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 decided it needed to be a part of our Smoothie Challenges.
After all, what’s a green smoothie challenge without a fresh bunch of kale?!
Growing up in Southern California I ate a lot of In-N-Out and Taco Bell. It wasn’t until I moved to Florida in 2011, that California started to lean into the health trends… and kale became king.
Or should I say: when California turned into Kalifornia.
This recipe uses lacinato kale, yet 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 your backyard chickens, like me.
Why kale is good for you
Kale is one of those veggies that high in nutrients and low in calories, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. According to Self Nutrition Data, a single cup of raw kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange.
You can say a lot of good about kale, but prob the thing I love the most is the fiber. Kale is a great leafy green to blend into smoothies if you struggle with constipation or irregular bowel movements.
Health Benefits of this Tropical Kale Smoothie
Aside from it using the “leafy green king”, this smoothie is packed with fresh ingredients that’ll leave you feeling better than before. And if you make a green smoothie a daily habit, you can begin to look different than before too. This this smoothie is the BEST because we use…
- Plant-based ingredients: We only use fresh, 100% plant-based ingredients in this kale smoothie recipe. By avoiding dairy, we’ve eliminated the #1 food allergy in America. Also, this smoothie is WAY better than any kale smoothie with yogurt or milk— make it and see for yourself.
- Naturally sweet fruits: Instead of adding sugar, juice or sweeteners, we opt for fresh fruit that’s naturally sweet and packed with flavor.
- Incorporate chia seeds: these might mayan seeds are packed with omega 3’s, protein, fiber and healthy fats to keep your blood sugar levels stable, belly full and digestive system on track. Nutiva has a nice organic chia seed product that I order on amazon. I also buy from Costco when I’m down that way, which is the best price out there.
In our summer smoothie challenge, we didn’t include the chia seeds. Yet if you have them on hand or want t try it this way, feel free to upgrade your smoothie.
How to blend kale into a smoothie
One of the biggest issues with a kale smoothie is the chunks. Sometimes they can be so big they take away from the entire smoothie. Yet it doesn’t have to be like that. Here’s 3 tips to help:
- Blend the kale and your liquid base together first. This gives you the best chance of pulverizing the leafy chunks into green juice.
- Invest in a high powered blender like the one we call “The Kale Krusher.”
- Use baby kale which is much softer and gentler than traditional kale.
Tropical Kale Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Like the warm California sunshine, this tropical kale smoothie will brighten your day. Loaded with vitamins A, C, K, and calcium, you’ll be f illing 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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 1 orange
- 1⁄2 cup pineapple*
- 1⁄2 cup mango*
- 1 tbs. chia seeds
Instructions
- Place kale, orange and water in blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add remaining fruit and blend again.
Notes
Feel free to blend in the chia seeds or sprinkle on top for a crunchy texture.
Keywords: kale smoothie, kale shake
Looking for more kale smoothie recipes? Here’s a few more that have gotten rav reviews from our rawkstar community:
By: Jen Hansard | Updated: 5.29.2020 | COMMENTS: 121
This one tops my favorite and must do again list, soooo good!
★★★★★
I will always say yes to tropical flavors!
★★★★★
Good smoothie. Nice to try some different combinations then what I usually make. I also add one or more of chia seed, hemp seed or ground flax seed. I also add a protein powder to make these my breakfast. Prefer to use some frozen fruit to make it cold and sometimes avocado for a nice fat, smooth, thicker addition.
★★★★
kale and mango lover over here so perfect comb….
★★★★★
Solo creamy good!
★★★★★
Very good!
★★★★★
This is a delicious smoothie!! So perfect for a hot summer day! I added a scoop of protein powder to make this a meal replacement and it was yummy!! Give it a try!
★★★★★
Love this one. So refreshing!
★★★★★
This made my TOP 5!! Loved it!
★★★★★
Yum! Perfect for a hot day! I like the combo of mango, pineapple and orange. Very refreshing!
★★★★★
This is one of my favorite smoothies. It is perfect for a hot summer day!
★★★★★
First time chia seed user here. I was reluctant but you have won me over. This was so good!
★★★★★
Chia seeds are def one of our favorite smoothie boosts!
I love any tropical smoothie and this one is a favorite. I often swap spinach for kale if it’s what I have on hand. The sweetness of pineapple is good. I don’t always add chia seeds. Today I added plant protein and made it a meal.
★★★★★
The Tropical Kale smoothie was great, I added chia seeds, flea seeds and collagen in it.
★★★★★
i loved this smoothies ❤️
Nice and tropical! With a little bit of protein powder, it made a nice breakfast before going kayaking.
★★★★★
I loved this smoothie! Definitely added to my favorites list! So tropical….all I needed was a umbrella straw and a beach chair! Yummy!!!
★★★★★
I found this smoothie is similar to Citrus Vegan. It has fresh tropical flavors!
★★★★
This was really good! I might do 1/2 spinach + 1/2 kale next time. The kale is a little strong for my taste….but the kids both loved it with all kale.
★★★★★
Yummy. Added some lime though
★★★★
I love this smoothie, it was so delicious. And I like the fact that all the ingredients are plant-based and are non-dairy. Most days I have some issues with my digestion in the morning but this morning when I had smoothies I felt great!
★★★★★
Soooo good! I loved this smoothie. The orange, pineapple, mango trio was delicious. I might add some coconut oil when I make this smoothie again to add to the tropical flavor.
★★★★★
I opted for spinach instead of kale. Kale is very expensive in Alberta, while spinach is more affordable. This smoothie is one of my new favourites. I added the chia seeds while the smoothie was about midway blended.
★★★★★
This was very refreshing! I used a spinach-kale blend. I will definitely make this one again!
★★★★★
This smoothie is super tasty. I did not add chia seeds as this is not on the 10 day challenge, but I bet that would make it even better!
★★★★★
I liked it! Definitely gaining a taste for kale! Loved the sweeetness of the other fruit instead of banana! Excellent!
Delicious! I like the taste of kale but the pineapple and mango disguised the kale completely. My kids enjoyed this smoothie!
★★★★★
Day 7 – Tropical Kale. Tasted a bit grassy. Normally would be fine for me, but my gut is a little finicky after my long run. Simple Green Smoothies #simplegreensmoothies
★★★★
I usually get a smoothie similar to this at Tropical Smoothie. Now I can get it at home for a fraction of the cost! This recipes is my second favorite.
★★★★★
Yes, exactly!!!
Absolutely refreshing and tropical! Forgot the chia seeds. Will certainly have again!
★★★★★
Love ❤️ Kale tropical very refreshing and enjoyed the chia seeds super yummy
★★★★★
I turned this smoothie into tropi-kale heat and it is such a winner. Love love love it! Sweeter than what I normally go with so maybe that’s why I like the little kick of spice.
★★★★★
I think this is one of my favorite! So fresh! Specially to share with my husband today celebrating Father’s Day
★★★★★
After chowing down at our family’s Fathers Day barbecue, it was refreshing to have a nice smoothie to reset for the evening. I felt like I was on an island with this smoothie, it had a nice balance of sweetness but I think I’ll stick to frozen fruit on this one. Also if the orange is not blended with kale, I believe it makes it too frothy.
Loved this too, and will be added to my fav list for future
★★★★★
This smoothie was awesome. It made me feel like I was sitting on the beach in a tropical island. Nice and refreshing. I did not even taste the Kale because the orange, pineapple, and mango was so pleasant. I went out on the deck and acted as if I was on a foreign beach. Awesome.
★★★★★
Tropical Kale Smoothie…. perfect for the Summer Solstice ☀️My husband and I love this smoothie…
I like kale. I had so much spinach that I swapped it for kale today. And I added banana and protein powder to make a meal and add red fresh basil. It was my second fav so far. I like the mixture of these smoothies. They are easy to make and ingredients seem to work really well for flavors.
★★★★
This is my favorite smoothie to date. It is wasn’t too sweet, and the kale wasn’t noticeable. I enjoyed drinking it so much, I was surprised (and a bit sad) when it was finished. If I had enough ingredients, I would’ve made another.
★★★★★
This smoothie looks good, tastes good and makes me feel good!!! I ❤️❤️❤️ It!
★★★★★
A tropical treat that was enjoyed on my hike today!
★★★★★
Loved this smoothie with pineapple.
★★★★★
This is good but not my favorite. Still not getting the kale blended enough for my taste. I have a Ninja Smart Screen Blender DUO with FreshVac which has done well with everything else, but not so much with the kale. Or maybe I just don’t like kale. LOL. My oranges were a little small and I only had 2 so that could have been part of the issue. I think I will make this again with spinach and see if I like it better. With all that said, it is very refreshing and even though it is chunky, I am just sucking it down. 🙂
★★★★
Julie, I have two recommendations (if you aren’t already doing them 🙂 ): 1. Make sure you remove the stems from the kale before blending and 2. Blend the kale and liquid base first, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend again. Oh, and lastly, if you are still not having luck, try using baby kale. It should blend into your smoothie much better.
Really tasty! Nice and refreshing!
★★★★★
This was such a great smoothie! It will be a regular. Much loved by my son too. I caught myself begging him not to drink it all
★★★★★
Guess you’ll have to make two next time! 😀
I have had this smoothie before and it is soo good. Always a go-to smoothie.
★★★★★
OMG, this is by far the best of the best!!!!!! Love this smoothie – it will be part of my daily rotation forever!!!!! 🙂
★★★★★
Pretty good!!
★★★★
Love the taste of this smoothie but much sweeter than I usually make mine. I added some cauliflower rice as my ‘wild’ bingo item.
★★★★★
Love the mango and pineapple pineapple together. This is a good drink on this hot weather.
That was great! I just finished it.
★★★★★
This one seems to get tastier the longer it sits in my glass, which is hard, but doable. I used spinach as I do not like kale and my orange wasn’t very juicy so I do not think I am getting the full citrusy taste. But I will blend again.
★★★★
This was delicious. A keeper in my smoothie collection. Very refreshing.
★★★★★
Day 7…
I really like this tropical Kale smoothie. I could not taste any kale at all. This one is a keeper for me.
Why do the mango and pineapple have * next to them? I can’t seem to find the corresponding * note??
Whoops! Sorry about that, Celine. 🙂 The * means we prefer to use frozen pineapple and mango (instead of fresh) to make our smoothie creamy and cold.
I am dealing with Bladder Cancer and in general I need the ingredients to support this and healthy weight loss. Is this possible on this program??
Mady, I’m sorry to hear you are dealing with bladder cancer. Many people believe a plant-based diet has numerous health benefits but you will want to speak with your oncologist and other health care providers regarding your diet. You and they know what will be best for you and your body.
Love kale green smoothies. Chia not-so-much.
Very high sugar content
So yummy! Citrusy and refreshing. I added some plant based protein to it and it made it creamy.
★★★★★
Morning go smoothly with a prepped green smoothie! ❤️
★★★★
I enjoyed this smoothie with its citrus taste, very refreshing!
★★★★★
Thanks for letting us know Jean!
Love the flavor that the kale gave to the smoothie.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it Raquel!
Couldn’t even tell it had kale. Great morning starter.
★★★★
Kale yeah for the win!!
The burst of orange in the Kalifornia Sunshine was a pleasant yummy surprise!
★★★★
This is perfect for sunny days!!
We had all the ingredients, so I made it and served with breakfast. The kids loved it! Yum!
We love it when our smoothies are kid approved!!
Loved this one it was like having a refreshing sweet treat for breakfast.
★★★★★
Yum!!! It’s crazy to think that this is healthy for you!!
just the right blend of sweet, with a little tang from the kale….very good!!!
★★★★★
Very good and refreshing! My toddler son has been drinking smoothies with me and he loves this one! I love that we are both getting our veggies and fruit in without really knowing/tasting them. Veggies have never tasted so good!!
★
I liked this one, but found it very sweet – maybe because I used spinach instead of kale.
★★★★
That might be the case! You could always add in less fruit and more greens if you prefer too!
I don’t love kale, but substituting spinach makes this delicious!
★★★★
This smoothie is so yummy had it fro breakfast.
★★★★★
This is better than I expected. I like the tropical vibe. Will keep pushing to love the kale too!
★★★★
The Kalifornia Sunshine is fabulous, I love the orange and pineapple together! skipped the chia seed and added in some vegan protein powder. Love that I can make this at home and bring it to work for my breakfast, keeps me satisfied until lunch.
★★★★★
What a great way to make this your own. Thank you for sharing, Shelli!
One of my favs!
★★★★★
Loved it. Kale is one of my favorites.
Kale Yeah!!
I used orange juice instead of an orange & it was yummy!
Way to make it work for you Julie!
I’m a day behind, but my day 1 smoothies was great! Love SGS’s creative recipes and ways to keep ‘healthy’ exciting 🙂
★★★★★
I love all of your smoothie recipies! Its full of fruit and healthy liquid and no sweeteners! Thank you
So glad you love them!! 🙂
I’m a day behind, but my day 1 smoothie was great! Love SGS’s creative recipes and ways to keep healthy exciting 🙂
★★★★★
No worries about being a day behind! The fact that you started is a big win!!!
I couldn’t find any pineapple, so I used twice as much mango. Not bad.
Way to make this smoothie work for you!
I’m LOVING this smoothie start to my day!!
★★★★★
It’s seriously the best start to my mornings!
Delicious . I love kale with tropical fruits! It’s such a bright energetic smoothie!
★★★★★
It really is! Thanks for letting us know, Sandra!
Love this smoothie! So refreshing and smooth!
★★★★★
It’s one of my favorites!
Another delicious smoothie!
It really is Rebekah!!
A delicious and bright smoothie to start the day! ☀️
★★★★★
Thanks Emily!
This is definitely one of my favourite green smoothies. I couldn’t get any fresh kale, so I used one of the portions that I put in the freezer when (much to my surprise) I managed to get hold of some last month in a local supermarket here in Crete (Greece).
★★★★★
That is awesome you stored some in your freezer so you could make this smoothie!
Love this smoothie! So refreshing!
★★★★★
Thanks for letting us know Cindy!!
This one is one of my favorites so far!
★★★★★
Thanks for letting us know!!
Today’s smoothie is great. I was a little worried about the chia seeds, but it was better than I thought.
That’s one of the reasons we love these challenges because it gets you to try new things you might not have before!
This is definitely a tropical taste, it’s one of my faves! Mango for the win!
★★★★★
We love tropical flavors!!!
excellent!
★
Scrumptious! Great start to the day.
★★★★★