Strawberry, Basil & Balsamic Smoothie



Smoothies are really hip right now, aren’t they? It almost makes me like them a little bit less – yeah, I’m one of those people. It isn’t that I enjoy being the only fan of something, either; I just get a little put off when everyone and their mom goes gaga over one thing. I guess it’s the extremes that unsettle me. Still, even the smoothie trend that’s been sweeping over our country hasn’t been enough to dissuade me entirely. After all, there’s a reason they’re so popular – they’re delicious, and can be great for you, too! To try to buck the trend just a teensy bit without boycotting the nutritious drink entirely, I often like to go for “out of the box” flavors. At least, I’m not the kind of person to just throw random fruit together and call it a day. My smoothies need a theme. They require inspiration.

I really like to recreate some of my favorite dishes in smoothie form, which is how I got recipes like sweet potato pie smoothie and pink lemonade smoothie. My most recent creation was a work in progress, but I think I’ve nailed it: a Strawberry, Basil & Balsamic Smoothie. These flavors come together so well in salads all the time, and when I found myself with a flourishing basil plant and a bag of frozen strawberries in the freezer, I knew I had to give it a shot. I have to confess, my first attempt went down the drain, as much as it pains me to waste food and ingredients. I was too exuberant about the balsamic and even I couldn’t stomach it in the end. Round 2 went much better, and what I have for you today is a very sophistical smoothie. It’s mildly sweet with a tang that doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the drink. It’s certainly not a smoothie for everyone, but if you like these flavor combinations, consider trying it out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

Strawberry, Basil & Balsamic Smoothie
This is not your average smoothie! Instead, it blends together sweet with tangy to deliver a more sophisticated breakfast drink. Still, it has the fiber and protein to get your morning off to a fantastic start!

Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 2-3 minutes                
Cook Time: 0 minutes

The Ingredients
3 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup plain, non-fat greek yogurt
⅔ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon ground flax
¼ cup loosely packed spinach (optional)

The Method
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until there are no strawberry chunks remaining. You may need to pause and stir the ingredients up to get the right consistency.


You may also have noticed that I’m writing my recipes a little differently. I read a blog post summarizing some tips on how to write a better recipe, and I think it made some valid points. Notably, I’m going to be trying to incorporate a brief summary of the recipe at the top along with prep and cook times. I hope you like the new format!

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