It's easy being green with this Minty Kale Smoothie! I loaded this recipe up with greens, veggies, and protein to keep you fuller longer and nourish your body. It's all blended up with a refreshing mint twist! This is a great way to supercharge your morning or give your body a boost when it needs it most.
All right, friends, it's time for a disclaimer. A moment of honesty. I...don't love kale. I eat totally vegan, and I make a TON of smoothies, and between the two you'd think I would have found a way to incorporate kale into my diet and LOVE it. But I just haven't! It has such a distinct taste and I've found it hard to get it into smoothies. That is, until now. Until this smoothie! This Minty Kale Smoothie gets it just right! The mint does the perfect balancing act of masking and working with the kale to give this smoothie a fresh, bright flavor.
My Smoothie Secret Ingredient
When you read these smoothie ingredients you might slow your scroll and think "Wait, what? Cauliflower?! No way!" Trust me on this, though! I have made hundreds, maybe even thousands, of smoothies in my life and I am here to promise that you will not taste the cauliflower. To take it one step further, it adds an incredible creaminess to your smoothie and you get so many servings of vegetables in one cup. Cauliflower is full of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid. It’s also really low in calories! Cauliflower is great for digestion and iron absorption as well. I love getting all those benefits in a delicious smoothie!
Minty Kale Smoothie Recipe with Almonds
I usually toss a handful of almonds into my blender when I'm making smoothies. This not only adds great creaminess, it also gives you a mighty dose of plant-based protein! Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Health Benefits of Kale in Smoothies
Here's why I've wanted to incorporate more kale into my smoothie routine: it is SO GOOD for you! Kale is low in calories and provides plant-based iron, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, fiber and loads of antioxidants. One cup of kale contains well over 20% of the daily recommended amounts of vitamins A and C. My favorite kale is lacinato (or dinosaur) kale because it is less bitter than curly kale with a texture that's a bit softer, more like spinach!
More Colorful Smoothies
All of these smoothies and vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
Creamy Chocolate Mint Smoothie
Salted Tahini Date Chocolate Smoothie
Creamy Minty Wheatgrass Smoothie
Creamy Citrus Matcha Green Protein Smoothie
Tropical Green Protein Smoothie
Strawberries and Cream Veggie-Filled Smoothie
Download my Smoothie E-Book: Rock Your Blender for my favorite smoothie recipes of all time. The smoothies in my e-book are exclusive content not offered on the blog!
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Minty Kale Smoothie (vegan + paleo)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 30 ounces 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
- 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower (you won't taste it!)
- 2 large lacinato (dinosaur) kale leaves, stem included [any type of kale will work or even a couple handfuls of baby spinach]
- ¼ cup blanched raw slivered almonds (not sliced almonds)
- 6 soft Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- handful of fresh mint leaves
- 2 cups ice cubes
Optional Smoothie Boosters:
- 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- scoop vegan protein powder
- more greens!
Instructions
- Add milk, cauliflower, kale, almonds, dates, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and mint to a high speed blender. Add any smoothie boosts you plan to use. Blend until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of ice and blend again. Add a second cup of ice and blend until smooth and creamy. If your blender is having trouble blending you can use your blender's tamper or plunger to get it going. Or, add more milk.
- Taste and adjust flavors as needed (sometimes I add more mint leaves or an extra date).
- Pour into 2-3 large glasses and enjoy immediately.
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Blender
Keywords: vegan kale smoothie
Seth Kammer says
Thanks for sharing- this turned out great. Mint was refreshing and the almonds and dates were a good reminder that I can add much more to my smoothies than I’d thought!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Seth! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this one! Best, Elaine