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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.
Love the kale! I added just a few red grapes and a couple of splashes of pomegranate juice…very tasty!
I had to use spinach because I didn’t have Kale. Loved this smoothie and its yummy flavors.
Boost of vitamin C. Fresh and delicious
I’m not a huge fan of kale but this smoothie is a winner! I used homemade protein powder in place of chia seeds and now feel totally energized. Thank you Jen!
I’m not a huge fan of kale, but this smoothie is a winner! I used my homemade protein powder in place of the chia seeds and now feel totally energized! Thank you Jen!
Not a big kale fan, but it’s great in a smoothie with pineapple and an orange!
I’ve never had an issue with kale, so no dislikes here! I like that it balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Another great tasting recipe!
I thought that I would taste the kale more in this smoothie but surprisingly I didn’t. This smoothie was very good and tropical tasting! It was delicious! Day 3!!
Another delicious smoothie!! If I hadn’t messed it up
I forgot to get kale, and I had cruciferous veggie sprouts…. I figured I love sprouts!!! So why not add those. I was a mistake
Im not a quitter so I added another orange, a kiwi, and a banana. Now it’s palatable. Lol. Making this again later, without sprouts!
Good morning start my day kale smoothie love the Is tropical tastes in this smoothie did not disappoint definitely will make this one again
Perfect way to start the day!
I love the pineapple and mango. They had just a touch of sweetness, so that you really don’t taste the kale.
This is another one of my favorite smoothies to make. Because it has my favorite vegetable in it which is kale. It also has chia seeds in them which a good source of vitamin C. I also put in flax seeds and hemp seeds which makes it taste even more better. I think everyone should be making smoothies so healthy for you.
I finished my first smoothie challenge earlier this month and decided to try this one after having success with spinach.
It was a bit kale-y for me but still tasty. I added some ginger and honey, which brought it up to 5 stars for me!
Something funny happened to me while shopping for kale. I accidentally grabbed mustard greens, and I think it gave this delicious, tropical smoothie a spicy, sassy kick with some attitude. I really enjoyed it! I also substituted the water with 1 cup of cashew milk to give it more of a creamy texture.
This is a delicious smoothie. I thought with the kale it may have a bitter taste but I was wrong. I am a bit behind with the smoothie challenge, but happy I signed up.