Grüner Smoothie (green smoothie)
A green breakfast smoothie built on raw spinach blended first with the liquid, before the fruit goes in, which breaks the leaves down fully instead of leaving small green flecks suspended through the drink. Using ripe banana rather than unripe is what gives the smoothie its creamy body without needing any added sweetener.
Prep10 min
Servings4
Christoph's green smoothie, the spinach blended with the liquid first so no leaf flecks remain suspended in the drink.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Smoothie
- 60 g fresh spinach rounded
- 250 ml water rounded
- 2 ripe bananas rounded
- 1 apple, cored, cut into chunks rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Blend the spinach and water together first, until fully smooth, with no visible leaf flecks.
- Add the bananas, apple and lemon juice. Blend for about 1 minute on high speed, until uniformly smooth and green.
- Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
- Blend the spinach with the liquid before adding the fruit. This gives the blades room to break the leaves down completely; adding everything at once often leaves small green flecks of unblended leaf suspended through the drink.
- Use ripe, spotty bananas, not underripe ones. Ripe bananas blend to a genuinely creamy texture and add natural sweetness, so the smoothie needs no added sugar.
- Drink it fresh. Both the spinach and apple start to lose their bright colour within an hour, even with the lemon juice slowing oxidation.
- Adjust the water for a thinner or thicker consistency, depending on preference.
Ingredient substitutions
- Spinach can be kale, though it’s more fibrous and benefits from extra blending time.
- Apple can be pear for a milder sweetness.
- A spoonful of chia seeds blended in adds texture and nutrition.
From Christoph Mayer