't taste like you are downing raw vegetables. This one contains an entire beet with the greens plus more greens and you would never know it. This smoothie is my new favorite way to sneak in my veggies. Despite all the greens hidden inside, it tastes incredibly sweet and has a gorgeously vibrant pink/purple color. My two little ones beg me for sips when I make it. Just be sure to monitor children closely with this one because beets stain easily.
After splurging over the holidays many people go for juicing cleanses. I have nothing against juicing, but I personally prefer to fill up on raw smoothies full of the entire fruit and vegetable. Unlike juicing, consuming the entire vegetable allows you to benefit from all the fiber and nutrients. I typically opt for pureeing vegetables and fruit in my blender over using my juicer. In this recipe, I left the skin on the beets and included the beet greens which gives the smoothie a slightly earthy taste. If you want to avoid that earthy taste then you can remove some or all of the skin, but I highly recommend trying it with the skin on the first time. The sweet and tart frozen berries enhance the sweetness of the beet and provide a frothy texture that makes this smoothie easy to gulp down.
Beets have a naturally sweet flavor and yet are low in calories. They are known to be an excellent source of folate. The smoothie also contains 1 full cup of vitamin C-rich strawberries which are also high in folate. Folate helps the body form red blood cells and is recommended for women who may become pregnant for healthy fetal development. Beets also are a good source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber, and are available all year long. Choose beets that are round, deep red, firm and smooth with non-wilted leaves.
The smoothie is naturally sweetened with the berries, beets and dates making it refined sugar free. I added chia seeds and hemp seeds to boost the nutrition even more. Everyone can enjoy this recipe because it is 100% raw, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. Get ready to feel completely satisfied and revitalized after downing a glass of this glowing smoothie.
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Beets & Greens Detox Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This smoothie is the sweetest way to detox and hit the reset button after this holiday season. The recipe calls for the entire beet (skin, leaves, stems and all!). The frozen berries make this smoothie totally dreamy and completely mask the greens hidden inside. You won't see or taste them. This smoothie is 100% raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and refined sugar free. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 dates, pitted
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (or ground flaxseed)
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 medium beet, washed, skin on, roughly chopped for easier blending (include the beet greens if desired - I do!)
- 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 1 cup frozen blueberries or frozen mixed berries (such as black raspberries, blackberries, dark sweet cherries, blueberries)
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain plant-based milk of choice (I use almond milk but you can use rice, oat, hemp, coconut)
Instructions
- Soak the pitted dates for 30 minutes in boiled water. This step simply softens the dates and helps the blender blend them smooth. If you have a Vitamix, you can skip this soaking step as the machine is powerful enough on its own to blend the dates smooth.
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender in the order they appear in the ingredient list (dates go in first and milk goes in last). Blend gradually from low to high speed until smooth and creamy. You may need to use your tamper to get things started. If your blender cannot hold all the ingredients leave out the frozen strawberries initially. Blend everything else together well and then add the frozen strawberries and blend again until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses. Serve and enjoy immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Smoothie
Danielle Elder says
Not too bad of a smoothie, I used coconut water because it was all that I had. Maybe it would be better with some creaminess with the oat milk, will add it next time. Also added a couple heapfulls of flax seed for more fiber. All in all I enjoyed, we will see what the husband says in the morning, he might quince a little with this one, definitely earthy.