Lemon gives mango and banana a sharper finish in this kale smoothie. Water leaves the contrast between fruit and greens clear. It is a brighter variation than a coconut-milk blend using similar tropical fruit, with banana providing body rather than another creamy ingredient.
Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Lemon Mango Banana Kale Smoothie
Lemon gives mango and banana a sharper finish in this kale smoothie.
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 kale
- 0.5 cup water
- 1 lemon peeled
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 0.5 banana, peeled
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
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 the lemon. Remove tough kale stems and chop the leaves. An unusually large lemon increases tartness, so record any smaller portion you choose when adjusting the next batch.
Measure mango after removing skin and the flat central stone. Frozen pieces give a more repeatable portion than estimating a whole fruit. Break apart any pieces stuck together before blending, especially when other ingredients are frozen too.
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.
Remove the thickest kale stems and cut larger leaves into strips. Measure the prepared leaves rather than an untrimmed bunch. Starting with greens and liquid gives the machine more room to break down fibers before frozen ingredients fill the jug.
Ingredient health benefits
- Lemon provides vitamin C, used in normal collagen formation.
- Kale contributes folate, needed for normal cell division.
Nutrition references: NHS: Vitamin C; NIH: Folate. These are ingredient contributions; nutrition per serving has not been calculated.
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- Strawberry Kiwi Orange Kale Smoothie
- Avocado Mango Banana Spinach Smoothie
- Carrot Mango Pineapple Greens 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.
