For the better part of the week, I eat and drink sensibly. And in a timely manner. But then the weekend arrives and all my routines go out of the window. Sometimes, we are out at the crack of dawn for soccer and end up having two breakfasts and no lunch. And dinner could be at a Thai restaurant or takeaway stone-baked pizza from the local pizzeria. This erratic eating schedule takes its toll on me by the time Monday arrives in all its glory.
Does this sound familiar? Now, what if I told you that you could blend 7 plant-based ingredients in the blender and the resulting drink that would look like molten chocolate would clear your head, and your insides and make you feel supercharged? It is this amazing 7 Ingredient Detox Smoothie, my Monday smoothie. The perfect reset for the wild eating behaviour of the weekend.
Hard winters are not for smoothies (Brrrr!!). But this detox smoothie is definitively a cold weather smoothie if you honour seasons in the kitchen. Because it has pears which are hard to come by except for in autumn and winter. This smoothie leans heavily on the savoury side like my all-time favourite avocado smoothie. I only add the pear occasionally but when I do, it adds a rich creamy sweetness to the smoothie which is really delicious. All the ingredients in this detox smoothie are known for their cleansing nature and gut-promoting qualities - cabbage, cucumber, lemon, lettuce and parsley.
The purple cabbage takes over in the colour department and renders the smoothie a dark chocolate colour. It's bizarre! If you wanted your smoothie to look perfectly green, go for a green cabbage instead. But remember that purple cabbage has ten times the Vitamin A and double the iron of green cabbage. Plus if it looks like liquid chocolate and packs more pow, we are all winning, right?
You could also add more greens if you liked. Kale or spinach would boost the nutrients tremendously. Just remember to drink a lot of water after as too much fibre can clog you up and cause dull stomach aches. I like to make a double batch and sip on this while I work on Monday mornings and then refuel in the afternoon when I go for a quick walk. I love that this detox smoothie does exactly what the name suggests. It detoxes while being low on carbs. I always feel light, hydrated and energetic after having this. No wonder, it is my go-to smoothie for a lot of my Mondays.
Recipe
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7 INGREDIENT DETOX SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
- 1 pear, quartered and deseeded
- 1 large purple cabbage leaf, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 1 large iceberg lettuce leaf
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 cup (250 ml) chilled coconut water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in the jug of a blender.
- Process until smooth. Pour in a tall glass and enjoy immediately.
- Smoothie will keep in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
- If you don't have pear on hand, a Granny smith or red apple will work too.
- Make sure you wash the lettuce and cabbage leaves to remove all dirt.
- The smoothie will separate after a few minutes. This is because of the high water content. Just give it a quick stir to make it creamy again.
The cucumber. English or regular ? Does the cucumber have to be peeled? Thanks.