Beet Spinach Smoothie

The dairy-free smoothie is quick and easy to make with basic ingredients. Adding raw beets and fresh spinach is also a simple way to boost your vegetable intake. Enjoy the red beet smoothie as a light breakfast or a healthy afternoon snack.  

For more beet smoothies, try a pineapple beet smoothie or a kale beet smoothie.  The kale beet smoothie also combines beets with frozen berries, but uses fresh kale, a ripe banana, and no orange or chia seeds.

Recipe features

• No bananas and no yogurt are needed!
• Only takes about 10 minutes to make!
• The recipe uses simple ingredients!
• Packed with veggies!
• Dairy-free and plant-based!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The beetroot spinach smoothie recipe is simple, but please see the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Raw Beet - Wash one red beet and remove the ends. Then peel it and slice it. I cut the beet into large slices, which works fine for my Vitamix. If you’re not using a high-speed blender, you might need to dice the beets for easier blending.  

If the greens are still attached to the beetroot, they can be used as a substitute for some spinach.  When I used the stems and leaves, the smoothie tasted more like beets. I only tested with fresh red beets; I haven’t tried canned beets, so I can't say for sure how they would turn out.  For leftover beets, try a beet and pineapple smoothie or a beetroot Buddha bowl.

Fresh spinach - Use about 2 cups of fresh spinach for a serving of greens. Alternatively, you can use kale with the stems removed. 

For leftover spinach, try it in a spinach cucumber smoothie or a pineapple and blueberry smoothie. If you’re new to adding greens to your smoothies, start with fresh spinach; it’s milder than kale.  Want to add new greens to your smoothie? Try a smoothie with arugula, and pair the peppery greens with pineapple and oranges.

Frozen mixed berries - I use frozen mixed berries that include cherries, because I enjoy the added cherry flavor in the spinach beet smoothie.  A mix with frozen raspberries also works well to pair the tartness of raspberries with the earthy flavor of beets.  Fresh or frozen berries can be used for the recipe, but if you use fresh, the smoothie will not be cold.  I prefer to use a combination of frozen and fresh produce for a thick, creamy smoothie.

Navel orange - Add a peeled navel orange to the smoothie for a sweet and tangy flavor. I opt for navel oranges because they’re easy to find at my local grocery stores, but feel free to use any type of large, juicy orange.  If you use a different type of orange and it has seeds, you may want to remove the seeds before blending.

Chia seeds - Use whole chia seeds to thicken and act as a binder for the smoothie.  A ripe banana will also work instead of chia seeds.  A ripe banana makes the smoothie sweeter and adds a banana flavor. For more smoothies without bananas, try a pineapple peach smoothie or a raspberry blueberry smoothie.

Tips

• If you use all fresh berries instead of frozen, the smoothie won’t be chilled.
• To make the smoothie sweeter, try adding a soft pitted date.
• If you substitute spinach with kale and your blender has trouble blending it, you can blend it with water and the orange first.  Then add the frozen berries, diced beets, and the whole chia seeds.  
• If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may want to dice the peeled beets small so they’ll blend more easily.

Variations

Enjoy the spinach and beetroot smoothie as is or try a different variation.

• Try different frozen berry mixes.
• Use fresh kale instead of spinach.
• Add orange juice instead of a freshly peeled orange. Reduce the water in the recipe if you make this substitution.
• Use coconut water instead of water.
• For a little kick, add freshly grated ginger.
• Add hemp hearts or ground flax seeds.
• Use a ripe banana instead of chia seeds; this will make the smoothie sweeter and add a banana flavor.

How to make a spinach beet smoothie

1. Peel the orange, be sure to remove most of the white pith.  

2. Wash, peel, and slice the raw beet.  

3. Add the beet, spinach, frozen berries, peeled orange, chia seeds, and water to a blender.  

4. Blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions

Smoothies tend to be delicious but not very filling.  I use them as an afternoon snack and not as a main meal.  To enjoy this smoothie as a meal, try pairing it with strawberry toast, avocado tomato toast, vegan avocado toast, vegan toast, dairy-free overnight oats, or plant-based granola.

Storage

Refrigerator - The smoothie is best if served immediately, but store the leftover smoothie in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator and consume it within 24 hours.  If there is any liquid separation, stir it back in.

Freezer - Leftovers can be frozen in ice cube trays and used later to add flavor to another smoothie.

Frequently asked questions

Related recipes

• Apple cucumber smoothie
• Cucumber spinach smoothie
• Blackberry raspberry smoothie

I hope you enjoy the recipe!  If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.