Healthy doesn’t have to taste “healthy”.
This banana and strawberry smoothie is just that. Strawberries are in season here in the UK, and they’re famous for being some of the best in the world, renowned for their sweetness. So jump on the hype, it’s worth it!
This recipe also utilises the “more often than not” over ripe banana that you’ll be looking at launching in the food waste bin, or, like everyone else, make banana bread with. Well, it’s time to ditch the oven gives for now and get the blender out, because this one is an absolute delight AND has summer written all over it.
Are Strawberry and Banana Smoothies good for you?
This is one of the most asked questions on google. In short, yes. Yes they are. All a smoothie is, is blended fruit, some more blended fruit, perhaps some fruit juice and maybe even yoghurt in some cases.
Unlike fruit juice, which discards the pulp in favour only of juice, smoothies have all of the good bits in. The pulp, the juice – everything. This means you’re not only tasting something ridiculously good, but you’re also getting the health benefits from the fruit as well.
However, just because it’s a smoothie doesn’t mean it comes without drawbacks. The reason fruit tastes so good, especially when in season, is sugar content. Yes, fruit has sugar (fructose), and too much of this can be bad for you. I am not a nutritionist or food scientist, however it doesn’t take a genius to work out that everything should be had in moderation, especially sugar. With that said, there are certainly worse sugars out there for you.
So, get the blender out, get those perfect seasonal strawberries out, that dodgy looking over-ripe banana and get blending!
How do you make a smoothie?
Seem obvious, but this could be someone’s first time.
Simply put, add fruit (roughly chopped) to a blender and blend until it’s as smooth as can be. Add some liquid (i.e. water, fruit juice) then blend some more!
If you’re looking for a super smooth smoothie, then push the contents through a fine sieve to remove any pips or unwanted lumps, back make sure all the pulp and goodness if forced through. It’s best to do this using the bottom end of a ladle as this follows the contour of a sieve.
What goes into a Strawberry and Banana Smoothie?
Not a lot. In our smoothie the base ingredients are:
- Strawberries (shock!)
- Banana (what?!)
- Apple Juice
From here you can experiment to your hearts content. We like to add some herbs to ours, just to give it a little fragrance and refinement. We love the combination of mint and basil, but feel free to go wild. Add different herbs, maybe some cinnamon or some extra fruit? Raspberries are also in season right now and they are exceptional.
Strawberry and Banana Smoothie Video Recipe Tutorial
Strawberry and Banana Recipe Card
The Easiest Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
Equipment
- Blender
- Container
- Sieve
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 200 g Strawberries
- 2 Medium Over-ripe Bananas
- 200 ml Apple Juice not from concentrate
- 2-3 Basil Leaves
- 2-3 Mint Leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel the banana, and roughly slice
- Top the strawberries (remove the top with a knife) and roughly slice
- Add these into a container and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Top Tip - the longer the freeze, the thicker and colder your smoothie.
First Blend
- Add the banana and strawberries slices to the blender along with the hersb. Blend until a smooth puree.
Second Blend
- Add the apple juice and blend until smooth.
Serving
- For a really smooth smoothie, psuh the contents through a fine sieve and squeeze every last drop with the back of a ladle.
Notes
- Use in season, ripe strawberries. They are the sweetest, most delicious strawberries.
- Use an over-ripe, brown spotted banana. One that you probably wouldn't eat, but would make banana bread with.
- Blend the fruit first to get it really smooth and protect your kitchen from having a makeover.
- Add the juice last and blend on a lower speed and crank it up. Again, to prevent your kitchen from having a makeover.
- Sieve the contents to remove pips. If you don't care about this, simply pour into your desired drinks container.
