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Home » Smoothies

Kale Smoothie

Published on 3.2.2021 by Jen Hansard

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kale smoothie

This insanely tasty tropical kale smoothie recipe was originally created for my #1 best-selling recipe book, Simple Green Smoothies. Over the years, I've craved it more and more, and even started growing my own kale to use in smoothies. This smoothie tastes like sunshine, and will cause you to fall in love with green smoothies.

What is kale?

I'm sure you've noticed kale's rise to fame over the last decade. It went from an unidentified leafy green to the top dog of the produce section overnight. Kale comes from the cruciferous family (along with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, and more). Kale is a supercharged superfood, because it is loaded with vitamins A, B6, C, and K, calcium, potassium, copper and manganese.

People typically identify kale by it's sharp taste, and tougher texture, yet if this is you, then I'm gonna ask you to give it another try. Simple Green Smoothies team member Erin swore she would never drink a kale smoothie after tasting kale for the first time in 2013, yet she now grows a 4' x 4' plot of kale in her garden every winter.

Tips for blending a kale smoothie

While this kale smoothie recipe uses lacinato kale, any kale will work. I highly recommend removing the stems of the kale before blending to eliminate as much bitterness as possible. You can compost the stems or even feed them to the backyard chickens. To tenderize kale leaves, wash them in water, then gently massage the leaves with your fingers.

When blending kale, tear it up into smaller pieces before tossing in the blender. Blend with just the liquid + kale first, until no chunks remain. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. This 2 blend method helps the kale break down quicker, especially if you're using a non high-powered blender.

Kale smoothie ingredients

This recipe takes me back to my California roots through its tropical ingredient list: orange, pineapple, and mango. To help process the natural sugars in these fruits, I add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds per serving. The omega 3s and 6s in the chia seeds, as well as the protein boost, help turn that natural sugar into energy as your body processes it.

Easy ingredient swaps

If you want to turn this smoothie into a great pre or post workout beverage, then swap the water with coconut water, aka nature's gatorade. Add even more superfood goodness by swapping the chia seeds with a plant based protein powder, like Protein Smoothie Boost.

green smoothie recipe with kale

More kale smoothies

Whether this is a new ingredient for you or a staple in your fridge, here are some more great smoothies that use kale:

  • kale mango smoothie
  • kale banana smoothie
  • pineapple kale smoothie
  • kiwi smoothie
  • coconut oil smoothie
  • fruit and vegetable smoothie
  • ginger pineapple smoothie
  • cherry smoothie

Really, swap out the leafy green in any green smoothie with kale. It might just become your go-to smoothie ingredient too! Let me know your thoughts about this smoothie by leaving a rating + review below once you blend it.

Kale Smoothie

4.69 from 121 votes
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe
Like the warm California sunshine, this tropical kale smoothie will brighten your day. Loaded with vitamins A, C, K, and calcium, you’ll be filling your body with goodness that tastes great. Using chia seeds packs a mighty punch by adding omega 3’s, omega 6’s, healthy fats and protein. 
Total Time5 minutes
Servings1 smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup kale
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 orange (peeled)
  • ½ cup pineapple (frozen)
  • ½ cup mango (frozen)
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions

  • Place kale, orange and water in blender.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Add remaining fruit and blend again.

Notes

* Use at least one frozen fruit to make your smoothie cold.
Feel free to blend in the chia seeds or sprinkle on top for a crunchy texture.

Nutrition (estimated)

Calories: 243kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 49g (16%) Protein: 7g (14%) Fat: 5g (8%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 1g Sodium: 35mg (2%) Potassium: 843mg (24%) Fiber: 10g (42%) Sugar: 32g (36%) Vitamin A: 7935IU (159%) Vitamin C: 220mg (267%) Calcium: 252mg (25%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynnette Clancy

    January 17, 2022 at 8:48 am

    4 stars
    So good….kale is hard sometimes

    Reply
  2. April R Eckert

    July 14, 2021 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    Oranges, lemons and limes, have become a new addition to my smoothies. They really help bring up the vitamin C content along with a lot of other ingredients. This recipe is delicious and great for an immunity kick!

    Reply
  3. Erica

    July 13, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite fruit combos when I’m feeling like something tropical. I also love what the chia seed does to the consistency when I blend it with the greens and liquid before adding the frozen fruit. I did find that if I use frozen pineapple and mango then I should not freeze the orange too or it is more difficult to blend.

    Reply
  4. Nat

    July 13, 2021 at 11:45 am

    4 stars
    Good

    Reply
  5. Meryl

    July 12, 2021 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! My husband called it soothing. Kale never tasted so good

    Reply
  6. Lynette

    July 12, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    This was my favorite so far!

    Reply
  7. Kim Powell

    July 12, 2021 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    Did not use mango, not a fan, but used the rest and it was really good. Liked the addition of the chia seeds. Need to remember to do that in other somoothies!

    Reply
  8. Rachel

    July 12, 2021 at 8:18 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I love the tropical flavor, I never think to add oranges to my smoothies, but with a Blendtec blender it blends up nice and smooth. I did substitute peaches for the mango due to an allergy.

    Reply
  9. Patricia Bowman

    July 12, 2021 at 7:56 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely love this smoothie. I didn't think I was going to like it but wow!

    Reply
  10. Mickey Cunningham

    July 12, 2021 at 7:44 am

    4 stars
    I liked this smoothie. The kale was not overpowering. Would make this again.

    Reply
    • Jacqueline

      July 14, 2021 at 8:24 am

      5 stars
      This really does taste *tropical and is a great blend for introducing Kale to your smoothies. It blends nicely and tastes sweet but not too sweet.

  11. Dan

    July 12, 2021 at 3:04 am

    5 stars
    Favorite so far

    Reply
  12. Grace

    July 12, 2021 at 2:26 am

    5 stars
    I used frozen pineapple and mango which made this smoothie cool and creamy. I didn’t have any kale so used spinach instead. Added chia seeds and hemp hearts for a little protein boost. And as usual, I rinsed out the container with water afterward and added that to thin out my smoothies because I prefer them a bit thinner.

    Reply
  13. DeeDee

    July 12, 2021 at 1:06 am

    4 stars
    Good combination of flavor which I feel most everyone would enjoy.

    Reply
  14. Michele

    July 12, 2021 at 12:36 am

    4 stars
    This smoothie was refreshing, but I needed to add at least 1/2 cup of extra liquid so it could blend smoothly.

    Reply
  15. Jemia

    July 12, 2021 at 12:29 am

    4 stars
    The tropical kale smoothie was good. I used 1/2 of an orange because of its size and found it to be just enough citrus flavor for the smoothie. I’ve noticed that I can taste kale in my smoothies but I usually cannot taste spinach. It’s a flavor that I can definitely get used to! Since I can’t take vitamin supplements, I can benefit from using this leafy green in my smoothies.

    Reply
  16. Vashti

    July 11, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    4 stars
    I sub lettuce for kale. This was super delicious. A meal in a glass.

    Reply
  17. Ogechi Nwaokelemeh

    July 11, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! Used kale grown in community garden for this one!

    Reply
  18. Lorna Koppel

    July 11, 2021 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    This is a very light and refreshing smoothie. I absolutely love it.

    Reply
  19. Suzanne Attig

    July 11, 2021 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    I really prefer spinach to kale, so I made this with spinach. I didn’t see the chia seeds in the 10-Day Challenge Guide recipe for this smoothie. I didn’t know about a post workout use of coconut water, until I read the possible variations when I went to post my review. It was pretty good anyway. I will try it again with chia seeds and coconut water.

    Reply
  20. Maureen Cioni

    July 11, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    I think this is one of my favorite recipes! It’s so bright green and still filled me up. I added protein powder and chia seed.

    Reply
  21. Alyssa Foote

    July 11, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    4 stars
    Was a tasty but I found the flavour to be fairly mild when made into a breakfast smoothie with Greek yogurt, oats, matcha, and the magic trio (hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds).

    Reply
  22. Eva McGuire

    July 11, 2021 at 4:37 pm

    4 stars
    Good & smooth. Milder in flavor than some of the other smoothies. The flavor of the orange and pineapple really came through

    Reply
  23. Karen Guzowski

    July 11, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    5 stars
    This smoothie was really delicious. Mention tropical, and I'm hooked. Added my usual hemp protein and some coconut oil.

    Reply
  24. Amanda

    July 11, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is a delicious smoothie

    Reply
  25. Lori Toothacre

    July 11, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    Very refreshing....I love the mango & orange!!

    Reply
  26. Kitty

    July 11, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    2 stars
    The kale leaves were too tough for my blender and made the smoothie fibrous and gritty. I would replace this with parsley, or maybe baby kale if available.

    Reply
  27. Ana Siguenza

    July 11, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious tropical flavors.

    Reply
  28. Lisa Bixby

    July 11, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    Oh so yummy! The flavors are bright and refreshing! This one is amazing!

    Reply
  29. Gloria

    July 11, 2021 at 12:40 pm

    5 stars
    Tropical Kale Day 7! The kale gives a more earthy flavor. The pineapple,mango, orange,good combination is delicious!

    Reply
  30. Dawn

    July 11, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    The combination of flavors is delicious!

    Reply
  31. Tammy

    July 11, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    5 stars
    I love this one. I plan to make it again and add the chia seeds next time.

    Reply
  32. Raychel

    July 11, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one but I loved it! Citrus burst tang and deep green color! Delicious! Definitely important to have a good, juicy orange without too much pithe.

    Reply
  33. Gina

    July 11, 2021 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    I'm really enjoying this one. It is not too sweet, but has a wonderful taste.

    Reply
  34. Codie

    July 11, 2021 at 11:52 am

    5 stars
    Omg this one is soooooo good!

    Reply
  35. Ellen

    July 11, 2021 at 10:35 am

    4 stars
    Good flavor and creamy but not a huge fan of Kale. It was also a little thick for my personal taste.

    Reply
  36. Susan Callahan

    July 11, 2021 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    Made with fresh picked kale from my garden. This is a bright and fresh tasting green smoothie. Will definitely make again!

    Reply
  37. Monika

    July 11, 2021 at 9:21 am

    4 stars
    This one is good but two thick for me.

    Reply
  38. Lisa

    July 11, 2021 at 8:49 am

    5 stars
    I love that you can’t taste the kale in this recipe as. I usually can taste the kale aftertaste. This just might be the one that gets me to put kale in smoothies instead of spinach.

    Reply
  39. JP

    July 11, 2021 at 8:21 am

    5 stars
    This is WONDERFUL! We are in heaven today with this smoothie! It is a keeper! Light, not frothy, cool, refreshing, enjoyable! Used an old blender today, therefore it is somewhat gritty but not enough to take away from the goodness!

    Reply
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Jen hansard blogger at Simple Green Smoothies About

I'm Jen Hansard, mom of two, plant-based foodie, adventure junkie + cookbook author.

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