Rhubarb Pear Smoothie

Rhubarb Pear Smoothie

Serves 1 5 minute prep time By on

Do you ever get in smoothie ruts where you find yourself putting the same ingredients into your blender, morning after morning? It’s something that used to happen to me a lot. I’d walk through the grocery store, tossing a standard list of frozen berries, fresh greens, bananas, almond milk and a big chunk of ginger into my cart. While these items certainly made for a delicious smoothie, they weren’t very exciting after a couple of weeks.

You’ve heard it before: variety (whether it’s in your blender or in anything else) is the spice of life. If you’re up for a challenge, try trading up your usual smoothie mix-ins for a couple that are perhaps a little less popular: pears and rhubarb.

I’ve included a quick and easy recipe for rhubarb puree, which once chilled, will have a consistency similar to that of jam. Feel free to sweeten it up with maple syrup or your own favorite natural sweetener as it will be quite sour without, and use your leftovers as a spread on toast or as a mix-in for your next non-dairy yogurt parfait. It also freezes well in ice trays, and tossing frozen rhubarb cubes into your blender will reduce the need for extra ice.

Ingredients

  • 1 scoop Vanilla Vega® Essentials
  • or French Vanilla Vega One® All-in-One Shake
  • or Vanilla Vega® Protein & Greens
  • 1 cup Silk® Unsweetened Almondmilk
  • 1 pear, cored
  • 1/2 cup stewed rhubarb (recipe follows)
  • 2 Tbsp oats
  • 1/2 " chunk peeled fresh ginger root
  • 6 ice cubes
  • For the stewed rhubarb (makes about 1 cup):
  • 3 cups chopped rhubarb stalks, leaves completely removed
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup

Preparation

  •  For the stewed rhubarb:

    1. Trim and dice rhubarb and place in a small saucepan on the stove.
    2. Add water and partially cover with a lid. Turn the heat on to medium.
    3. Allow the rhubarb to soften as the water gets hot, about 10-12 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally and more frequently towards the end to ensure that it doesn’t burn.
    4. Use the back of a large spoon or fork to mash the remaining chunks.
    5. Most of the rhubarb should now be a thick puree. Add maple syrup (or other unrefined sweetener) and stir to incorporate. Pour the stewed rhubarb into a bowl and allow it to thicken as it chills.
    6. Sweeten further to taste if desired, and store covered in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze in ice cube trays.

  • For the smoothie:

    1. Add all ingredients except ice to the blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Toss in the ice cubes and continue blending until all ice is crushed.
    3. Pour into a glass and serve.

  • Notes:

    Can’t find fresh rhubarb? Look for frozen rhubarb and sub 1:1.

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