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.
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.
PrintKale Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
- 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 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.
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
* 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.
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: kale smoothie, kale shake
Had all the ingredients for this recipe + fresh kale, and it was fun! A little sweet, so I added avocado, and it was perfect.
★★★★★
Great add-in Erin! Way to rawk a healthy fat!
Would you suggest using regular kale or lacinato kale? Is their any nutrionak difference or just in taste? I’m just starting out because I’ve only used spinach in the past. Thank you
Awesome question Valerie! Curly kale (the regular kale we all see in the store) and Lacinato kale (or ‘dinosaur kale’) are similar nutritionally, so either is fine to use. The main diff will be in taste – curly kale is more earthy and peppery, while dinosaur kale is a bit sweeter.
delicious – so fresh and flavourful
★★★★★
I LOVE kale in my smoothies and all of these recipes are delicious!
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.
★★★★★