This glass of rosy lusciousness is just what the doctor ordered following a less than stellar month of festive indulgence.
Yes, it’s back to raw salads and smoothies again with a vengeance. Feeling in the mood for creating something a bit different I based this smoothie on that most exotic of fruits, the pomegranate – unassuming on the outside; chock full of health inducing ruby jewels on the inside. And, it’s their arils (seeds) specifically that I wanted to use. I know a lot of people don’t like eating them, and I get that – they’re hard and get stuck in your teeth. But, in a high-powered blender, they’re pretty much pulverized so you get to enjoy their benefits without suffering for it.
To keep with the red theme, I paired the pomegranate with raspberries. And, to that, I added an assortment of ingredients that not only enhance the flavour but boost the nutrition levels. You’ll find added banana (I always have some sliced banana in individual packets in the freezer), fresh ginger root, yoghurt, chia seeds, pomegranate molasses (okay, it does have some sugar in it, but it’s a small concession to pay for such intense flavour and nutritional benefits), blackcurrant powder and almond milk – all of them packed full of vitamins and minerals.
Of course, you can substitute away to your heart’s content – just use whichever elements you have available, or prefer. I won’t hold it against you!
I was delighted with this concoction. It’s deliciously sweet, yet tangy and I love how each mouthful delivers big on nutrients. Enjoy!
RASPBERRY, POMEGRANATE & GINGER SMOOTHIE
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 fresh pomegranate
- 1/3 cup raspberries (I used frozen)
- 1/2 banana (I used frozen)
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
- Peeled 1 inch knob of ginger
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or other favourite seeds
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or honey, or pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp blackcurrant powder or maca powder or other favourite supplement
- About 1 cup almond milk or rice milk, or filtered water
Instructions
- Extract the arils from the pomegranate (I use the good old whacking method) and add the arils and juice to your blender.
- Add the frozen raspberries, banana, yoghurt, ginger, chia seeds, pomegranate molasses and blackcurrant powder. Top up with almond milk and blitz in a high-powered blender (you’ll need to blend for longer than normal to pulverize those arils).
- Taste test and adjust for sweetening if necessary. If it needs thickening, add a bit more banana; if it needs thinning, add more almond milk. Serve immediately.
