Celery Smoothie
A great celery smoothie recipe starts with balancing celery's grassy bite against something sweet. This one leans on frozen banana and green apple to do exactly that, while fresh ginger and lemon keep the flavor bright instead of vegetal.
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- Chef's knife
- Bamboo cutting board
- Glass measuring cup
- Small grater or microplane
- Silicone ice cube tray - for freezing banana slices
- Reusable smoothie cups with lids - optional, for serving on the go
Ingredients
- 2 large stalks celery - about 1 cup or 120g, roughly chopped
- 1 medium green apple - about 1 cup or 150g, cored and chopped, peel left on
- 1 medium banana - sliced and frozen at least 2 hours ahead
- 1 cup packed baby spinach - 30g, fresh
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root - peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - fresh, from about half a lemon
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk - 240ml, or substitute water
- 0.5 cup ice cubes - about 4-5 cubes
Instructions
- Wash and chop celery into 1-inch pieces. Core and chop apple into similar pieces, leaving peel on. Peel and grate ginger. Rinse spinach if needed.
- Cut lemon in half and juice one half into a small bowl, removing any seeds. Set aside 1 tablespoon of juice.
- Pour almond milk into blender jar first. Add ginger, lemon juice, celery, apple, and spinach. Top with frozen banana slices and ice cubes.
- Blend on low speed for about 10 seconds to break down larger pieces. Increase to high speed and blend for 40-60 seconds until completely smooth and no celery strings remain.
- If celery flavor is too strong, blend in another quarter banana or honey. If too thick, add more almond milk.
- Pour into glasses or cups, add a straw, and serve cold. Drink within 15-20 minutes of blending for best texture and color.
Notes
- Freeze the banana ahead of time — a frozen banana replaces some of the ice, which keeps the flavor from getting watered down.
- Use the greenest part of the celery stalk — the tougher, whiter base near the root end is more fibrous and harder to blend smooth.
- Add liquid before produce to keep blender blades from getting stuck on dry chunks of celery and apple.
- Start on low speed first — jumping straight to high speed with unblended chunks can strain the motor and leave larger pieces intact.
- Taste before serving — celery bitterness varies stalk to stalk, so a quick taste test lets you adjust sweetness before pouring.
- Chill the ingredients ahead — cold produce means less ice is needed, which keeps the flavor more concentrated.
- Don't over-blend — running the blender for several minutes can warm the smoothie slightly and thin its texture.
- For variations, swap the apple for pineapple and use coconut water instead of almond milk for a tropical version, or add a scoop of vanilla protein powder for a protein boost.
- Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Shake or stir before drinking as separation is normal.
- Freeze leftover smoothie in an ice cube tray for up to 1 month and blend the frozen cubes into a new smoothie base later.
Nutrition
Serving: 1smoothieCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSodium: 95mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 6gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 8mg
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