When people think about a cauliflower, they don’t usually crave eating it raw. Let’s face it, most people’s mouths don’t water at the sight of this cruciferous veggie, the way they do when you see a piece of chocolate or a cup of strawberries. 😉
And when they hear about a raw cauliflower soup (or a smoothie!), they express consternation about eating this cruciferous gem in the raw dish. But fear not! With its super mild taste and pleasantly crunchy texture, raw cauliflower is a highly palatable treat! The trick is, of course, to prepare it in a pleasing way. And nothing could be more pleasing than this rich and creamy recipe, which elevates cauliflower and autumn spices to a new level of perfection.
This soup is SENSATIONAL for a hot summer day, when you don’t feel like cooking. Cashews add HEAVENLY creaminess to this soup, and provide more “staying power,” making you feel satisfied for longer, while grapefruit juice adds freshness and tartness. Serve it CHILLED with plenty of crunchy toppings, and sprinkle with dill and citrus juice.
Apple Cauliflower Raw Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of cashews (you may blend them first with water on highest setting until smooth and creamy)
1/2 large cauliflower
1 cup water
2 apples, peeled
1/2 grapefruit or lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
Top with marinated onions (see recipe below), apple slices, chopped fresh dill, or olives, if desired.
Serve chilled.
Variations
Instead of cashews, you may add 1 tablespoon olive oil (optionally, or skip the fats completely)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instead of olive, add
Instead of apple cider vinegar, use juice of grapefruit or lemon
Marinated Onions
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons nama shoyu (tamari or soy sauce will also work)
1 tablespoon agave or other liquid sweetener
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix together nama shoyu* (or regular tamari or soy sauce), agave and olive oil. Pour over sliced onions in glass container with cover. Marinate onions for 2-3 hours, redistributing marinade a couple of times during marination. (*In Japanese, nama means raw (or unpasteurized) and shoyu means soy sauce; so, nama shoyu is a raw, unpasteurized Japanese-style soy sauce.)
The taste of cauliflower in this soup is surprisingly mild, which is why I decided to be bold and try it in a smoothie recipe. Stay tuned for how it turned out!
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Raw (and cooked) whole-plant-based soups are great for weight loss and for health. For more recipes, sign up for the Body Challenge Course HERE.
People ask me all the time whether they will lose weight by drinking green smoothies.
The definite answer to this question is “Maybe.”
It really depends on your specific circumstances: how much smoothies are you drinking, what are you eating in addition to smoothies, what is your physical activity level, how often do you exercise, how committed you are to your diet and exercise, etc.
Generally speaking, green smoothies should help most people lose weight because they help you super-charge your body with nutrient-rich foods, foods that are nutrient-dense, and yet low-in-calories.
He claims that diets don’t work, because people who are already nutritionally deficient, when they cut back on calories, they become even more nutritionally deficient. Then their body develops a series of cravings and sensations that drives them to overeat preventing them from successfully losing weight.
Until the addiction is addressed and removed, people cannot comfortably eat less calories. Since they desire MORE calories, not LESS, to tell them to eat less food is like telling a person to breathe less oxygen for five minutes – and they’ll soon be gasping for air (read the whole post here).
The problem is this: Making moderate changes does not lead to dramatic health achievements, weight loss, and reversal of diseases. If you want dramatic results, moderate changes simply don’t work.
So, how much weight can you lose by drinking green smoothies, and how quickly this will happen, it all depends on your overall health, your overall diet, and activity level – and to what extent you are willing to abandon your old habits and adopt new, healthy lifestyle.
How Green Smoothies Help People Lose Weight
One of the most riveting stories of weight reduction ever chronicled with regards to blending is the story of Clent Manich who dropped 240 pounds in one year simply by consuming green smoothies daily. He was also able to beat Type II Diabetes, and was completely off all of his medications and insulin within 3 weeks! His amazing story was captured in Victoria Boutenko’s book titled Green Smoothie Revolution.
Clent had made it a practice to start each day by making a gallon of blended fruits and vegetables, and he drank some of it every 2 to 3 hours. This helped eliminate his food cravings better than anything he had ever tried before. Most other diets always made him feel hungry and weak. Clent Manich lost 240 lbs in one year. He describes how he did it:
“I went full-bore into drinking Green Smoothie every day. I also cut out animal products, fat, and dairy, and the weight started flying right off. The rapid weight loss encouraged me to stay on the diet.
At the beginning of each day I would blend one gallon of green smoothie and drink some every two to three hours. Sometimes after drinking a green smoothie I ate a few veggies.
I found that green smoothies helped me to eliminate food cravings better than anything I had ever tried before. … Most other diets I’ve tried made me hungry and weak. … On the green smoothie experiment, I didn’t have to count calories.
I have lost 240 pounds and have attained my dream weight of 170 pounds. … To my surprise I don’t have any hanging skin. My skin has tightened without any need for surgery, which I attribute entirely to the green smoothies.”
One reason GREEN Smoothies are so good for weight loss is because they’re so high in nutrients.
They are high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, carbohydrates and even protein. Yes, green smoothies have lots of protein. The cow gets her protein from grass, a leafy green. Wouldn’t it be simpler to get your protein from leafy greens too, rather than eat the cow or drink her milk? If it’s simple, you know it’s true.
Plant foods are generally less dense in calories, which means you can eat as much as you want of these foods and still be able to maintain a healthy weight.
For example, an entire head of lettuce or a bunch of kale or other leafy greens weighing over one pound contains less than 100 calories. That means that the caloric density of lettuce is less than 100 calories per pound. On the other hand, one single tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories. So you have more calories in 1 tablespoon of oil than in a pound of lettuce. But guess which one is going to fill you up more?
If you add that oil to your salad dressing and pour on that head of lettuce, you will not even notice it,but the number of calories consumed willhavedoubled.
Green Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss
Let’s look at the calories of some of the ingredients in green smoothies:
1 cup spinach, raw (30g) = 7 calories (!); 1 bunch spinach (340g) = 78 calories
1 cup cabbage (89g) = 22 calories
1 cup kale (67g) = 33 calories
1 cup collards (36g) = 11 calories
1 cup parsley (60g) = 22 calories
1 large celery stalk (64g) = 10 calories
1 cup cucumber (102g) = 16 calories
1 cup zucchini (124g)= 20 calories
1 cup beets (136g)= 58 calories
1 cup carrots (128g) = 62 calories
1 cup squash (140g) = 63 calories
All these foods are high in nutrients, yet extremely low in calories, so if you stick to more savory smoothies and soups recipes, you can literally have a gallon of this per day, fill up your body with valuable nutrients, and still have a calorie deficit. (For the complete list of best foods to eat for weight loss and health, check out 100 Best Foods to Eat post and download the full list.)
Weight Loss Smoothie & Soup Recipes
If you really want to cut down on calories, check out some of these savory soups and smoothies:
Mediterranean Green Soup
3 cups spinach
3 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 cucumber
1 jalapeno pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 spring oregano
1 spring thyme
2 cups water
Blend well all ingredients. Serve in a bowl, like a soup. Garnish with fresh herbs and/or a few pieces of avocado. Yields 3 quarts.
Celery Zing Soup
2 yellow bell peppers
1 lemon
½ cup basil leaves
1 cup celery, tops and greens
1 cup kale
1 cup water
Yields 1 quart
Celery Soup
4 stalks celery
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tomato
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups water
Spicy Thai Soup
2 cucumbers
5 leaves kale
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
2 cloves of garlic
½ inch fresh turmeric root or ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
½ inch fresh ginger root or ¼ teaspoon dried ginger powder
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Savory Tomato Basil Soup
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 bunch fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup water
Stir into the smoothie
2 cups Savoy cabbage, chopped
½ avocado, cubed
½ cup dulse
Fennel Soup
1 stalk fennel
2 cups kale
2 celery stalks
½ lemon
½ avocado
¼ inch turmeric root
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Dandelion Cleansing Soup
2 cups dandelion greens
2 stalks of celery
1 green zucchini
2 pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fresh ginger root
1 dash cayenne pepper
Bok Choy Soup
2 cups bok choy
1 celery stalk
1 apple
½ cup fresh cilantro
½ zucchini
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger root
¼ teaspoon fresh turmeric
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Arugula Orange Soup 2 cups arugula
½ orange bell pepper
2 oranges, peeled
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
Stir into the soup
½ avocado in chunks
Sweet Apple-Dill-Avocado
4 stalks celery
1 bunch dill
2 apples
1 avocado
1 lemon
2 cups water
Raw Family Green Soup Recipe 3 leaves chard
1 stalk celery
1 large avocado
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 cups water
Stir into soup
Grated veggies, such as carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, etc., and sprouts
Even considering that you add a large avocado to each soup, you will still end up well below 500 calories in 2 or 3 quarts of soup or smoothie.
1 large avocado, Florida, raw (340g) = 365 calories
1 avocado, California, raw (136g) = 227 calories
So, you can literally eat these soups to your heart’s content and help yourself lose weight.
Green Fruit Smoothies & Meal Replacement Smoothies For Weight Loss
If your goal is to lose weight, the temptation may be to cut out the fruits and all sweeteners from the recipes completely to reduce the amount of calories in the smoothie.
While it’s OK to add more greens and veggies to your drinks and cut the amount of fruits a little, there are two risks associated with cutting down on fruits too much.
First of all, the smoothies will not be as tasty, and you may end up not liking them and not drinking them as often as you should.
Then there is also a second danger of not consuming enough calories.
For many people, a vegetable-based smoothie will not provide sufficient calories to be a meal replacement smoothie.
Even if you made a 32-ounce smoothie with just one apple, 1/2 cup blueberries and a ton of vegetables and greens, your smoothie will be extremely low calories. You’d be lucky to get 200 calories.
The problem with this is that you might still feel full from the fiber, but you will not be consuming enough calories. This is fine, if you are getting enough calories in the rest of your diet from healthy whole plant foods. If not, you will still be hungry after your smoothie, and risk overeating unhealthy foods. Getting too few calories will sabotage weight loss and may lead to nutrient deficiencies and health problems.
In short, fruit-based green smoothies can replace meals and are effective for weight loss. Vegetable-based smoothies are often too low in calories to be considered meals, so they are better used to supplement a calorie-sufficient whole foods diet between meals or consumed with meals.
That is why the green smoothies and meal replacement smoothies can be great for weight loss, too.
This is a great breakfast smoothie recipe. Because it contains oats, it's more filling than just fruits-and-greens smoothie, so it will keep you full longer.
Ingredients
2 cups non dairy milk (use whatever you like or have in your kitchen: oat, rice, soy, almond, hemp, coconut, etc. )
But Sometimes Even Green Smoothies May Not be Enough to Lose Weight
Sometimes, no matter what you eat, you just can’t start losing those pounds!
So, what do you do then?
What to do when even smoothies, blended soups, loads of fat and protein, or endless salads aren’t enough?
Or, perhaps, you JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE EATING THIS WAY ALL THE TIME! You just want to eat like a ‘normal person’ (whatever that means, LOL), not a person on a permanent diet.
I’ve struggled with this question recently, when during the pandemic (and well before that), my diet has been less than ideal. Yes, it’s been mostly whole-plant-based. Yes, I’ve been eating lots of veggies and drinking smoothies, but nowhere nearly as much as before.
And I started putting on weight.
And no matter what I tried, I couldn’t start to lose it.
Until I discovered a solution that made losing weight almost effortless.
Check out my Body Reset program in which I share how to CONTROL YOUR HUNGER, RESET YOUR APPETITE and finally LOSE THAT EXTRA WEIGHT.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
Nuts & Seeds: pistachio nuts, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, macadamia, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, nut and seed butters (no sugar added).
If you’re eating all these foods regularly—great!
However, you may be wondering how to get some of these foods into your meals in a way that’s easy and delicious.
I mean—Kale? Swiss chard? Dandelion? Watercress?
Celeriac? Oyster mushrooms?
Really??
You may be wondering—what the heck you’re supposed to do with these foods.
Well, you can make delicious green smoothies, for example.
You can also make raw blended soups and salads, as well as cooked soups and stews, stir fries, and scrambles.
All these meals make incorporating foods from this list super-easy.
You can find recipes on my website, as well as all over the internet.
You can also find them in my books.
PS. Right now, I’m offering a special deal, where you get my books for FREE if you join my Body Reset program.
Join Body Reset & Get Green Reset Formula with my 4+ Book Bundle FREE
The Body Reset Formula bundle is full of recipes, tips and tricks to jump start you and your family on healthy eating. It includes 4 books with more on the way (you will get all of them if you join now):
You can now get all the Green Reset Formula Books for FREE! Here is how:
Get my Body Reset and Green Reset Course Bundle and receive all the books in the Green Reset Series for FREE, which also includes all the future books that will come out in the series (at least 2 more are in the works).
The series is available for free for all the members of Green Reset Formula course and/or Body Reset course. (Available for just $49 HERE)
The series includes:
The Green Reset Formula books contain 100+ recipes, plus tips and tricks. It includes the following books right now–check them out on Amazon, with more books coming soon (you will get access to them as well for FREE if you join the Body Reset course right now):
A hand blender is a FANTASTIC small kitchen appliance that is super versatile. This tiny blender even makes smoothies, which means you don’t need to use your big, table-top blender every time you want to make a smoothie (an important feature in a small kitchen or when you’re on the road). For a long time, I didn’t think I needed a hand blender, and didn’t consider a hand-held blender as a viable option for making smoothies, but boy, was I wrong!
(For some reason, when I tried to make a smoothie, it didn’t come out right. Of course, after I discovered what I was doing wrong, making smoothies even with a handheld immersion blender is a breeze! After I learned a few tricks, the smoothies come out delicious every time!)
Regardless of whether you want to make smoothies with immersion blenders or not, it’s still worth it investing in one of those. They’re super versatile, plus they’re cute too!
2. Pressure Cooking/Instant Pot
I don’t know how I lived without a pressure cooker for so long! When you cook a lot of beans–and I cook beans ALL THE TIME (white beans, black beans, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas–you name them, I cook them!), you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE a pressure cooker in your kitchen. Right now, I just use a plain pressure cooker and love it. It’s making my life so much easier. I just soak the beans of choice overnight, rinse and pressure-cook them in the morning, and lunch is ready.
The smart choice for preparing today’s lower calorie foods.
Cooks three to ten times faster than ordinary cooking methods!
Pressure cooking preserves flavors and nutrients, and tenderizes even the toughest beans.
Pressure regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically.
Works on regular, smooth-top, and induction ranges. Beautiful stainless steel for long lasting beauty and easy cleaning.
Includes cooking rack and complete 64-page instruction/recipe book.
Pressure regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically; Comes with 64-page instruction/recipe book. Ideal for use on regular, smooth-top and induction ranges; this stainless steel pressure cooker may also be washed in an automatic dishwasher. When washing in a dishwasher, you must first remove the sealing ring and overpressure plug from the cover as these parts must be hand washed. Cover lock indicator shows when there is pressure inside the cooker and prevents the cover from being opened until pressure is safely reduced Helper handle for ease of handling; Extended 12-year limited warranty.
If you want some extra features, multi-feature electric cooker is a great choice as well.
This particular unit has an impressive list of features:
7-IN-1 APPLIANCES: electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer
QUICK ONE-TOUCH COOKING with 13 Smart Touch customizable programs for pressure cooking soups, beans, rice, desserts and more on autopilot
COOK FAST OR COOK SLOW with pressure cooking up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods or slow cooking for traditional grandma-approved recipes
QUICK AND EASY CLEAN-UP with finger-print resistant, stainless-steel sides and dishwasher-safe lid, inner pot, and accessories
10+ SAFETY FEATURES including overheat protection and safe-locking lid
POPULAR SIZE: 8-quart large capacity cooks for up to 8 people – perfect for families, and also great for meal prepping and batch cooking for singles and smaller households
SMART-DESIGN INNER POT uses food-grade stainless-steel (18/8), a tri-ply bottom for even cooking, perfect for sautéing
HUNDREDS OF RECIPES in the free Instant Pot app (iOS and Android) so you can discover new favorites and prepare delicious meals right from the start
I don’t know why it took me so long to buy one of these. I love cooking with them! Yes, they’re heavy, and need a little special care, plus the handles heat up, so you need to be careful, but they don’t scratch, you can put them in the oven, and you’re able to cook foods to perfection just like on a grill. Cast iron skillet is perfect for sauteing onions, mushrooms, eggplants, peepers, and other vegetables. Also, ideal for frying tofu, pancakes, veggie burgers, and other stuff.
Choose the size and style that best suits your needs, or get more than one–they’re affordable, durable, and absolutely worth it!
Ladies and Gentleman these are NOT your teflon coated aluminum/ stainless steel/ trendy copper pans! These are CAST IRON heavy nitty gritty will scald your hands and sprain your wrists with their weight if you don’t handle them properly. These are pans that your great grandchildren will treasure and these pans will make you a MUCH better cook IF you learn the difference between these and the others.
If you are not familiar with the cast iron ways then let me tell you, you are missing out. This thing cooks better than a Teflon pan, is easier to clean, and doesn’t release harmful chemicals into your food. Other ways it differs from the Teflon pan is that it takes longer to heat up, but once it is hot it does a better job at distributing and maintaining heat.
Here is how I keep my cast iron skillet 100%: After cooking, I forget about the skillet and let it cool. Once I remember it is dirty, I run it under hot water and wash away food debris with The Ringer (another great product on amazon, it’s a stainless steel, mesh cleaner). This takes roughly 15-30 seconds, remember it doesn’t have to be perfect (best part), you just need the food chunks off. After this I dry with a paper towel, pour (or spray) a little oil in the skillet and wipe around with the same paper towel. Last, I heat on the stove (med high heat) until it smokes and then remove from heat. This seasons and dries the skillet at the same time. Seasoning makes the skillet stick-free and prevents it from rusting.
That is it! Overall it takes maybe 2 minutes of your attention to clean the skillet after heavy use. Do this and your skillet can last you your whole life and some, while constantly delivering the most delicious cooked food.
Cast iron cookware is less smoother than the Non-Stick cookware. Iron deficiency is fairly common worldwide especially among women and cooking food in a cast iron skillet can increase iron content by as much as 20%. Hand wash even before first use and dry immediately; rub with a light coat of vegetable oil after every wash. Allow cast iron skillet to cool completely before washing them in hot soapy water with a sponge using regular dishwashing liquid soap; it is not dishwasher safe. Its superior heat retention will keep your mouth watering food warm for a long time.
I used to admire Le Creuset pots and pans, loving all the colors, but the price being just too high. Right now, you can buy absolutely BEAUTIFUL Dutch ovens in all colors and sizes–and at prices that don’t break the bank. They are great for slow cooking, and look GORGEOUS when put on a table.
CONVENIENT DESIGN: a durable and multi-functional item creating flavorful meals that can go from stove top, to oven, to table – a true one pot wonder.
STOVETOPS: compatible with gas, electric, ceramic, and induction stovetops. Cooking is a breeze with no need to season – enjoy the excellent heat retention and distribution of the cast iron, making this item ideal for slow cooking.
CROCK-POT: founded in August 1970, Crock-Pot introduced the Crock-Pot slow cooker, paving the way for a new category of appliances and revolutionizing the way American’s cooked for their families. Vibrant colors and classic designs, Crock-Pot’s versatility is trusted by millions.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS: the easy clean and rust free dutch oven is hand wash recommended.
Cooking tools like spatulas are often overlooked, but they’re effective and convenient for mixing ingredients and won’t scratch your beautiful cookware. Its flexible and flat surface allows for easier spreading and lifting of sauces, soups, frosting and other baking adornments.
VERSATILE, BEAUTIFUL COLORS & FASHIONABLE DESIGN: Can be used for baking, flipping, sauteing, and cooking. They will protect your pots and jars perfectly. Great for scraping your bowls or jars. No food and grease down my sink. No wasting the last bit of any jar or can. Give them as a gift, and people will be impressed.
I love my OXO salad spinner. Unfortunately, after probably 20+ years of use (or so), it needs to be replaced. I’m considering a green Cuisinart, Farberware, or I’ll just stick with OXO, I’m not sure yet.
Washing your salad greens seems simple enough, right? Just put them in a bowl, toss with water, and drain the water. Boom. Done. However, in practice, it doesn’t quite work out that well. Once the greens get wet, they need to dry before you can use them. Well, you can use them wet, but the salad dressing will slide right off and they may have a soggier texture. This is where the salad spinner comes in. With a salad spinner, you can quickly and easily wash, rinse, and dry your salad greens in time for dinner.
The salad spinner is more than just a device for quickly rinsing and drying salad fixings. Use the basket separately as a colander, and the clear plastic bowl for serving. Plus, it makes salad last longer!
J.A. Henckels International Statement Kitchen Knife Set – These knife sets are stocked with tools to easily tackle your kitchen tasks. Honed for long-lasting sharpness, the fine-edge blades boast precision cutting. The all-rounder 8″ Chef’s Knife is perfect for chopping herbs and dicing onions and the 8″ Bread Knife cleanly slices through crusty sourdough. Efficiently mince garlic with the 7″ Hollow Edge Santoku, whose blade has small indentations, aka grantons, that prevent food from sticking while cutting.
If you want to have enjoy your own fresh sprouts at home–here are some excellent sprouting trays to do it. It’s really super easy, and a fun project to do with kids.
Kitchen torch is something I’ve been considering lately, as an addition to my kitchen. It’s probably not a must-have, but I only have electric stove in my apartment right now, and a torch may come in handy when making vegan creme Brulee or torching peppers.
A tofu press can come handy if you want to press the water out of tofu and allow it to easier absorb marinades or flavors of the dish. A tofu press can help speed up the process and give you some delicious tofu to add to tons of meals. Plus, you may try making your own tofu at home. You just need to look for the tofu tutorials online,you’ll easily make a delicious tofu. Personally, I haven’t tried it yet, as I’m still buying my tofu, and I’ve discovered my own way of preparing tofu that’s super delicious, but I’m going to give it a try one of these days (and write about it).
