I have a bright and summery new recipe to share with you guys today: this Turmeric Ginger Smoothie! It’s sweet, creamy, vibrant, and a little spicy, thanks to the zingy ginger and turmeric.
Turmeric has been making its way into everything lately (have you tried golden milk yet?!), and I’m a huge fan. Not only does it bring a gorgeous color to the table, it also boasts tons of health benefits.
Turmeric has been a staple anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine for centuries, so it’s no surprise that recent studies have honed in on just how good this spice is for our health. It’s been proven time and time again to have strong anti-inflammatory benefits – which is important, considering that inflammation is a key factor in chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. One study found that taking curcumin (the active component of turmeric) daily was as effective as daily ibuprofen for reducing osteoarthritis-related knee pain — pretty cool! It also could help lower LDL cholesterol (the not-so-great cholesterol) levels. That’s a superfood if I ever saw one! (Just an FYI for my fellow pregnant ladies: turmeric in food/cooking is generally considered just fine, but I wouldn’t suggest a turmeric supplement while pregnant.)
You can buy turmeric dried and ground in the spice aisle of pretty much any grocery store. Fresh turmeric is a little harder to find – I’ve found it in specialty Asian supermarkets and health food stores! The fresh stuff looks kind of like mini ginger root (they’re related), but much brighter in color. Be careful, though, because both dried and fresh turmeric WILL stain just about anything white! Matt learned this the hard way when juicing fresh turmeric a few months ago… oops! We still have some faint yellow spots on our cabinets to remind us of this lesson. ;)
Now, let’s get back to this smoothie! The combination of turmeric and ginger is amazing. Turmeric is warm and earthy, while ginger is bright and spicy, making this smoothie anything but boring. Mango and pineapple keep things sweet and fresh, while Greek yogurt brings a protein boost and flax has you covered on the healthy fat front. All in all, it’s got to be one of my favorite smoothies — packed with good-for-you ingredients, sweet, spicy, and gorgeous!
Here’s the full recipe:
Turmeric Ginger Smoothie
Prep Time: 5 min
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, depending on how spicy you like it
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric OR 2 teaspoons fresh turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup dairy or non-dairy milk
Instructions
Toss all the ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth, and serve! If you have a strong blender, you can just peel hunks of the fresh ginger and turmeric, estimate the amounts, and toss them in. Otherwise, you’ll want to chop them up a bit to make sure they get fully incorporated!
Enjoy!
If you like this recipe, check out some of my other favorite smoothie recipes below. And don’t forget about my mix and match healthy smoothie recipes post, too – it’s basically a simple blueprint for building your own satisfying, delicious smoothies!
- Banana & Spinach Smoothie
- Hangover-Busting Smoothie
- Vanilla Mint Smoothie
- Lemon Ginger Berry Protein Smoothie
What’s your favorite way to use turmeric? Have you ever used the fresh stuff or do you stick with the powder?