Named after my friend Romah’s nickname for me, “slim ‘n trim,” this green smoothie is a less sweet adaptation of Tastes-Like-Ice-Cream-Kale-Smoothie by Tess the blender girl. I can’t guarantee it will make you slim and trim, but it probably won’t hurt! Enjoy.
A fresh take / À ma façon
The Blender Girl’s version is really tasty and I’ve enjoyed it on hectic days in prep kitchens when I knew I couldn’t take the time to sit and eat. But I’ve grown more mindful of what I ingest and with four dates and two bananas to one leaf of kale, that’s no longer the nutrition I seek from a green smoothie.
While that smoothie is a great gateway to eating more greens, I want a green smoothie that’s not sugar-coated. A smoothie to fill nutritional gaps, adding fiber, chlorophyll, and minerals without overloading on sugars — even natural ones.
So I got to work.
I fiddled with the recipe until the smoothie was less ice-cream-sweet and more… green. More balanced. Until it was something I’d feel comfortable having as a nourishing snack, not an indulgent dessert.
This is the beauty of home cooked food: you are fully aware of what you put in your food and in your body. That’s why I never take a recipe at face value but try to be mindful of what the recipe is telling me to use.
I started by handling the nuts differently. If you’ve read my post on How to Prepare Nuts & Seeds the Wise Way, you know that at French Frimousse we believe in soaking nuts and seeds. This makes them easier to digest and unlocks their minerals. But it also reduces their bitterness. Less bitterness means less sugar needed to offset the bitterness.
Then I reduced the sweetness and bumped up the greens just a bit.
I tested the new and improved version on my most picky eater — my husband.
The smoothie was quickly all gone, leaving only a green rim on his mustache.
So here it is.
What’s in this smoothie? / De quoi est-il fait?
- For two servings, the base is still a couple of medium ripe bananas. If they are really large, only use one, if they are really small, add a little more to taste. Either way, they add a velvety texture that’s invaluable. But I skipped the dates here because the bananas are plenty sweet. There are 14 grams of sugar in an average banana! You can even cut the bananas down to one if you want an even less sweet smoothie. I always go for organic because pesticide use on bananas is insane.
- For the greens, I amped up the kale to 2 leaves of curly kale to even the scale — it’s all about balance! Once more, I always choose organic kale because leafy things tend to concentrate chemical residues.
- For creaminess (and protein), a 1/2 cup of nuts does the job : cashews in the original recipe, or walnuts or pumpkin seeds for more local options, depending on where you are, of course. All are delicious!
- To add complexity, a bit of ginger — preferably peeled so it adds warmth rather than bitterness.
- Water, to blend. Notice I’m not using ice cubes here. One because French people hate ice-cold drinks, everyone knows that, but two because adding hard ice in a plastic blender will scrape the barrel and leach plastic into the food. Sad but true.
- And to tie it all together, a pinch of salt — l’exhausteur de goût par excellence. The flavor enhancement we’re not getting from the dates.
- Optionally, you can add a little vanilla extract. But I often don’t have it on hand and don’t miss it, especially the little alcohol aftertaste. Skip if you’re not consuming booze.
A wise word / Le mot de sagesse
In her blog post, Tess talks about using ginger to take the pungency off the leafy greens.
But what if the pungency is there to tell us something? A message we shouldn’t ignore or try to hide with sweetness and flavorings.
In an article titled Toxic Superfoods, Sally Norton writes, “Plants are not benign, they are defending themselves, or their babies. They’re serious about it. That’s why they’re still here.”
A green smoothie may not be all that innocent.
This highlights the importance of food preparation, which is a constant push and pull between retaining nutrients and mitigating drawbacks.
For example, eating kale raw means you get more of its vitamins — but it also means you get hit with its oxalic acid and goitrogens, which are mild toxins.
Now, eating it cooked (especially steamed or boiled) lets you remove some of the bothersome oxalic acid and deactivate the goitrogens, which makes the minerals more available — but you lose some vitamin C and degrade the fiber.
Choices, friends, choices.
I sometimes can be seen blanching my kale to put in this green smoothie. It makes it feel nice and gentle on my gut, and I definitely prefer my smoothie that way.
But I would be lying if I said I always have the patience to do the extra step. If you’ve got the organization of a soccer mom, you could blanch kale in batches and store it in the freezer to make the process a little smoother.
Often, I’ll use raw kale. Since I definitely don’t eat a smoothie every day, I think it’s okay. Plus, I can rotate my drinks and make raspberry-rosehip juice instead.
Choice and balance!
If you’re currently experiencing any kidney or thyroid issues though, I recommend you cook your kale for now. Oxalic acid is known to contribute to kidney stones and goitrogens can affect thyroid function, hence the name goiter — from Latin guttur, throat!
The French minute / La minute française
Before you go, I want to share a little French with you.
Do you know what we call a “smoothie” in France?
Un smoothie.
And do you know what we call “kale”?
Yep, kale — or chou kale.
So would French people have “un kale smoothie” if not for English? Would they just be braising kale instead?
Bon appétit!
Slim ‘n Trim Kale Smoothie — Smoothie minceur au kale
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup nuts of choice – cashews, walnut, or pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 leaves fresh organic curly kale* – stems removed
- 2 organic medium bananas – 1 for less sweetness, or if large
- 1 tsp peeled, grated ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – optional
- 2 pinches unrefined salt
Instructions
- The day before, place the nuts in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt and leave on the counter overnight. This will make them less bitter, more digestible — and easier to blend!
- The next day, wash the kale, and strip the leaves off the stems (they don't blend well). Compost them if you can.Peel the ginger to remove its bitterness and grate it to release its flavor.
- To a blender, add the water followed by the kale (roughly torn), the nuts, the bananas (roughly broken), the ginger, and vanilla extract (if using).
- Blend for a minute or two until smooth. Don't over-blend or the mixture will heat up and start cooking, thereby changing the flavor. Enjoy right away for the most vibrant flavor.
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