Hello dear smoothie lovers! 🙋🏻
The star of my today’s smoothie is wild nettle. Many are afraid to use nettle, but the fear is unwarranted as long as you know what to do. And with the help of my recipe, you will 🙂
Eating nettle is good for your health in many ways; already the ancient Greeks knew this. They used nettle juice to treat coughs as well as snakebites. In Russia, nettle soup is something of a classic—especially in the villages. And in Britain, it is the key ingredient of the traditional nettle pudding that dates back to 6,000BC. For more info about nettle and other herbs, I recommend the book Rodale’s 21st-Century Herbal: A Practical Guide for Healthy Living Using Nature’s Most Powerful Plants.
This smoothie is rich in vitamin K (498% of RDA), so it is great for people with vitamin K deficiency, but less good for people who should avoid too much vitamin K. If unsure, check with your physician.
My nettle smoothie also contains 47mg of calcium (47% of RDA) and 12mg dietary fiber (50% of RDA) per serving. The high amount of calcium means that the nettle smoothie is an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans who need to receive calcium from dairy-free sources.
Finally, my recipe is relatively low in calories—perhaps not that surprisingly considering the ingredients—so it is suitable for people on a low-calorie diet.
Nettle Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped stinging nettles
- 2 green apples
- 1/4 cup orange juice (preferably freshly made)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (from 1/4 of a lemon)
- 1/2 cup still mineral water (or clean tap water)
- 10 peppermint leaves
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for topping)
- 1 tbsp flaxseed (for topping)
Instructions
- First of all, you need to wash and dry the stinging nettles. Young nettle plants are very delicate and usually don't sting but it is better to use thick gloves while handling them to avoid any possibility of being stung. Cut the stems off and place the nettle leaves in a sieve. Gently rub the leaves under running water to remove soil and dust. Dry nettles on a kitchen cloth or use a salad spinner to get rid off the excess water.
- Next, core and cut the apples in chunks.
- Squeeze juice out of an orange and a lemon if you prefer a thinner smoothie. If you love fruit pulp in your smoothie like I do, you can simply peel the citruses, remove occasional seeds and process the orange and lemon slices with white peels.
- Pour the water into the blender jar. Add the apples, nettle and mint leaves, as well as sesame seeds and flaxseed.
- Process until smooth. If the smoothie gets too thick, add some more water to reach a desired texture.
Nutrition
Nettle Smoothie Nutrition Facts
| Pros | Cons |
| Contains zero cholesterol, low in fat and sodium | High in carbohydrates (15% of RDA) |
| High in dietary fiber (50% of RDA) | |
| Very high amount of Vitamin K (498% of RDA) | |
| High in Vitamin C and A (40% and 84% of RDA) | |
| High in Calcium and Manganese (47% and 53% of RDA) |
I hope you will enjoy this nutrient-rich, healthy smoothie! 😘 If you liked this recipe, please share it with your friends, you can find share buttons above this very post 🙂 You can also find Smoothie Fairytales on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!
