Carrot-Avocado Smoothie

Carrot-Avocado Smoothie (Photo: Margarita Persico)

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I’ve been juicing vegetables since the late 1970’s, when my mother purchased a juicer. I’m not exactly sure exactly why I started doing it. I just remember that I had learned from a naturopathic practitioner in Puerto Rico that a vegetarian diet was a healthy choice for me.

I had terrible headaches since I was in kindergarten in New York City, and the pain continued when I moved to Puerto Rico in my mid-teen years. The naturopath recommended me to go on a one-month healthy vegetarian diet, eliminating all dairy (except for cottage cheese), grains, and (darn!) all sweets, including chocolate. I lived on chocolate.

The headache went away for the month I was on the diet, and a new way of eating emerged — one that I’ve been on and off over the decades.

Here is a recipe that I find satisfying when I need something more sustaining than just a vegetable juice. I love it for breakfast or when I’m not that hungry during dinner.

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Carrot-Avocado Smoothie

By Margarita Persico

Categories: Drink, Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Serves: 1 or 2

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (900 g) of fresh carrots or 16 ounces of carrot juice
• 1 slice of ginger (or more to taste) or a dash of cardamom (optional)
• 1/2 small avocado (or more to taste)
• 1 dash of dulse flakes (optional)

Instructions

• If you are using fresh carrots, wash well and all the vegetables;
• Trim the ends of the carrots.
• Peel the ginger
• Juice the carrots and piece of ginger
• Cut the avocado in half, discard the large seed and scoop the fruit of the avocado
• Place all ingredients in a blender and mix.

Tips & Notes

This smoothie is a great breakfast drink or as a snack.