How to Make A Simple Go-To Green Smoothie Base

As the raw food movement takes off, so too is the green smoothie phenomena! Consisting of mainly veggies and greens, sometimes with a small portion of fruit to make them more palatable, green smoothies are a great way to supersize your vitamins, minerals and overall good health.

Simple or complex, chocked full of stuff, or just few ingredients, you can personalize a smoothie to make it all your own.

When starting out, use this recipe as a base on which to build your smoothie...and let any number of delicious green concoctions follow.

What You’ll Need

• 3-5 cups of cold, purified water
• 2-3 large leaves of organic romaine lettuce
• 2-3 large handfuls of organic spinach (baby spinach is sweeter, although mature spinach may pack a greater nutritional punch)
• 1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger (optional)
• 1/2 ripe banana optional)
• 2 stalks worth of kale leaves (removed from stalk)
• Ice (optional)
• Blender

Add water to the blender canister. Bear in mind that the more water you add, the thinner your finished smoothie will be. It is also wise to have a more watery base if you are intending to build a more 'substantial' smoothie onto the base (one with many ingredients) in order to lessen the stress on your blender s motor.

Wash the romaine leaves and break them into approximately 2 inch pieces. Add them to the blender.

Wash and add the spinach to the blender.

Put lid on blender, and using the pulse button (if possible), pulse the liquid a few times in order for the greens to be sucked effectively into the vortex of the blender. After the leaves are successfully submerged and have begun getting chopped, turn on the blender to its highest setting for approximately 15-30 seconds.  If you own a VitaMix (or similarly powerful) blender, there isn't much need to break up any of the ingredients, it will make quick work of just about anything you throw in!

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to blend until all of the visible chunks of greens have disappeared and you are left with a thin, green, uniform liquid.

You now have a great base to build upon.  To change things up, slightly, and give your base a truly delicious twist, add some coconut milk/water. It adds a creamy flavor and texture that is really yummy. Just swap out half of your water for coconut milk.

Whether you add only a few more choice ingredients or go all out and raid the refrigerator, this base will serve you well as one that keeps well, tastes great and easily enhances any other flavors you may try. It's also mineral and nutrient heavy to get your engine all revved up!