How to make a smoothie bowl

 

 

 

Smoothies are quintessential summer drinks. With the right ingredients, they can be healthy, portable and convenient — drinks you can feel good about slurping. While you may enjoy them for their refreshing, delicious flavors, some days you just might crave more texture and crunch. Enter the smoothie bowl, which swaps out the straw and cup for a spoon and bowl.

Instead of paying a hefty price for a store-bought bowl, make one at home with ingredients you already have on hand. If you haven’t dabbled in the smoothie-with-a-spoon concept (but have been inspired by extensive posts on Instagram), never fear. It’s super simple! You can transform your favorite smoothie by using less base liquid or adding a thickener like avocado, chia seeds or even dried dates. If you don’t have a favorite go-to smoothie recipe, this is the perfect time to experiment.

  1. Pick your base. You'll need 1 1/2 cups frozen fruit and 1/4 cup liquid (water, O.J., milk), plus 1/4 cup of yogurt or peanut or almond butter, if you'd like. (If you're using fresh fruit, add a couple of ice cubes.) For me, the brighter, the better.   blend blueberries to make a super-bright canvas for less colorful sunflower, pumpkin, and chia seeds    2. Blend. The mixture might be thick, but that's a good thing. The key here is to create a foundation that will hold up to the stuff you're about put on top of it. (Soupy smoothie bowl = bad.) If the blade is having trouble moving, add one tablespoon more liquid until it's able to blend. 

3. Pour. There's no secret. Put it in a bowl.

4. Top! This is where the fun comes in: Choose a colorful combo of fruit (diced pineapple, pomegranate seeds, strawberry slices), then raid the pantry for nuts (shelled pistachios always a good choice), seeds, toasted coconut flakes, chopped dark chocolate, whatever you're in the mood for. Have you ever seen anything more artful than   It's museum-quality.

5. Grab a spoon. 

6. Wow your friends. Get creative,   and post it to Instagram—#smoothiebowl currently has a cool   Because what's the point of making something so beautiful if no one's going to see it?  

 strawberry acai smoothie bowl

Ingredients

• 1 large frozen banana, peeled
• ¾ cup frozen raspberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• 1 tsp acai berry powder
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional, I used Vega Performance Protein)
• 1 tsp maca root powder (optional)
• ½ cup water (use 1 cup if you're also adding protein powder)
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• extra fruit and toasted coconut, to garnish

Instructions

• Place all ingredients except chia seeds in a blender and puree until smooth.
• Stir in the chia seeds
• Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. This will allow the chia seeds to absorb some of the water and make the smoothie thicker.
• Blend one more time, then pour it into two bowls.
• Top with fruit of choice and toasted coconut if desired.

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl

Yield: 1 smoothie bowl

Ingredients

for the smoothie
• 1 cup chopped frozen mango
• 1 cup chopped frozen pineapple
• 1 packet of frozen pitaya (dragon fruit) puree
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach (or other green)
• 1/2 kiwi, peeled
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 scoop Tropical Tango Vega Protein Smoothie Powder
for the bowl
• granola (  Lemon Blueberry Granola)
• chopped fresh fruit of choice: strawberries, banana, kiwi, mango, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

Instructions

1. Combine the smoothie ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour about 1/4 cup of granola into the serving bowl. Top with the smoothie. Top with more granola and fresh fruit of choice. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Vegan Berry Crunch Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped kale or baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1½ cups frozen mixed berries
• ½ frozen banana (Yes, you can use a regular banana, but then you may have to add some ice to your smoothie bowl.)
• 1-2 teaspoons light agave (depending on how sweet you like things)
Suggested Toppings:
• ½ banana, sliced
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 2-3 strawberries, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut shavings, raw or toasted
• ¼ cup granola of your choice

Instructions

1. Place the kale or spinach, chia seeds, and milk in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (This will ensure that you don’t have any gross, chewy greens in your smoothie bowl.)
2. Add the frozen mixed berries, banana, and agave to the blender. Puree, scraping down the sides of the blender periodically, until relatively smooth. Don’t be crazy about getting it completely smooth, people. You won’t be drinking this through a straw, so a little texture is good!
3. Pour smoothie into a bowl and garnish with toppings of your choice. Serve immediately.

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