Kale Smoothie
I was turned on to this vegetable and fruit smoothie at a vegan cafe in Connecticut. The menu offered a rainbow spectacle of smoothie choices but an old favorite, kale, instantly caught my eye. Kale is basically a bigger, kinkier kind of cabbage, with better color and flavor. It can be brilliantly purple, red, pink, blue, or white but plain old green will still give a beautiful emerald color, as you can see. If the color’s not enough for you, kale is also a treasure trove of nutrients; it’s a rich source of iron, calcium, beta carotene, vitamins C, K and A, and has cancer-fighting properties.
I’ve always loved kale but until now the quickest, simplest way I knew to prepare it was a sauté, and the oil weighs it down somewhat. A smoothie is a quicker, lighter, cleaner (and prettier!) way to perk up your day with kale.
Kale Smoothie
- a handful of torn kale leaves, tough stems removed
- half of a frozen banana
- one smallish apple, peeled and diced
- 3-4 dried dates
- 1/2 cup water, to start
- Put everything in the blender. Mix until smooth, adding water as needed to achieve desired consistency.