This 5-minute strawberry smoothie (Crowded Kitchen) is so simple to make, and much cheaper than expensive store brands. One comedian said the main company had a cheek to call themselves ‘innocent’ considering the price – he suggests putting a banana in your mouth and shaking your head around, to make your own drink at around 26p! Homemade smoothies also means you can vary up the flavours, depending on what’s in season, or leftover in your fridge.
This recipe uses frozen strawberries or raspberries (you must freeze them first before making the recipe). The mango can be subbed with pineapple (sub with sweet apples for local, but it won’t taste the same), which also should be frozen. All you then need is plant milk and yoghurt, and maple syrup to sweeten.
do you need a very expensive blender?
You don’t need to pay for an expensive blender, but do spend a bit on a good brand with a glass jug, so the motor won’t burn out. Russell Hobbs offer good blenders for around £50 with removable cap filters, so you can top up as you blend. They are also easy to clean. Smooth Move offers ready-made smoothie mixes in compostable packs. Just add the contents to plant milk and blend. Choose from apple spinach, blueberry, strawberry/raspberry or peanut butter banana. These are freeze-dried smoothies in powder form made with fruits, vegetables, defatted nut butters, spices and superfoods that you rehydrate with plant milk.
raspberry & tahini smoothie recipe
This raspberry & tahini smoothie recipe (Rainbow Plant Life) is one of several recipes you can try, in a post (with a chart) on how to make the perfect smoothie. Tahini is a jar of calcium-rich sesame seed paste, you can find in all stores. Nisha says you need some of plant milk to make smoothies, because making them with water is ‘downright sad’. She also explains how to ‘hide’ some vegetables in there including cauliflower (due to its mild taste).
Let Nisha at Rainbow Plant Life show you how to make the perfect smoothie. Once you know the basic formulas, you can whizz up something tasty, with whatever ingredients you have to hand. There’s even a chart to help you out:
- Liquids
- Greens
- Fruit
- Healthy fats
- Superfoods
- Extras
an autumnal sweet potato pie smoothie
Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie (Short Girl, Tall Order) is a nice change from the all-too common mango or berry smoothies sold in stores. An ideal winter breakfast or snack, it blends oat milk with vegan yoghurt, frozen sweet potato (or add ice to leftover pureed sweet potato) and maple syrup to sweeten. The recipe adds in hemp seeds (or use vegan vanilla protein powder). Steenbergs offers pumpkin pie mix in a glass jar (or mix cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg etc).
a (not local) pineapple & mango smoothie
This pineapple & mango smoothie (Broke Bank Vegan) does not use local seasonal fruits, but is a great way to make use of tropical fruits on sale (or leftover pineapple chunks in tins), and can actually be subbed with strawberries, though there’s no photo (it will be pink instead!) If you can’t bear the faff of chopping up a mango, use this simple glass trick to easily get to the flesh.
