This gluten-free, vegan strawberry smoothie gets an unexpected burst of flavor from fresh basil.
The other day I went to make a green smoothie for breakfast only to discover…we had no greens. Well, technically, I did find something that had been baby spinach in a previous life, but was now a plastic clamshell of slime. Gross. Why is it that when one single leaf goes bad, the entire package deteriorates in a matter of minutes? It’s like the salad equivalent of the domino effect.
I was starving though, and I really wanted a smoothie, so I decided to get creative. I saw some fresh basil and thought, why not? It’s leafy, it’s green, it’s delicious…how bad could it be? I grabbed a big handful and started throwing things in the blender.
The results, the strawberry basil smoothie you see here, were nothing short of amazing: sweet, fresh, herbaceous and completely refreshing. I used strawberries because that’s what I had, but I think any berry would be delicious, as would peaches or mango.
Plus it was so pretty! Pale pink with tiny flecks of bright green. Lily Pulitzer would be proud 🙂
I hope your week is off to a great start! We had a wonderful Father’s Day, but Owen was pretty exhausted by the end and had an epic meltdown before bed. So as I write this…my brain is pretty fried. Sorry for the short post! Maybe I need a few of these healthy, vegan, gluten-free smoothies to get back in my groove.
Strawberry Basil Smoothie
2016-06-20 00:28:45
Serves 1
This gluten-free, vegan strawberry smoothie gets an unexpected punch of flavor from fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 small or 1/2 large banana, peeled, frozen, and cut into chunks
- 5 or 6 large basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Pinch of cinnamon and dash of vanilla (optional)
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 4-5 large ice cubes
- Gluten-free granola, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, banana, basil, chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla (if using), almond milk, and ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with granola (if using).
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Rachel @SimpleSeasonal says
Mmmm! Can I please start my day with this smoothie? Strawberry and basil are such a delicious pair!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
Oh, that’s a lovely combination! I bet it tastes super fresh and amazing
Naina says
Oh wow! This smoothie sounds amazing and the strawberry-basil combo is a winner! Love your photos, btw!!
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Oh my goodness love this. I drink smoothies daily so it’s nice to find new options!
Diana Johnson says
I’d never thought to make a smoothie with basil, but this sounds amazing!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
I have recently started going smoothie crazy and literally make it every single day with different ingredients. I have never tried strawberry basil though but will definitely do especially because we have home grown basil!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
I’ve been on such a smoothie kick lately! And the strawberry +basil flavor combo sounds delicious!