I had a similar smoothie at a cafe in the Hamptons last summer and it was soo tasty. Yes, it was probably $12, but given that I swiped the idea and have been loving my version ever since…definitely got my money’s worth. Extra benefits of making it in the winter: super juicy in-season oranges, cold-fighting ginger, and for a second you almost feel like you’re basking in the sun on a tropical beach (more likely if your building’s heat is out of control like mine).
Making smoothies was the first way I started to sneak more greens into my diet, back when I was salad-averse, and I still love the feeling of packing so much nutrition into one quick, delicious meal. When the pizza, burger, etc. is calling your name later, you can rest easy knowing you’ve already given yourself a solid boost for the day.
Have you tried fresh ginger?
If you’re not on board with fresh ginger (yet!), I hope this smoothie will convert you. From soothing your stomach and sore throat to killing cold-causing viruses, ginger does us lots of favors (read more here).
I also love to use it in dressings and sauces — try my One-Pan Crispy Salmon for a super-easy way to add some Asian flavor to the fish.
Note on protein powders
Another key ingredient in my favorite smoothies, especially if I’m trying to tide myself over for a few hours, is a good-quality protein powder. I suffered through some not-so-tasty kinds when I first got into it so let me save you the trouble: Sunwarrior Organic ‘Warrior Blend’ is my favorite.
It checks all of the boxes health/nutrition wise — it’s organic and made up mainly of a clean, plant-based protein blend (a hemp, pea and goji berry blend) — and it tastes great without any added sugars. They did recently start adding stevia to it, though. I can’t tell a difference in taste so I’m still using it, although I’d probably prefer to find one without any sweeteners.
Even though I’m not vegan, I’m all about adding more healthy vegan proteins when I can, and it’s hard to beat the Warrior Blend’s 16+ grams per serving. If you’re looking at other kinds, my basic advice would be to aim for a short list of recognizable ingredients, with no artificial sweeteners or added sugars.
Tropical Immune-Boosting Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 pitted date (optional)*
- 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 1 orange (or about 1/2 c fresh OJ)
- 1 cup organic baby spinach, packed
- 3/4 cup frozen mango chunks (or pineapple, or a mix)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder** (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp chia, hemp or flax seeds***
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain or vanilla almond or coconut milk
Instructions
- Soak the pitted date in about half a cup of hot water to soften it (this can be more or less necessary depending on how good your blender is).
- Peel the 1-2 inch piece of ginger with a vegetable peeler or spoon, and chop. If you're new to ginger, start with about 1/2 tbsp.
- Juice the orange, either with a juicer (I use this one) or by hand, removing any seeds. This should yield about 1/2 cup of juice. (See note below.)
- Add everything to the blender: spinach, OJ, ginger, mango, protein powder, any optional add-ins, and 1/2 c milk (more or less depending on the amount of OJ - you want about 1 c liquid total). Note: If you don't have a NutriBullet or other high-powered blender, you may want to blend just the spinach and liquid first to make sure there aren't any chunks of greens.
- Blend until smooth - you may need to add a bit more liquid to help it fully blend. Taste and adjust flavors/textures as you like! I drink smoothies with a wide stainless steel straw like these.
Notes
This smoothie is my all-time fave! If you love it too, please let me know with a rating/comment below!
Elizabeth
I had the tropical smoothie last weekend and it was delicious!!! I don’t typically put ginger in my smoothies so I only put a pinch like Shiv said and it was perfect! Looking forward to making this again soon!
Siobhan
Yay so glad you liked it! I started slow with ginger too, and now I put it in dressings, sauces, etc whenever I can!