Liquid Sunshine Smoothie

Despite the fact that it has officially been spring for an entire month, the weather is only just getting the memo. We’ve had a handful of warm, sunny days, but mostly its cool, rainy, and overall gloomy around here. 

Although I seriously love green smoothies, I rarely crave them all winter long. Why drink a big, cold beverage when I’m already freezing? I’d rather sip a turmeric latte or hot chocolate all winter than try to force-feed myself ice cold fruits and vegetables in the name of health. Actually, I never want to force-feed myself anything in the name of health, and consider listening to my body’s cravings to be healthier for my body and mind than prescribing to any particular diet or food rules.

On an especially warm day last week, I got back from hiking up the mountain down the street from my house and was in serous need of something cold and refreshing. After quickly scanning the fridge and freezer, I happened upon mostly orange and yellow ingredients, and an idea for a bright orange smoothie was born. My hike was full of daffodils and sunshine, and I knew my smoothie needed to capture the feeling of that warm, sunny spring day. 

So, armed with a chest freezer full of ginger, a bag of carrots, a random orange, and a handful of frozen pineapple, I started experimenting. 

My first smoothie was too gingery and not sweet enough. It mostly just tasted like carrots and ginger, which was okay, but not the liquid sunshine I was after. 

A few more tweaks and I settled on 2 carrots, 1 orange, 1 cup of frozen pineapple, a 2-inch piece of ginger, a teaspoon of turmeric, and a few grinds of black pepper (which just helps your body absorb the nutrients in the turmeric more effectively- it doesn’t make this smoothie taste remotely peppery). The final result is a smoothie that is mildly sweet, a little spicy from the ginger, and has a strong yet not overpowering carrot flavor. 

My blender completely pulverized everything, but if you have a particularly useless blender (like the one from 1994 sitting in my grandparents’ kitchen…which can prettymuch just whirl around water) I recommend straining this smoothie over a fine mesh strainer before drinking it. Ain’t nobody got time to sip on carrot chunks. 

If you’re looking for a little more sunshine in your life, a refreshing drink for hot days, or just a fun change in your smoothie routine, you totally need to try out this Liquid Sunshine Smoothie recipe. I promise, it will make it feel like spring even if you’ve had dark, rainy, gloomy weather for the past week straight. 

Liquid Sunshine Smoothie

Chelsea Colbath

A bright orange, nutrient packed smoothie that's perfect for a sunny day.

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Servings 1

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium carrots
• 1 cup frozen pineapple or fresh, plus a few ice cubes
• 1 navel orange peeled
• 2 inches of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a pinch of black pepper
• 1- 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

 

• 1. Break the carrots into a few smaller pieces each, then put them into your blender with all the other ingredients. Blend on high until completely smooth. For a thicker smoothie, use 1 cup water, for a smoothie with a texture more like juice, use 1 1/2 cups.
• 2. This is best when fresh, though leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add an extra splash of water and shake it up before drinking to help reincorporate all the ingredients that may have settled.

Notes

If your blender isn't very powerful, you may want to strain this through a fine mesh strainer to get out any larger carrot chunks before you drink it.