I have to admit that I’m still not entirely convinced that I’m into the cauliflower smoothie trend, but after seeing Lee from America’s beautiful low-sugar smoothies, I’ve been curious to try. Cauliflower is in the same family as kale, so what’s the difference really? In my opinion, there are at least a few benefits to using cauliflower as a smoothie base. 1. Texture – cauliflower produced a thick and creamy smoothie that I can’t seem to achieve from leafy greens. 2. Color – sometimes it’s nice to have a light base that can be layered with bright colors from fruit and spices. (Green smoothies take on a brown hue when colorful fruits are added.) 3. Sugar – most importantly, cauliflower is a low carbohydrate vegetable, which makes it a perfect smoothie addition, and the flavor is masked pretty easily. (Smoothies based in fruit can end up having enormous amounts of sugar, which completely defeat the purpose of adding these “health” foods to the diet.)
In this smoothie, chai spices and a bit of banana are the primary flavors, but there is definitely a hint of bitterness from the cauliflower. I was very skeptical while testing the recipe, but I found myself returning for sips with growing enthusiasm. I would definitely make it again and will be experimenting with more cauliflower smoothies in the future…
*A couple notes:
- Consuming large quantities of raw cruciferous vegetables can cause or exacerbate hypothyroid issues for some individuals. If this is a concern for you, I would recommend quickly blanching and freezing the cauliflower before using in a smoothie. (Or you can buy frozen cauliflower at the grocery store.)
- Banana definitely adds some sugar to this recipe, but I appreciated the flavor, and because the recipe yields 3-4 servings, the amount of sugar per serving is pretty low. If you follow a very low carbohydrate/keto diet, you can omit the banana entirely, although you may want to add a bit of stevia to mask the cauliflower taste. Alternatively, if you’re curious about cauliflower smoothies but wary of the flavor, add an extra banana to the recipe to slowly get yourself accustomed.
Let me know what you think!!
- ½ head of cauliflower, cleaned and cut into smaller pieces (see note above)
- 1 banana (see note above)
- 1 cup coconut milk (BPA-free can)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Zest from one lemon
- Dash of black pepper
- 3-4 cups ice
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
- Optional add-ins: collagen peptides, maca, or your favorite adaptogens
- Optional toppings: whipped coconut cream, bee pollen, cinnamon
In a large, powerful blender (vitamix or equivalent) combine all ingredients and optional add-ins, and blend until smooth. Pour into 3-4 glasses and top as desired. Enjoy immediately!
