Orange and banana give spinach a creamy-citrus flavor, with a small almond-milk portion helping the blend start. Whole orange contributes more texture than juice alone. The short ingredient list makes thorough peeling and seed removal especially useful for the finished drink.
Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Creamy Orange Banana Spinach Smoothie
Orange and banana give spinach a creamy-citrus flavor, with a small almond-milk portion helping the blend start.
Prep: 5 minutesServings: 1
Base recipe: 1 serving; the full base batch
Vegan
Category image
Measured ingredient amounts adjust with servings. “To taste” amounts and directions stay as written.
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 0.25 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 oranges, peeled and seeded as needed
- 0.5 banana, peeled and frozen
Directions
- Put the measured liquid in the blender with the prepared leafy greens. Secure the lid and process until the leaves are finely dispersed, stopping the machine before scraping down the sides if needed.
- Add the remaining edible ingredients, including the measured fruit, nuts, seeds, or spices listed for this recipe. Blend until evenly combined. Use the machine instructions to choose a suitable speed, and stop before checking texture or scraping the jug.
- Taste a small spoonful after blending. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add cold water one tablespoon at a time and blend briefly again. Divide the base batch into 1 serving and enjoy promptly.
Notes
Contains tree nuts. Prepared ingredients are required; additional cooking, cooling, freezing, brewing, or soaking time is excluded from the active prep estimate. Serving volume and nutrition totals are not measured.
Adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies.
Tips and ingredient notes
Peel and seed both oranges. Cut segments smaller if needed to release juice. Add frozen banana after the leaves begin breaking down, and use extra liquid only when the machine needs it.
Peel the orange fully and remove hard seeds before adding it. A little white pith is normal, but thick peel creates bitterness. Smaller segments release juice sooner, which is useful when the recipe starts with only a modest amount of added liquid.
A banana with a few brown speckles gives a different sweetness from a firm, barely ripe one. Slice it before freezing, keeping pieces separate. This makes measuring easier and avoids a large frozen mass that the blender cannot move.
Ingredient health benefits
- Orange provides vitamin C, used in normal collagen formation.
- Spinach provides vitamin K, needed for normal blood clotting.
Nutrition references: NHS: Vitamin C; NIH: Vitamin K. These are ingredient contributions; nutrition per serving has not been calculated.
You may also like
- Orange Mango Turmeric Cauliflower Smoothie
- Pineapple Strawberry Ginger Kale Smoothie
- Honey Turmeric Mango Carrot Smoothie
Recipe adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies. Article text and directions written for Healthy Smoothie Recipes. Supplement omissions and preparation changes mean source nutrition totals do not apply.
