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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.
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.
Kale Smoothie Ingredients
This recipe takes me back to my California roots through its tropical ingredient list:
- Orange: 92% DV of Vitamin C
- Pineapple: 761% DV of Vitamin C
- Mango: Vitamin C… and a natural sweetener.
- Chia seeds: 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.
- Kale: This Top Superfoods List is a great way to boost your fiber intake + help your body process the natural sugar found in the fruit ingredients.
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 my homemade protein powder recipe.
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 FAQs
Smoothies can be great for you, if you focus on using whole food ingredients. Ditch the added sugar and processed foods and use real whole food. Fresh or frozen kale can be used (both have great nutrition!). Just make sure to swap up your leafy greens to ensure your body gets well rounded nutrients.
Yes! Just make sure to wash it well and massage with your fingers before adding it to the blender. Also, de-stem the kale to ensure those tough stems don’t end up as chunks in your smoothie.
I love the mild flavor of Lacinato kale, yet curly kale is typically the easiest to find at the grocery store. I would stay away from Tuscan kale as it is a bit spicier. If the first kind of kale you try isn’t your fav, look for another kind!
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
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale
- ½ cup water
- 1 orange peeled
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Blend kale, orange and water until smooth.
- Add remaining fruit and blend again.
Notes
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cold smoothie.
- Swap kale with the leafy green or your choice.
- Swap in coconut water if you need natural electrolytes.
- Depending on how big and juicy your orange is, start with a little less water and gradually add more as needed to easily blend.
Great flavor profile. You’ll never know there was kale in the smoothie
The fruits really helped with the bitterness of the Kale. I had been avoiding using Kale in smoothies because of the taste but this was good! Thanks!
This is a great smoothie! The mango/pineapple/orange really masked the taste of the kale. I added in a couple tablespoons of hemp seeds for a bit more protein.
Simple and very tasty!
So yummy and creamy! Love the dark green colour. And it’s a great option for days when I don’t have any bananas!
This was a light smoothie (probably because there wasn’t banana in it). Still tasty, but not quite as filling. Taste not hugely impacted by kale which surprised me. I think coconut water might just jazz this one up a bit. Still a great meal replacement with added protein powder.
The smoothie grows better with each sip. Earthier taste but sweet too. I used the water from the recipe to soak the chia seeds in for a few hours ahead of making. This made the drink a bit thicker.
Absolutely delicious and creamy! It tastes like a creamsicle to me!
This smoothie would be a great treat for breakfast. It had the perfect amount of sweetness, and I couldn’t even taste the kale! Also, you gave a great tip to blend the greens with liquids first – it really helps to avoid getting leafy chunks (I’ll be trying this recipe with coconut water later)
Don’t worry about the kale in this smoothie. The delicious blend of sweet tropical flavors makes this smoothie delightful!
good . yesterday was more flavorful
Thanks for the feedback, Pam!
This is an absolute delicious Smoothie…. All the flavors meld nicely into an amazing taste! It’s definitely going on the frequent repeat list!
Love to hear you’ll add this one to your faves list, Doree!
The kale smoothie was delicious and refreshing. I feel that I did something really good for myself. It took me a lot longer than 5 minutes to prepare. It takes me that long just to peel the orange. My husband said this smoothie was “okay” so I’d call it a winner.
Glad this one was a winner, Lynn!
Initially thought the kale was just a bit too strong, but as I sipped it, my taste buds adjusted and I thought the pineapple and mango added a nice balance.
The pineapple and mango definitely help balance out the kale in this one!
This one was not as sweet as the previous 2 – Banana made the difference?
The Kale was still a little solid, not smooth – perhaps I did not blend it enough or our blender is not strong enough.
But we enjoyed the flavor
If you haven’t tried blending the greens with the liquid first, definitely try that out!
Not as sweet as the other smoothies, but very satisfying. Wasn’t sure if I would like the kale but there wasn’t a strong kale flavour. Nice option from the sweeter smoothies.
I’m happy this one surprised you, Barb!