How About a Radish Top Green Smoothie? 3 Unusual Ingredients For Green Smoothies
I don’t recommend using beet roots, carrots, or radishes for your green smoothies, however when it comes to the greens, it’s an entirely different story.
Beautiful green tops from beets are sometimes valued as edible, but green tops from radishes and carrots are more often than not considered un-edible, and rarely – if ever – make it to the plate. If you are like most people, you’ve been throwing away these greens without even realizing that you are discarding a very nutrient dense part of the vegetable.
Not only are these greens edible, the leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant!
So, instead of wasting those precious greens, why not use them to make delicious green smoothies?
You can blend up a delicious carrot, beet, or radish tops recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
Radish Top Green Smoothie
1 cup radish leaves
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple
1 1/2 cup pure water
Blend until smooth. Serves 1-2.
Radish Top Green Smoothie Recipe: When making fruit green smoothie - use only the green tops! Save radishes for salads and savory blended soups.
Tropical Beet Top Green Smoothie Recipe
Did you know that there are more nutrients in beet tops than the actual root? Most people cut the beet tops off and discard them or maybe use them for cooking, destroying vital nutrients out of the leaves.
Beet greens are a little milder than the radish greens. If you like a super green smoothie, you can add more greens, like spinach or lettuce.
1 cup beet tops
1 orange, peeled and seeded
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup water
Blend until completely smooth. Serves 1-2.
Beet Top Green Smoothie Recipe: When making fruit green smoothie - use only the green tops!
Carrot Greens Smoothie
1 packed cup carrot tops
1 banana
1 cup strawberries with the greens attached (yes, you can eat these too!)
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
2 handfuls spinach
1 1/2 cups water
Blend until everything in completely smooth. Serves 1-3.
Carrot Tops Green Smoothie Recipe
Okay, so maybe you are not quite convinced yet, but all I ask is to try them with an open mind :-).
Granted, when these tops are bought when the tops are older and wilted, the look, texture and bitter taste can be a turn-off. However, when they come fresh from the garden, carrot, radish and beet greens are really tender and flavorful in their raw state. Besides using these greens in smoothies, you can use them in tossed salads, blended raw soups and salads, sandwiches or any other recipe that calls for greens.
So look for fresh looking greens. Straight from the garden, organic are best – if you can find them.
As always, remember that these recipes are only a starting point to the exciting explorations of various possibilities. Green smoothies rock!
Carrot Greens Smoothie Recipe: NOT your ordinary smoothie!
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!