Mango Lassi Smoothie

I already admitted that I’m not much of a smoothie person, and yet here I am sharing a second smoothie recipe. The truth is, I don’t feel full on what I think of as “typical” smoothies, which I often see jam-packed with fruit, perhaps with a handful of greens tossed in, and if there’s any emphasis on protein, it’s from some form of isolate powder.

Hm. Not my jam.

But smoothies that are jam-packed with fiber and whole food sources of protein? And ones that are both satiating and taste like a milkshake (without actually having any of the negative properties of milkshakes)? That’s my style.

This “mango lassi” smoothie gets its sweetness from ripe summer mangoes and features homemade cashew yogurt. No surprise, I add creamy butter beans for my protein source (in addition to the cashew yogurt, of course), and some flax meal for healthy fats and added fiber (again, in addition to the cashew yogurt, which offers protein, healthy fats, and fiber).

If you’re nervous about adding beans to a smoothie, please don’t be. Butter beans are like their name; they are creamy and luscious. They blend in beautifully. Just think of it as a whole source of protein, because that’s what it is. It hasn’t been stripped from its natural context and powdered. I’ll tell you what’s weird: to add highly processed isolate powders to smoothies, not beans.

We pack our freezer with so many good things, we don’t prioritize keeping ice around. Thus, I tend to freeze some of my mango the night before in order to make sure my smoothie is a good temperature after blending. If you’ve got ice on hand, feel free to use a mango straight from the counter. If you have half a lemon lying around, a bit of a squeeze to finish it off gives a nice hit of acid. Not necessary, but lovely if you can.

Recipe

Serves 2 | makes about 32 fl. oz

Mango Lassi Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup – 1 cup water (start on the lower side, add more as needed)

1 cup butter beans, home cooked or from a can, drained and rinsed

2 – 3 T. flax meal

1 cup yogurt of choice (I use a homemade cashew yogurt)

1 large, ripe mango, peeled and sliced (if you don’t have or want to use ice, freeze some of the mango beforehand)

*optional: ice, if not freezing some of the mango

*optional: a squeeze of lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Place ingredients into blender in the order listed.
Blend until smooth, adding additional water as needed, until you reach your desired consistency. (I like it thick and spoonable—if you prefer to drink it, you’ll need more water. Feel free to substitute a milk here instead.)
Pour and serve.

Enjoy!