The Green smoothie recipe
for your table
Put the liquid in the blender first, followed by the spinach and only then the frozen fruit. In this order, the blade immediately reaches the liquid and nothing gets stuck at the bottom. Press the spinach down lightly, because two loose handfuls look like a lot but shrink to almost nothing in the blender.
First blend the liquid with the spinach until no pieces of leaf remain visible. This takes longer than you think: the leaf veins remain as green specks and you’ll feel them later in the glass. Set the blender to its highest speed and give it half a minute.
Add the frozen fruit and blend again until smooth and thick. Frozen fruit chills the smoothie without diluting it with melting ice, so leave out the ice cubes. If the blender gets stuck, add a splash of liquid instead of blending for longer.
Pour the smoothie immediately into a large, chilled tumbler and drink it within ten minutes. It separates: the liquid sinks and the foam rises to the top. Stir briefly if it has been standing, or add a straw so you can drink from the bottom.
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The story
The green smoothie comes from the blender kitchen: once household blenders became powerful enough to break down leaf veins, raw leaves could go straight into a glass. That is the whole idea: not juicing, but blending everything together, including the fibre. As a result, a smoothie is thicker than juice and more filling. The colour is trickier than you might think. Spinach stays bright green, kale turns dark green, and as soon as red or blue fruit is added, such as raspberries or blueberries, the whole thing turns brownish grey. So if you want to keep a green smoothie green, stick to yellow and green fruit: banana, apple, mango, pineapple, kiwi and pear.
The right glass
A green smoothie is thick and filling, so the glass can be generously sized. Forty to sixty centilitres works best: one portion from the blender fits in at once, with room left at the top for the foam created when pouring. A straight, wide opening is useful because a thick smoothie flows slowly from the glass, and you need to be able to reach it with a straw or long spoon. Clear glass shows off the colour, and with this drink, that colour is half the experience. Smaller sizes are listed with the water glasses.
Stölzle Lausitz Power Tumbler 50 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Conique Tumbler 57 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 58,90.
The right tools
For a green smoothie, besides the glass, use a glass straw to drink from below and an ice cube tray to freeze fruit in portions. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 69,85.
Which splash works in a green smoothie?
A green smoothie is alcohol-free by itself. If you want to add something, keep it light and neutral: a measure of vodka disappears into the fruit, gin complements the vegetal notes of the greens, and Malibu pairs well with mango and pineapple. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Vary the leafy greens: spinach has the mildest flavor, kale has a stronger taste and needs to be blended for longer, while young Swiss chard falls somewhere in between. Using avocado instead of banana makes it creamy without extra sweetness. A piece of ginger or the zest of a lime adds a sharp note to balance the sweet fruit. And if you want to keep it green, stick to yellow and green fruit, because red or blue fruit turns the whole thing brownish gray. Need more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Pour the smoothie immediately after blending, because within a few minutes it separates into a thick layer and a layer of foam. Chill the glass beforehand instead of adding ice cubes so it stays thick. A straw really helps: you drink from the bottom rather than through the foam.
Good to know
The fruit-to-greens ratio
About two parts fruit to one part leafy greens is the balance at which it still tastes good. If you move to equal parts or use more greens, their grassy flavor starts to dominate and the smoothie becomes thin and bitter. Less greens is always fine; the smoothie will simply be lighter in color.
Why banana or avocado makes it creamy
Banana and avocado have soft, fibrous flesh that breaks down into a thick purée in the blender rather than juice. This allows them to bind the moisture and gives the smoothie a full, creamy texture without needing dairy. Banana also adds sweetness, while avocado adds almost none.
Frozen fruit instead of ice
Ice cubes do cool it, but they melt and dilute the smoothie until it becomes watery. Frozen banana, mango or pineapple does the same job and adds only fruit, so you retain the thickness and flavour. Cut the fruit into pieces before freezing it, otherwise the blender will not be able to blend it properly.
Making leafy veins smooth
Leafy greens stubbornly remain as green flecks, especially kale. So first blend the liquid with the greens alone at the highest speed, then add the fruit. With kale, remove the thick central rib; it will not become smooth in a standard blender.
Why it turns brown
Green and red together make greyish brown. A handful of raspberries or blueberries immediately changes the colour of a green smoothie, even if the flavour is fine. Stick to yellow and green fruit if colour matters to you, and pour it quickly, because it also loses its fresh green colour after a while in the air.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a green smoothie?
Leafy greens and fruit, blended with a little liquid. Spinach or kale for the colour, banana, apple, mango or pineapple for sweetness, and water or coconut water to get the blender going. About two parts fruit to one part leafy greens keeps the flavour balanced.
Why does my green smoothie taste grassy?
Then there is too much leafy greens in proportion to the fruit. Aim for about two parts fruit to one part leafy greens and choose spinach instead of kale, because spinach is milder. A piece of banana or a slice of lime also balances everything out.
Can I put ice in a green smoothie?
You can, but ice melts and dilutes it. Frozen banana, mango or pineapple cools it just as well and keeps the smoothie thick, because you are only adding fruit. Cut the fruit into pieces before freezing it, so the blender does not get stuck.
Which glass do you drink a green smoothie from?
From a large tumbler holding forty to sixty centilitres, with a wide opening. A serving from the blender fits in all at once, leaving room at the top for the foam, and you can reach it with a straw or a long spoon. Clear glass shows off the colour.
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