Green Smoothie With Cucumber and Cumin

By Martha Rose Shulman

Green Smoothie With Cucumber and Cumin
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
2 minutes
Rating
4(206)
Comments
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This smoothie, the only savory drink in this week’s Recipes for Health, is a bit like an Indian lassi, with a little heat from the pinch of cayenne, and some lovely spice. I used a mix of baby greens – chard, baby kale and spinach, as well as parsley and mint. It makes for a filling lunch.

Featured in: Drink Your Greens

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Ingredients

Yield:1 generous serving
  • 1cup kefir
  • ½cup chopped celery
  • 1cup chopped cucumber (seedless) (about 5 ounces)
  • 2tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1tablespoon fresh mint leaves
  • ½cup, tightly packed, greens such as kale, chard, spinach
  • 1quarter-size slice ginger, peeled
  • ½teaspoon chia seeds
  • ½teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds
  • 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

245 calories; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 183 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for 1 minute. Serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
206 user ratings
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Comments

Nats

After a month of rather heavy quarantine-anxiety cooking and eating, this really hit the spot. I used some outer leaves of romaine for the greens and skipped the chia seeds. It makes one large smoothie, which is, of course, a very light, but tasty and refreshing meal.

laurel

I did not love this smoothie at room temperature, but chilled it was refreshing & savory. Try sprinkling flake salt (smoked or not) on top.

Rachael

A savory smoothie indeed, but I have 2 small quibbles. Prep time is more like 20 minutes, and I would hesitate to call this 1 "generous" serving. It makes for one very, very light meal. I left out the celery because I can't stand it.

Sheila H

Love this! It’s a great way to cut back on the sugar in your diet. It is so satisfying and complex that it seems to erase sugar cravings. I add a few ice cubes to the blender because, like others, I think it tastes best very cold. 1/2 cup celery = about 2 small stalks from a celery heart. 1 cup of cucumber = about half a cucumber.

SeanNC

I love this smoothie! I feel like making a tadka with some oil and cumin and muster seeds would make this sing!

Cat

Oh my, this is good. My only substitutes were: - only used the seedy parts and juice of cucumbers saved from another recipe - quadrupled the greens, using only kale - regular cumin powder because I’m lazy I was not expecting much but this really surprised me. Thanks Martha!

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