This easy Strawberry Banana Kale Smoothie recipe comes together in mere minutes! Packed with nutrients for a delicious and nutritious breakfast!
Made with fresh strawberries, kale (either the full leaf or just the stems), ripe bananas, milk of choice, and protein powder, this easy kale strawberry smoothie recipe is a nutritious snack or meal replacement.
Smoothie recipes are the perfect placement for kale stems if you’re like me and you try to be resourceful.
The majority of the time, we discard kale stems because they are ultra tough, and let’s face it: lackluster.
You can also add full kale leaves to this kale strawberry smoothie too!
But they contain some nutrients and a great deal of fiber!
The great thing about smoothies is you can add vegetables to them (like kale, spinach, avocado, carrots, etc.) without noticing them.
Why Use Kale Stems in Smoothies?
Okay, seriously. This is where I give you information. Kale stems contain a great deal of fiber; however, there is debate as to whether they contain less nutrition or more nutrition than the leaves.
Like raw kale leaves (or any cruciferous vegetable), the stems can be difficult to digest. So maybe don’t over-do it if this is your first rodeo. However, blending the stems helps with the digestive process, as the chewing is done for you.
When adding kale stems to your smoothie, there are some basics you may want to know. Here’re some kale stem smoothie tricks of the trade.
Recipe Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t add too many kale stems (or too much kale if using the full leaf). I probably don’t need to explain this one to you.
- Use ice in your smoothie. I normally use frozen bananas instead of ice, which results in an ultra smooth texture. The way I see it, adding ice makes the grittiness of the kale stem a little less noticeable. Less evident. Less the center of attention.
- This isn’t a trick, but it’s a fact: kale stems taste less kale-y than kale leaves. Ergo, you don’t need to mask the flavor as much with a stem smoothie than a leaf smoothie. Ergo, strawberry banana. True story.
- Use a high-powered blender. A quality high speed blender makes veggie-centric smoothies a million times more tolerable. I realize not everyone has a fancy blender (and don’t shy away from kale smoothies if you don’t have one), but my Vitamix
pulverizes anything I put in it and achieves uniform texture.
pulverizes anything I put in it and achieves uniform texture.
If you’re looking for more fruity breakfasts, also try my Green Superfood Smoothie or my Roasted Fig and Walnut Parfait!
Looking for more things you can do with kale stems? Make Sauteed Kale Stems or Creamy Kale Stem Pasta Sauce.
Kale and Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries
- 2 ripe bananas
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup full-fat canned coconut milk*
- 2 to 3 kale stems or full kale leaves
- 2 scoops protein powder optional
- 7 ice cubes
Instructions
- Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour it into a glass, sip, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I log on to your new stuff regularly. Your writing style is awesome, keep it up!|
Hi Julia i have a question. I’d like to add a raw pasteurized egg for health benefit and for thickening it just a bit! Is it ok to add it or would it ruin this delicious smoothie?
P.S also i am adding some rhubarb stems
Hi Haley! I don’t think adding a raw egg would ruin the smoothie, and actually I’m very curious to know how it turns out. The smoothie has plenty of flavor, so I assume it would mask any egg flavor. Let me know if you try it!
Sure you got it , I will let you know pal,once I am getting me a stronger blender type such as the Ninja within the month then I will post you with a new comment 🙂
Not only great information, but I love the writing! Marry me? I’m okay if it’s only a “virtual” marriage. I’ll take what I can get.
xoxo,
Your future (virtual) husband
Hi Karl,
I will gladly accept your marriage proposal under the condition that we can have our virtual wedding on World of Warcraft. Thank you for your interest.
Your future virtual (World of Warcraft) wife,
Julia
I always make apple smoothies, very boring, this has given me so many more ideas – thanks x
And this is the time when I stop tossing out my kale stems! I always thought the stem was a little too gnarly to eat. Giving this a try and adding some stems to my smoothie tomorrow morning.
Wow! Awesome, super-informative and (of course :D) beautiful post! I really like kale but have never thought to make such good use of the stems – brilliant! I love that, although it has green elements (well, one green thing!), this smoothie doesn’t have the off-putting green color that makes green smoothies so suspicious to the veggie-averse (like … many kids!)! Gotta pin this ASAP to share with my fans and followers! Thanks, Julia!
My dog Enzo LOVES the kale stems! Luckily I’ve learned to put them in smoothies to tolerate them instead of giving them all to him. This looks so good and sounds delicious with the strawberries. yummy!
You know what’s funny? (Funny weird, not funny haha…although maybe funny haha depending on your sense of humor…) I literally said the words, “I’m not sure about kale in green smoothies”, and then I clicked on your page and saw this post. Like, immeeeeeeeeeeeediately. KISMET! THE STARS ALIGNED! GOOD JUJU! I dunno. I’m done.
Ok, whoa! I never even knew the stem was edible! Alright, I guess I assumed you could eat it, but never thought too! I love kale and go through a bunch or two a week, so this is kind of perfect for me!! Cannot wait to try it!
Love this idea! I always throw away my kale stems–excited to try this!
damn girl. I’ve been discarding my stems for way too long now. I will never go back now! love all the ingredients and tips that go along with this smoothie!
You much good info in this post. Thanks for the yummy recipe, as well as all the helpful tips. Very informative!
I love your recommendation about using bananas instead of ice. It especially comes in handy when you have a few bananas that are going bad, and you need to get rid of them.
Okay, I am intrigued. I definitely need to give this smoothie a try! It’s all about balance, right?
Oh wow – I learned something new today thanks to you!
I had no idea that the nutrients lay in the stem, or that the stem was the least kale tasting!
I think this is probably the only way I could get my daughter to “drink” her kale 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ve been throwing away all my stems, like a chump! Glad to see something I can do with these, pinning!