Summer strawberry lemonade smoothie

Summer Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

Samantha Haentjens
Whether you’re celebrating National Lemonade Day, you got some extra berries in your CSA, or you just love a good smoothie - this recipe is simple, tasty, and nutritious! Strawberries bring vitamin C, manganese, folate, and potassium to the party – and while strawberry season is technically spring to early summer, Californians are usually lucky to see ripe, juicy berries through mid-september. This is a great recipe for a morning pick-me-up or an after school refresher.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Optional wait time for freezing 2 hours
Course Beverages
Servings 2 - 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound strawberries about 20 medium berries
  • 1 lemon zest and fruit
  • 1 ripe banana the riper, the sweeter!

Instructions
 

  • Zest your lemon: grate 1 tsp of the skin from the lemon and save for the smoothie.
  • Remove the peel, pith, and seeds from the lemon - keep the fruit!
  • Peel your banana and slice into 1 inch slices.
  • Depending on your preference, you may want to freeze the fruit for a few hours prior to blending. This will make a firmer, colder smoothie. If you’re not freezing the fruit, add a few ice cubes when you blend for more of an “icy” drink.
  • Add all ingredients to the blender and blend to desired consistency.

Notes

The lemon zest is the most important part for that “lemonade” flavor - most of the lemon’s flavor is held in the oils on the skin!
Samantha Haentjens is a long-time plant-enthusiast who worked with Rooted Santa Barbara as a Steering Committee member and marketing consultant.