5-Minute Arugula Smoothie
This lightly sweet arugula smoothie tastes just like it’s from the juice-bar, but is so simple to make at home in just 5-minutes with arugula, pineapple, banana, and a bit of fresh lemon juice. Let me show you how easy it is to whip up a spa-worthy smoothie at home!
Yes, This Arugula Smoothie is Surprisingly Delicious!
I’m a big fans of quick and easy green smoothies, and this one is no exception. This light and refreshing green arugula smoothie is packed with lots of feel-good ingredients, including the “surprise” ingredient, arugula. At first glance you might be skeptical about adding the spicy green, but yes, you can absolutely add arugula to a smoothie, and combined with the right ingredients, it tastes absolutely delicious!
Once combined with the other ingredients the arugula just adds a bit of spice, without being too overpowering. To balance out the arugula, I also use pineapple, ginger, lemon juice, and banana to make this smoothie super light, fresh, and totally delicious. I love this simple green smoothie as a morning wake-up drink (almost better than coffee) or as a snack for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Tip: The super fast prep time also makes this smoothie easy to blend, pour & take on the go!
Fun Variations to Try & Tips
- Apple arugula: Add 1 small cored and chopped apple (any kind) to the mix.
- Arugula and spinach: Use 1 cup arugula and 1 cup baby spinach.
- Blueberry arugula: Use 1 cup frozen blueberries in place of the frozen pineapple.
All you need to do is add all your ingredients to a blender and let it work it’s magic. Before you know it you’ll be sipping on arugula packed smoothie! This smoothie contains no banana and instead is sweetened with pineapple. If you prefer a sweeter, fruitier smoothie you can add 1 sliced banana to this recipe. I use a high-speed blender for this recipe, which makes quick work of larger tougher ingredients like the fresh ginger.
Tip: If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can finely chop or grate the ginger prior to adding.
Ingredient Notes & Substitution Ideas
Arugula: Adds a vibrant green color, light spice, and plenty of green. You can also use baby spinach or kale in its place if you prefer.
Banana: Adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness, but you can skip it if you want to make and arugula smoothie without banana.
Pineapple: The pineapple adds some brightness and acidity to this smoothie, along with some light sweetness. You can use fresh or frozen pineapple (if using fresh, use extra ice).
Fresh ginger: For best taste use fresh or frozen ginger. If you prefer, you can substitute with a small pinch of ground ginger in its place.
Chia seeds: The chia seeds really help to thicken up this smoothie. If you don’t have them or don’t like them, you can skip them in this recipe.
Lemon juice: I like how lemon juice pairs with the tropical flavor of the pineapple, but you can also use lime juice in its place.
5-Minute Arugula Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup ice
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high until very smooth.
Notes
- See blog post, above, for ingredient notes and substitutions.
Sounds so refreshing! And definitely spa-inspired.
Absolutely! A little self-care in a glass. 🙂
Thanks for a yummy way to use the spicy arugula from my garden. Kids liked it too. I did add a vanilla protein powder because I had it.
Julie, what a perfect use for garden arugula. Great idea to add the protein powder too! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!