Pumpkin is something that I like to eat all year long (give me some tasty pumpkin bread or pumpkin cookies, and I’m in heaven), so I’m always looking for interesting ways to incorporate it in recipes. It’s also a superfood, so I feel even better about eating it because it has mucho nutritional value.
I’ve seen a lot of smoothie recipes that sound like pumpkin pie in a glass, which is fantastic, but I wondered how pumpkin would do if I put it in with more “tropical” ingredients and little spice to make a kind of “pumpkin goes summer” smoothie.
These smoothies were very refreshing and would work well to balance out a spicy meal, in the much the same way that mango lassis do with Indian cuisine. I will say that the smoothies didn’t taste quite as tropical as I’d hoped, with the coconut milk being practically undetectable to my taste. Maybe I’ll use something with a stronger flavor next time — coconut cream or regular coconut milk? I did really enjoy the gingery bits and the banana with the pumpkin.
I’m sure that I’ll do more experimenting with this recipe. Don’t be surprised if you see Tropical Pumpkin Smoothie #2 somewhere down the road.
Note: Chill the pumpkin and coconut milk beforehand for an extra frosty smoothie.
Ingredients
1 cup canned or mashed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup pineapple juice
juice of 1/2 orange
1 banana, frozen
1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender (or in a deep, narrow container if using an immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.
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