Refreshingly Ugly Blueberry Cucumber Antioxidant Boosting Power Smoothie

Whip up all the colors of the rainbow into a smoothie and what you get looks like a slushy mud puddle. It’s an optical reality. But the ugliest, muddiest, smoothies can also be some of the healthiest. Why? Because mixing together colorful fruits and veggies makes for smoothies that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This sweet minty fresh smoothie tastes better than it looks. And it makes you feel even better than it tastes!

WHY I LOVE IT

I try to get at least a half cup of blueberries every day as per the advice of multiple scientific, and not so scientific, sources. Many of the smoothies I make are all about getting those blueberries into my body in a quick and tasty way. When I came up with this recipe it was my first time using cucumber in a smoothie. I’m so glad I tried it. Blueberries and cucumbers happen to pair extremely well, creating a refreshingly balanced flavor profile. In this smoothie, the refreshing part is further highlighted by a handful of fresh mint leaves. Meanwhile, ginger and turmeric ground the coolness with a bit of earthy warmth. This smoothie makes me feel alert, energized and deeply refreshed.

BLUEBERRY COMMITMENT

There’s so much research about the health benefits of blueberries that an entire book could be written on this topic alone, never mind all there is to say about their juicy deliciousness. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, local fresh blueberries are available from mid June through September. But since I eat them almost every day year round, I usually buy frozen blueberries, stocking up whenever I see a good deal. Fresh or frozen blueberries are equally good for you and you can use either in this smoothie. Wild blueberries have significantly higher levels of antioxidants than regular ones. If the health benefits of blueberries is what motivates your blueberry consumption, and you don’t mind paying a little more for them, then it’s better to get wild blueberries if they’re available to you. But regular blueberries are also incredibly good for you. So in my opinion, no one should stress about not being able to find or afford wild blueberries. My own blueberry commitment runs deep and the smoothies I make for myself are usually mostly about getting some blueberries into my body quickly and deliciously.

VERSATILE CUCUMBERS

Hydrating and soothing, cucumbers are a versatile ingredient. Their mild flavor and high water content means that they pair well with many different flavors and textures. But I can’t think of a better flavor pairing for cucumbers than blueberries and mint, both of which bring out the best cooling essence of cucumbers. I like English and Persian cucumbers best because the thin peel is never bitter and the seeds are small and delicate. Regular thick skinned American cucumbers would also work in this smoothie, as would any other variety. If I were using a thick skinned cucumber in this smoothie, I’d probably peel it, but that’s a matter of personal preference. An unpeeled cucumber will have more nutrients but the peel can taste bitter. All cucumber varieties have similar nutritional benefits including vitamin K, vitamin C and antioxidants.

PRUNES ARE YOUR FRIENDS

American popular culture finally seems to be recovering from its longstanding irrational stigmatization of prunes. Why discriminate against this lusciously sweet dried frut that also happens to be an antioxidant rich, nutrient dense, powerhouse? Well, in the days of old, but really not that long ago, prunes were so strongly associated with their formidable laxative properties that folks would get squeamish about them in a pearl clutching type of way. But here’s the thing, prunes do help optimize the latter (ahem) phases of digestion—that’s a good thing. Sweet, but not too sweet, prunes are great by themselves and can enhance companion flavors in recipes. I adore putting prunes in my smoothies even if they detract from the visual appeal. They add a unique depth of flavor and intensify the sweetness of other fruits.

TURMERIC & GINGER: WARM HEALING MAGIC

Turmeric and ginger are derived from the same family of tropical flowering plants. They taste great together and have some of the same health benefits including the reduction of overall inflammation and maintaining gut health. These spices are easy to love. Ginger has a spicy tingle that’s unlike anything else, while turmeric is gentle, warm, and less conspicuous.

SOOTHING MINT

Fresh mint is a soothing, flavorful and refreshing anti-inflammatory herb. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, I bet you could grow mint. It’s an easy plant that can grow indoors. Outdoors, mint adapts to almost any climate. I love how mint accents the cooling freshness of the cucumber in this smoothie while balancing out the warmth of the ginger/ turmeric combo.

BANANAS & ALTERNATIVES

I love how bananas make smoothies thick and creamy. Although bananas taste amazing with blueberries, they may decrease your body’s ability to absorb flavanols in blueberries (based on one very small study). So if you want to maximize the antioxidant power of this smoothie, you can replace bananas with cooked sweet potatoes (white Japanese sweet potatoes are the sweetest) or with a handful of dates.

In case you’re new to smoothie making or to modern kitchen appliances, you should know that you can peel, slice and freeze ripe bananas so that you have them on hand whenever you need them. Freezing actually makes them better for smoothies, and you can use thawed frozen bananas for making pancakes, adding to oatmeal or for baking. In this recipe a fresh unfrozen banana works fine, but your smoothie won’t be as cold.

VARIATIONS

Smoothie lovers already know that smoothie recipes are not an exact science. It’s all about getting ideas and working with what we have on hand. That being said, there are a few variations to this smoothie that I think would work particularly well.

• Swap out the prunes for a similar amount of pitted dates
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• Add cayenne pepper
• Use fresh basil instead of mint
• Replace mint with a tiny amount of fresh culinary lavender
• Replace banana with cooked sweet potato to increase antioxidant absorption

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