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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Oranges are refreshing and tropical, but they’re also compatible with creaminess from dairy, or in this case, almond milk.
There’s something special in the combination of flavors and textures, and when you take oranges and almond milk and turn them into a smoothie, you’ve got something unique in your hands.
So, what makes a good smoothie? For starters, it must be nutritious but also delicious. A smoothie done right should substitute a light meal easily, although that doesn’t mean you should skip meals, of course.
And that means that we must add a bit of everything to the blender to give our smoothie some nutrition.
We’re using a fresh orange for this smoothie, not orange juice, which is packed with sugar. A good-old orange does the trick. You’ll also need a frozen banana, and you want to put that one in the freezer the night before. The banana adds flavor and nutrition to the smoothie, sure, but also consistency.
As for the wet ingredients, we’re adding almond milk, vanilla extract and ice. That’s it! This recipe yields two smoothies, one for you and one for your closest friend. Throw everything into the blender and blend away. Make sure your blender can handle ice, though, because not all do, trust me. And also, make sure you drink this smoothie right away; once it waters down, it’s not as nice, just saying.
There are many ways of making this smoothie your own. For starters, an ounce of chocolate syrup will turn it into something else entirely, and don’t stop there; caramel syrup is also super compatible with oranges and bananas.
For extra dietary fiber and a nice crunch, a fistful of granola will do the trick, and you can even add a few tablespoons of cooked oats in there if you really want to turn this one into a complete breakfast.
And that’s not all. Do you like berries? Throw them in there. Nuts and seeds? Go for it. Protein powder? Why not! The sky’s the limit when it comes to blending stuff together.
Smoothies come in all flavors, colors and sizes. As long as your concoction is ‘smooth,’ you’ve made yourself a smoothie, so don’t worry too much about the precise ingredients. I’m sure your smoothie will end up delicious!
Zest, peel and quarter the orange; remove the seeds. Reserve the zest. Peel the banana.
In a blender, add the ice, banana, orange, zest, almond milk and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
Pour in two glasses and garnish with an orange wheel.
