Swiss Chard-Strawberry Green Smoothie
Celebration of a delicate leafy green
Posted May 11th, 2010 by noelle | View Comments
I recently returned from the farmers market here in New York with a few bunches of Rainbow chard and some small baskets of delicate strawberries. The greens in the farmers market this time of year are the best – small, tender, full of flavor and delicious.
This morning, I made a Swiss Chard-Strawberry Green Smoothie to celebrate the beautiful Rainbow chard I found in the market. I combined a few Swiss chard leaves with a handful of strawberries and a small piece of a frozen banana for a little extra creaminess. I also had a little bit of fresh coconut milk on hand. Fresh coconut milk is made from the meat of a young Thai coconut (most grocery stores and health food stores carry them) blended together with fresh coconut water. If you do not have fresh coconut milk, add some extra banana or shredded coconut, or both. And don’t forget the ice. On a warm day, it can make all the difference.
Swiss Chard-Strawberry Green Smoothie
Serving Size: 1
Ingredients
1 cup Swiss chard, well packed
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup coconut milk, or 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 cup filtered water
1/16th teaspoon of Stevia (or honey)
1-2 ice cubes, to thicken
Directions
Combine the chard, strawberries, coconut milk, water and ice cubes into a blender. Blend well. Add Stevia or honey to sweeten. Blend again. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stevia is a plant native to Central and South America. It is 300 times as sweet as sugar, but has zero calories. A little Stevia goes a long way. I recommend the Nu Naturals brand of Stevia in powdered form. You may substitute honey or Agave nectar in place of Stevia if you prefer.
- Enjoy any left over strawberries for breakfast or mid-morning snack after a glass of green juice – this Minty Green Juice is a good one.
- Saute up any remaining swiss chard within the week. Or make another green smoothie. Swiss chard tends to perish quickly. Baby Rainbow chard leaves (with stems removed) are wonderful additions to salads and soups. They are also delicious sauteed in a little butter or olive oil and sea salt. Both the leaves and the stems are edible. The stems are especially nice sauteed. I find the white stems (vs the red or yellow) are the most tender.
- Learn more about the benefits of green smoothies here.
