Healthy Beetroot Kale Smoothie (High Protein)

Name: Healthy Beetroot Kale Smoothie (High Protein)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 raw beetroot, peeled (*pre-cooked works as well); 2 small carrots (chopped into pieces); 1 apple (chopped in half); 1 frozen banana; 3 tbsp cooked quinoa; handful of kale (*or sub spinach); ½ cup plant milk; ½ cup (115ml) + an additional ⅓ cup (80ml) of water

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Smoothies are such a quick and easy way to get in some nutrients. This Beetroot Kale Smoothie is a healthy smoothie recipe that includes a big variety of whole foods, especially veggies. It’s vegan, refined sugar-free naturally gluten-free. It also includes some extra protein without using protein powder! This Beet Smoothie can be enjoyed as a healthy breakfast smoothie, an afternoon pick -me -up snack or even as a meal replacement.

Beetroot & Kale Breakfast Smoothie by Wholefood Soulfood Kitchen

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a not only a fruit smoothie but includes a great amount of plants, especially veggies!
It includes quinoa for some extra protein.
It includes a variety of delicious autumn flavors!

How To Make Beetroot Kale Smoothie

This beetroot smoothie recipe comes together in no time.

Peel beetroot (and carrots) using a vegetable peeler. In order to support your blender, chop carrots into pieces and the apple in half before adding it to the blender. Read more about why I recommend using a high speed blender below.

Then add all the ingredients into a blender, starting with the harder veggies first (frozen banana, carrots, beetroot, apple, kale, liquid). This will give your blender an easier blending process.

If you prefer a thinner consistency, gradually a little water or milk.

Ingredients & Substitution Notes

Ingredient needed for this smoothie: water, oat milk, cooked quinoa carrots, apple, frozen banana, kale, beetroot

- Beetroot: I used raw beets but you can also use pre-cooked beetroot, I tried both and both works fine. Pre-cooked will be more convenient since you don't have to peel them, however, I slightly prefer the taste of fresh ones over pre-cooked ones.
- Kale: There are different types of kale. I used common curly kale for this recipe. It’s got big, deep green leaves and long stems. I also recommend removing the kale from the stems. Instead of kale you could use spinach or other leafy greens. Make sure to enjoy the smoothie right away, because kale easily turns bitter if you wait too long.
- Quinoa: I love using quinoa for some extra nutrients and protein. It also helps to make the smoothie really creamy. You should be able to get quinoa at most grocery stores. Make sure to give it a good wash before cooking it!
- Frozen Bananas: This Beetroot Kale Smoothie gets is natural sweetness from bananas. I recommend using very ripe bananas as they are much sweeter. I always buy a couple of really ripe ones and as soon as I come home, cut them in pieces and freeze them. This way I usually have them ready to use in smoothie recipes.
- Plant Milk: You could use any plant milk you like such as soy milk, oat- or almond milk. Coconut milk would also work but it will slightly change the taste of this smoothie. I used oat milk since it’s naturally sweeter and I like its taste. Alternatively, you could also use whole milk if you don’t need this smoothie to be plant based.
- Water: Could be replaced by coconut water.
- Optional Additions
  - Protein Powder: This is optional but if you would like to add even more protein to this smoothie, feel free to add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. When using a vegan protein powder I like using a mix of different ones (e.g. pea, hemp, rice) to ensure that they contain all the essential amino acids.
  - Flax Seeds: To add some omega-3 fatty acids you could add a tablespoon of flax or chia seeds.
  - Almond Butter: Adds some creaminess and additional taste plus healthy fats as well!

1 big glass full of beetroot and kale smoothie

FAQs

Do I Need A High-Speed Blender?

I do recommend using a high-speed blender for this recipe. Whenever there are leafy greens involved in a smoothie, a regular blender might have a hard time breaking them down. As a result, you might end up with a chunky smoothie. While spinach blends quite easily, that’s not the case with kale. If you only have a regular blender I recommend chopping up all the ingredients in smaller pieces to facilitate the blending process. I also recommend replacing the kale with baby spinach leaves.

Can I Make This Beetroot Kale Smoothie Without Banana?

Yes you could. However, the banana does 2 things here: 1. since it’s frozen, it makes the smoothie creamier and 2. it adds some sweetness. To still end up with a creamy smoothie, I recommend adding some ice cubes and a big tablespoon of plain yogurt. To make up for the sweetness, add some dates or maple syrup.

Meal Prep- Make Ahead Smoothie?

Yes and no. Kale has a very distinct earthy flavor which tastes great but could also turn your smoothie bitter after some time. Therefore, if using kale, I recommend drinking it right away! Otherwise, replace kale with baby spinach! There are also 2 more things that you could do to make this an even faster recipe:

Quinoa: The quinoa can be cooked the evening before. I always cook bigger batches of quinoa that I then can use in soups or smoothies throughout the week. However, I wouldn't salt it while cooking if you want to use it in smoothies as well. You could store your pre-cooked quinoa in an airtight container the fridge or even freeze it.

Banana: In case you haven’t got any frozen bananas in the freezer, cut 1 banana in half and freeze it overnight. I always keep a couple of very ripe bananas in the freezer so that they are ready to use in smoothie recipes.

Beetroot Kale Smoothie Benefits- Is Beetroot Smoothie Healthy?

Besides kale (a powerhouse itself when it comes to nutrient density), this smoothie also includes beets.

Beetroot is well known for its various nutritional benefits and contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin c, vitamin a + k, vitamin b6, folate, magnesium and phosphorus. These are only some of the benefits of beets though. Beetroot also contains nitric oxide, which might help lower high blood pressure.

All in all, this smoothie is high in nutrients as well as dietary fiber, both much needed components of our diet!

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