Orange Matcha Smoothie {Gluten-Free + Vegan}

This post is part of our restricted diet series from Beth of Tasty Yummies

As someone who rarely drinks coffee, I do love the occasional morning pick-me-up. Enter matcha! Matcha is finely ground green tea, that comes in the form of a powder. Matcha’s benefits far outweigh your typical mug of steamy green tea, as you are ingesting the whole leaf, not just water brewed from it. When it comes to nutritional value and antioxidants, I have read that just one serving of matcha is equivalent to 10 servings of regular green tea! Matcha boasts a very long list of benefits, including increased energy levels, boosting memory, and it’s also been known to help to burn calories and detoxify the body. Additionally, matcha has been shown to improve cholesterol and fortify the immune system, with a long list of vitamins and antioxidants shown to have antibiotic properties which promote overall health.

I enjoy matcha as I do any traditional hot tea, simply with boiled water poured over and whisked to make a frothy hot beverage, and especially as a latte, with steamy coconut and/or almond milk. However, adding matcha to my morning green smoothies has quickly become one of my favorite ways to find a boost of energy for the day!

With all the beautiful winter citrus in season right now —  including the mass amounts of oranges I am picking from our tree — this smoothie was born! A sweet and tart green smoothie to kick start your day, with the earthy flavor of the matcha and a long list of healthy benefits.

Orange Matcha Smoothie {gluten-free + vegan}

makes 2 small servings or 1 large

1 cup coconut milk (or other non dairy milk)

1/4 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours, then drained and rinsed

2-4 teaspoons matcha powder

1 large handful baby greens of your choice (I used a blend of baby kale, chard and spinach)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 soft Medjool dates, pitted

1 handful ice

Add all of the ingredients to your high-speed blender. Placing the ice in last. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. I like to top my green smoothies with a sprinkle of hemp seeds.

RECIPE NOTES:

If you can’t have nuts, in place of the soaked cashews opt for 1 frozen banana, 1/2 avocado or a small handful frozen mango.

If you forget to soak your cashews, simply pour boiling water over the nuts, let soak for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Use as much matcha as you would like, depending on what type of flavor you prefer.

You can opt for honey or maple syrup (or other sweetener) in place of the dates, if adding a banana you may want less sweetener.

For more of Beth’s recipes visit her blog Tasty Yummies.

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog.