Green Kombucha Smoothie made with spinach, avocado, apple, and mango is surprisingly good and super healthy.
I feel good bringing you smoothie recipes because I have smoothie testers. Picky eaters who don’t eat many vegetables, but love their green smoothies. Today I put them through a test. I made five different kinds of green smoothies, wishing to add more to my repertoire. This green smoothie with spinach and kale gets a lot of love as my third most popular post, but I wanted to branch out, and I wanted to experiment with ingredients like avocados and kombucha.
Kombucha, a fermented tea that is bottled cold and is naturally carbonated is tangy, sour, and a touch sweet. Because it’s so healthy, I wanted to see how it fared in a smoothie. To my surprise, the kombucha green smoothie passed the taste test, even with kids.
I fell upon the supposed miracle tonic, kombucha, quite by accident. A crowd was gathered around an end cap at Whole Foods, and curious me had to know what the buzz was. Kombucha was half price for one day only, and suddenly I found myself in a shopping frenzy. Hearing that the Synergy gingerberry was selling out. I heard myself say, “I’ll take that last case.” I didn’t even know what gingerberry kombucha tasted like, and I had a case in my cart. I’m not an impulse shopper, but I went with it, looking for some instant healthy feelings after too much Christmas celebrating.
What’s so great about kombucha? It’s probiotic, made with a scoby, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, sugar and tea. The many benefits of kombucha have to do with the fermented tea bringing the body back into balance, boosting the immune system and allowing the body to heal itself. Some of the benefits of kombucha include:
- Aid in Digestion and Constipation
- Joint Health and Relief from Arthritic pain
- Detoxes the liver, reduces stress on kidneys and pancreas
- Fights off cancer cells
- Sense of overall well-being
These are a just a few of the claims made, but all are anecdotal, and although people have been drinking fermented tea for 2000 years, it’s only been around the United States for about 20 years and still known to only a few. It’s only starting recently to gain popularity. as its popping up in more places besides health food stores. (Whole Foods).
My personal benefit in drinking kombucha was as a transitional drink after the holidays. While my friends were still drinking wine, I was putting Synergy’s Gingerberry Kombucha in a wine glass on ice, not missing wine at all. Let’s just say December was too much of a good thing and the last glass of wine I had was on Christmas night. I haven’t quit drinking, just taking a break for now, from wine, sugar and grains. Kombucha is made with sugar but the brand I am drinking has only 35 calories per serving and I never exceed two servings per day.
I am hesitant to recommend any product that we still don’t know much about, and each person has to decide for themselves if kombucha makes them feel better. I see a lot of people giving recipes on line to make your own at home because kombucha is expensive. After everything I read, I can’t recommend that unless you really know what you are doing, but I feel quite comfortable with the brands sold in reputable grocery stores.
It never matters how healthy a drink is if no one will drink it. By the way, notice these adorable bottles. These were another Christmas gift from the same great friend who gave me the Spinach Tiger cutting board. We had intended them for milk, but discovered that they made the smoothies a lot more attractive for kids. Marshall drank two of green kombucha smoothies!
Other Smoothies from Spinach Tiger
Green Smoothie Using Kale and Spinach Made Two Ways
Red Beet Smoothie and the Benefits of Red Beets
- 2 big handfuls of spinach
- 1 small apple, cut in large chunks, skin included
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup gingerberry kombucha (more if you want)
- 2 tablespoons frozen mango, honeydo or grapes (for sweetness)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 cup ice (more if needed)
- 1 serving protein powder (optional)
- Mix all ingredients in Vitamix on the smoothie button.
- If you don't have smoothie button, start slow for 20 seconds, take to high for 30 seconds or turn off, once it is completely smooth.
- Use the tamper to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
If you find your smoothie too thick add in small amount of water or add in more kombucha.
This recipe sounds yummy especially because I love mangos in smoothies. Mangoes are a all-in-one superfood fruit. I also recently was introduced to kombucha and the brand you mentioned which I like very much. I’m also glad I found your blog. I love your recipes, and kids are great taste testers.
Aren’t you concerned about the tea blocking your body’s absorption of the iron from the spinach? I think I read that tea blocks the absorption of plant based iron absorption by 85%.
This is really good. I omitted the Kombucha because I don’t have any and live in a small town where I highly doubt I’ll be able to find it. But it was amazing! My kids loved it too. It’s my new favorite green smoothie recipe. Thanks!
Okay…so…you got me curious (what a deal you got!!) about kombucha. I did a little research…bought a bottle to try…and all of a sudden, bits and pieces about fermented foods are coming my way from every direction! So… I ordered a scoby tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Glennis I will be curious. I’m loving this kombucha, and yes, I too had fermented food coming my way. Never realized how important it is to the body.
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Hi there, it’s breakfast time here in Australia and I could happily down a couple of your smoothies… they look so health giving! Happy new year to you. I look forward to dipping into your blog xo
Wow this looks so refreshing. I like some of the commercial kombuchas I have tried from the Turnip Truck market. I find them very “clarifying” if that makes any sense. Sharp, a bit tangy, fizzy and full of good stuff. Great post Angela as always. Love your taste testers!