People, this is the smoothie that is getting me out of bed these days. I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed a smoothie as much as this one. It’s SO GOOD. It’s also super weird on first glance. Why? Because the base of all this creamy goodness is… frozen cauliflower? I know what you’re thinking – Lacey, you’ve gone too far. I hear you. But bear with me.
Something magical happens to cauliflower when you freeze it and then blend it up. This smoothie has the richness and consistency of an ice-cream shake, with all the benefits of a big serving of cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables are known to be incredibly nutrient dense and health-promoting. You can read more about them here, a few of the highlights being that they have been shown to have anti-cancer benefits, and to help reduce inflammation in the body. Also, let’s face it – most Americans don’t get enough vegetables in their diet, so if you can blend some into a delicious smoothie – why not?!
Other star ingredients here are tahini, a great source of calcium and protein, as well as flaxseeds, heavy-hitting food that has a special spot on Dr. Michael Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist, a list of 12 things we should strive to include every day for optimal health and longevity.
Most importantly, this smoothie is crazy delicious and satisfying. Feel free to use or omit protein powder depending on your needs. If you omit it, you’ll probably want to go for 2 full tablespoons of tahini.
Okay enough chatting, here’s the recipe!
Ingredients – Serves 1
- 1.5 cups frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 – 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 4 small, soft dates, or 1/2 banana (dates will give it a more caramely flavour, but banana will do if you don’t have dates)
- 1 scoop of plant-based protein powder (optional, I’m using Iron Vegan Sprouted Protein these days).
- pinch of salt
- dash of cinnamon
- splash of vanilla (optional. Omit if protein powder is vanilla flavoured)
Method
- Toss everything into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Be patient, you may need to scrape down the sides a few times.
Optional boosters
- a leaf or two of kale
- 1 tsp of chlorella
- 1 tsp of cocoa nibs
- 1 scoop of greens powder of choice
Nutrition highlights (with protein powder and 1 Tbsp tahini)
- 440 calories
- 33 g protein / 38 g carbohydrates / 20 g fat
- 16 g fiber
- 77% of daily calcium
- 34% of daily iron
Also, as long as we’re on the topic of cauliflower, have you tried this Roasted Cauliflower Hummus recipe yet?