Arugula Smoothie with Pineapple and Oranges

If you’re not an arugula fan, you may not enjoy this smoothie.  Arugula has a peppery flavor that’s more potent than other greens that typically go into smoothies, like spinach and kale.  The natural sweetness of the tropical fruits balances out the peppery flavor of arugula, so the spiciness of the leafy greens still shines through.

I use green smoothies as an easy way to get more leafy green vegetables into my family’s diet.  If you want to mix up adding vegetables to your smoothies that aren’t the usual spinach or kale, try pineapple beet smoothie or carrot orange ginger smoothie.  For more green-leafy forward smoothies, try a strawberry blackberry smoothie, mango smoothie, or pineapple cucumber smoothie.

Ingredient notes

The simple arugula pineapple smoothie uses simple ingredients, please use the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Fresh arugula - This cruciferous vegetable has a strong peppery flavor.  There’s only one cup in this arugula smoothie recipe, but you can always add more if you want to.  If you’re a bit hesitant about adding the leafy green, start with ½ cup of arugula and ½ cup of spinach.  Also, don’t tightly pack the cup of arugula when measuring it out. 

Water - I prefer to use water in this smoothie, but it can be replaced with non-dairy milk like unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.  Coconut water can also be used.  Use less for a thicker smoothie and more for a thinner smoothie.

Oranges - Peeled navel oranges add a nice bright sweet acidity that helps to mellow out the distinct taste of arugula.  The oranges help balance the flavor so I wouldn’t recommend substituting, but you could try orange juice instead.  When blended, the oranges will also be some of the liquid needed for the smoothie. 

You can always try lemon or lime juice instead of orange juice and add more water to help thin out the smoothie. For more smoothies with oranges or orange juice try a raspberry blueberry smoothie, mango cherry smoothie, or carrot orange ginger smoothie.

Frozen pineapple - I use frozen pineapple in a lot of my smoothies, like in this island green smoothie and pineapple banana spinach smoothie.  The naturally sweet flavor helps to cover up the taste of greens and greatly reduces prep work to make a smoothie, and most smoothies taste better chilled (hence the frozen part).  I opt for always having a frozen element in my smoothie recipes to eliminate the need for adding ice. 

Banana - A ripe banana will help sweeten the green arugula smoothie and give it a creamy texture.

Tips

• It is best to have a frozen element in the easy arugula smoothie to eliminate the need for adding ice cubes.  All fresh fruit can be used, but you'll need ice cubes to chill the smoothie.
• If your blender has a hard time blending greens, add the liquid and greens first to the blender.  Then blend until smooth, next add the fruit and pulse to break up the frozen pineapple, and then blend until thick and creamy.
• A paring knife works well to peel a navel orange, cut off the top and bottom of the fruit, cutting the white pith away.  Try not to cut too much of the orange edible part.  Then cut away the rind and white pith from top to bottom using the orange’s rounded shape as a guide.  Or peel it by hand if it’s easy to peel.  Leaving some of the white bits is okay just not too much, it can be bitter. 

Substitutions

• If you don’t have the peppery arugula on hand, try another green like spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.  Half of the amount of arugula can also be substituted with another green. Remove the thick stems from the kale and Swiss chard.
• I haven’t tested using anything other than frozen pineapple, I think the smoothie is best with a stronger flavored sweet frozen fruit.  Frozen mango may work, though the smoothie might be a smidge less sweet (it depends on how sweet your frozen mango is).
• As per the ingredient notes, orange juice can be used instead of oranges in this smoothie with arugula.  I’ve seen some recipes using fresh lemon juice which gives the smoothie the tanginess that goes well with the bitterness of the arugula.
• The banana can be replaced with ½ of a ripe avocado to still keep the smoothie creamy, but that will make the beverage less sweet and the arugula more prominent.

Variations

• Substitute half the amount of pineapple for mango.
• Add more greens along with the 1 cup of arugula, like spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.  More liquid may be needed.
• Use fresh fruit, then cut it up and freeze it to have a chilled smoothie.  Or don't freeze it and add ice cubes.
• Make the arugula smoothie into a smoothie bowl, but use less liquid.  Add toppings of fresh fruit like pineapple, mango, kiwi, or bananas.  Then top with more toppings like flax seed, chia seeds, oil-free granola, or toasted coconut flakes.

Storage

Green smoothies are best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored for 24 hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Some of the liquid may separate so stir the arugula smoothie before consuming.

Related recipes

• Spinach pineapple banana smoothie
• Mango smoothie without yogurt
• Vegan chocolate banana smoothie
• Pineapple slushy
• Banana and carrot smoothie
• Blueberry and raspberry smoothie
• Blackberry and strawberry smoothie with spinach

I hope you enjoy the easy healthy smoothie with arugula!  If you like the recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.