This vegan wild blueberry, brazil nut + tahini smoothie might just be my new favorite blended beverage. And when you take into account all the smoothie recipes that have been shared over the last seven years, that's saying quite a lot.
Something about that amethyst hue gets me good.
But beyond its pretty purple exterior, this smoothie is both nourishing and dreamy. It's home to a host of plant-powered ingredients like wild blueberries, brazil nuts, banana, and tahini, each of which packs a punch of feel-good nutrients.
Wild Blueberries
Not only do wild blueberries boast a richer blueberry flavor than their more robustly sized siblings (aka "ordinary" blueberries), they also have twice the antioxidant power. The antioxidant compounds found in wild blueberries (i.e., anthocyanins) are contained within their deep purple/blue pigments and are particularly praised for their potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Wild blueberries are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, with one cup providing 25% recommended daily value. One cup also provides 200% recommended daily value of manganese, a trace mineral that's vital to bone development and other bodily functions. Although it can be quite the challenge to find fresh wild blueberries, many grocery stores (e.g., Trader Joe's, Whole Foods) carry frozen wild blueberries, which are perfect for smoothie making.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts (i.e., the poor ol' nuts that tend to get left behind in nut mixes) are a nutritional powerhouse. Not only are they rich with fiber, protein, thiamine, copper, and magnesium, they're also considered to be the number one food source on the planet for selenium.
Selenium plays an important role in many bodily functions, ranging from emotions and mood (e.g., combats anxiety and depression) to inflammation. Considering how important it is to proper functioning, one might assume that selenium is readily available in a variety of foods. However, it's often tricky to get enough in our everyday diets, so it can be helpful to lean on brazil nuts for a little selenium love.
Thanks to their vitamin and mineral content, brazil nuts are also touted as being an anti-inflammatory and anticancer superfood.
Banana
Bananas are one of the best mood-boosting foods thanks to their tryptophan and B6 content. How do these two positively affect mood? Carbohydrates (e.g., sweet bananas) allow the brain to absorb tryptophan, and B6 swoops in to help convert tryptophan to serotonin. There are few foods that I feel an instant energy and mood boost from but bananas are one of them. They're also packed with bloat-busting and muscle-healing potassium, making them an excellent post-workout recovery snack.
Tahini
Tahini (aka "sesame butter") can be made from hulled or unhulled sesame seeds. Unhulled tahini is best, because it's made from the whole sesame seed, thus leaving its full nutritional power intact. However, hulled tahini boasts a nice range of perks as well.
Tahini packs a punch of alkaline minerals—think phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and iron—that make it easy for the body to digest. It's also rich in B vitamins (i.e., B1, B2, B3, B5, and B15), vitamin e, and calcium, and it offers a kick of plant-based protein to boot.
To make this vegan wild blueberry, brazil nut + tahini smoothie, add the following to a blender:
Frozen banana
Frozen wild blueberries
Almond milk
Brazil nuts
Tahini
Splash of vanilla
Pinch of sea salt
Blend on high until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides or add more liquid as needed.
Then, pour into a glass and serve enjoy immediately. ♥
Wild Blueberry, Brazil Nut + Tahini Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 ripe and speckled banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- ¾ cup frozen wild blueberries
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons raw brazil nuts*
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a glass.
- Serve immediately.
This is officially my favorite color ever - just gorgeous. I love that this smoothie meets all my requirements: nutritious, delicious, and beautiful!
Oooh....this looks so appealing. I think this will be breakfast tomorrow! Thanks for the nutritional facts too!
Thank you so much for your delicious recipes!! I just got a Vitamix after dreaming of one for so long, and I'm going smoothie crazy! My only problem is- so many of the delicious smoothie recipes I've found have banana in them, and *cringe* I don't like bananas! I know! It's horrible! I've tried so many times to like them, and it's not the texture, or anything, I really don't like the taste- even in things that banana-loving people say you can't taste bananas in, I taste them. It's SO disappointing. Do you have any suggestions for banana-substitutes? Both for fruity recipes like this one, and for almond/peanut/chocolate kinds of smoothies, too? Thank you tons!!
You're welcome, Maggie! Thank you for sharing such kind feedback. I totally hear you on how tough it can be to find swaps for bananas in smoothies—so many smoothies use bananas as a base. I personally love them, but I have a good friend who can't stand them. In terms of substituting, it really depends on the other ingredients and flavors in the smoothie, so it's tough to give a single substitute that lives up to the same level of flavor versatility that bananas do. That said, for this smoothie, you could try adding in soaked oats (1/4 to 1/3 cup rolled oats soaked in boiling water and drained), a medjool date or two (for sweetness), and perhaps a bit of ice to make up for the temperature difference between oats/frozen bananas. You could also try young thai coconut meat, but that will definitely impart a coconut flavor. For green smoothies, I find that frozen mango is one of the best substitutes for frozen bananas. It lends sweetness and offers a silky texture that works incredibly well with greens and other fruits. When bananas are the primary sweetener, pitted Medjool dates work great as a substitute for them. They lend a similar level of sweetness and offer even more potassium. I hope this helps! xo
what other nuts work in this recipe?
Hi, Coco! I'd imagine most nuts will work in this recipe, but can't say for certain how the flavors will play out as I've only tested it with brazil nuts.
Delicious smoothie, nutty and creamy. Found it perfect for this rainy day. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I love this recipe! I'm definitely going to add this to my list to make over this winter.