Strawberry Basil Smoothie

I can’t remember where I came across a recipe for a strawberry basil smoothie but it didn’t call for much else. I was suspicious. I haven’t added herbs to any smoothies with berries and it just doesn’t seem like a good idea to combine the sweet and savory. 

Sure enough, it was way too sharp. More like something you’d take a shot of, not slowly enjoy an entire frosted pint glass of.

So I tried it again with one of my summer favorites, Philippine mangoes and added lemon pulp and zest. But in keeping with the strong, rich recipe I did add pomegranate juice to the coconut water and was very pleased with this version of it. I would recommend using lime juice instead of lemon but I will definitely make this one again throughout the summer.

There are a lot of recipes on the web for different combos. And some of them actually recommend adding straight white sugar. YUK! As if fresh summer fruits aren’t sweet enough.

If you feel compelled to add sugar I recommend raw, unbleached and unrefined. Sucanat is a great option, if you must. But another sugar-heavy option is to use orange juice instead of coconut water. It mellows out the pungent basil and compliments the strawberries and mangoes well. Happy Friday!