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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.
I was a little worried I wouldn’t like this one but I did!! It was creamy and had a great pop of flavor. I would make it again.
Glad this one surprised you, Denise!
Another winner. I did add a banana for extra creaminess.
Banana is always a good addition, Kim!
I usually put banana in smoothies and this one didn’t have any, but it was still so creamy and delicious. Definitely good!
Glad you liked it, even without banana, Michelle!
Wasn’t bad. I love a kale salad but I didn’t care for it in the smoothie.
You can definitely swap out the kale for another leafy green, Holly!
Very citrus forward! Since this smoothie does not include a banana, the citrus shines! I was afraid the kale might have a stronger flavor than spinach, but I really could not tell a difference. Green sunshine in a glass!
Yayy! Glad this one surprised you Laura!
So good….kale is hard sometimes
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!
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.
Good
Yum! My husband called it soothing. Kale never tasted so good
This was my favorite so far!
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!
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.
I absolutely love this smoothie. I didn’t think I was going to like it but wow!
I liked this smoothie. The kale was not overpowering. Would make this again.
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.
Favorite so far