Why Add Zucchini to a Smoothie?
I came up with this smoothie recipe as a way to use up the frozen zucchini in my freezer. Zucchini has a very mild taste, so it add almost no flavor to this recipe, but it does add creaminess and a nice, slushy texture. Think of frozen zucchini more like creamy ice cubes. They add extra nutrients, without affecting the flavor! You can use fresh zucchini in this smoothie if you prefer, but in that case you’ll need to use less liquid, so that your smoothy isn’t too runny in texture. (Adding extra ice will just dilute the flavor, so that’s why you use less liquid instead.)
Benefits of Zucchini
Zucchini is a hydrating vegetable that’s loaded with antioxidants, and it’s neutral enough that you can add it to hummus or muffins without anyone noticing it. Here’s what else you’ll love about zucchini:
Zucchini is a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which can help prevent constipation and help feed the good bacteria in your gut. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower the risk for Type 2 diabetes. The pectin found in zucchini may help to lower cholesterol levels. Zucchini is also rich in potassium, which may help to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are thought to promote eye health.
Zucchini also makes a great low-carb ingredient, for recipes like zucchini pizza boats and zucchini lasagna. It’s pretty much as versatile of a veggie as cauliflower is!
How to Make It
To make this zucchini smoothie, you’ll add everything to the blender and blend until totally smooth. I like to use peanut butter and banana for a classic smoothie flavor, but you can add zucchini to basically any smoothie recipe instead of ice.
To help the flavor pop, I like to add a squeeze of honey to this recipe, but you can use dates instead of that if you want this recipe to be vegan, and exclusively fruit-sweetened. For extra veggie power, you can also add in a handful of fresh baby spinach. This gives the smoothie a darker green color, so be prepared for that, but you can’t taste the leafy green addition at all.
Serve right away for the best flavor and texture.
Make-Ahead Option
In my opinion, smoothies taste best when you drink them right after blending, but you can make this smoothie ahead of time by storing the ingredients in a smoothie bag in the freezer. The zucchini, banana, peanut butter, and spinach (if using) can all go into a bag in the freezer until you’re ready to make it. I use a silicone sandwich bag to avoid plastic, and it’s the perfect size for a single-serve smoothie bag. When you’re ready for a smoothie, just dump the contents of the freezer bag into the blender, add the water and a squeeze of honey, and blend until smooth and slushy. You can always add a little extra water, if you need to help everything blend. I hope you’ll enjoy this veggie-packed smoothie the next time you need a pick-me-up!
More Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Feel free to add frozen zucchini to any of these to thicken-up the texture and add an extra nutrient boost.
Chocolate Smoothie My Go-To Detox Smoothie PB&J Smoothie (Jamba Juice copycat) Sneaky Beet Smoothie Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Pumpkin Smoothie (that tastes like pie!) Creamy Pineapple Smoothie Watermelon Smoothie (unbelievably good!) Energizing Matcha Smoothie Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
I can’t wait to hear which one you try next! If you try this zucchini smoothie recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from your experience. – Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite veggie to add to smoothies?
