Cantaloupe Ginger Smoothie

Fresh cantaloupe, orange juice, ginger, and mint …

I adapted this  recipe from a vintage (1997) issue of Veggie Life.  They were calling it soup; I poured mine into a glass and called it a smoothie.  Sweet, tangy, and zesty.  Refreshing and oddly energizing.

Admittedly, this smoothie is not for everyone.  If you like your smoothies on the sugary-sweet side, this one’s probably not for you.  But if you love cantaloupe and/or ginger, or prefer your smoothies be less sweet, do try this!

IMPORTANT:  This tastes “ok” straight from the blender, but AMAZING after it’s had time to chill.  So perhaps make a batch in the evening before bed, store it in the refrigerator overnight, and then in the morning you’ll have two tall glasses of cantaloupe ginger smoothies.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Cantaloupe, cubed (About half a good-sized cantaloupe)
• 3/4 cups Orange Juice (I used Tropicana straight out of the bottle)
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice (Fresh squeezed, please!)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Ginger
• Pinch Sea Salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup non-dairy Yogurt
• A few sprigs of Mint, torn or chopped

Directions:

• Combine cantaloupe, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger, and salt in blender.  Process until smooth.
• Add yogurt.  If you’re using store-bought yogurt, it will have thickeners and you’ll need to use less – about 1/4 cup.  If you’re using homemade yogurt, it will be a little thinner and runnier so you can use up to 1/2 cup.
• Add the mint.
• Blend again.
• Chill for at least 4 hours.

Notes:

• If, after chilling, the smoothie still doesn’t taste sweet enough to you, try adding another pinch of salt before reaching for the sweetener.
• If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon more orange juice.
• You can also try using fresh basil leaves instead of mint, or adding a small pinch of cinnamon.

Tagged as: Cantaloupe, cantaloupe ginger smoothie, Ginger, Smoothie, vegan, vegetarian

Categorised in: Beverages, Vegan Recipes