This refreshing green spinach apple smoothie is among my favorites — and you’ll love it too if you prefer smoothies that are juicy than thick. Cucumber helps with that, too. This makes two 12-ounce or three 8-ounce servings. If you like this, you may enjoy learning about the top 10 benefits of green smoothies, as well as these other delicious and simple smoothie recipes:
Spinach and Apple Smoothie
This refreshing smoothie of spinach, apple, and cucumber is among my favorites, as I like smoothies that are more juicy and not too thick.
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Servings: 2 to 3
Ingredients
- 2 big handfuls baby spinach
- 1 medium apple cored and cut into large chunks
- 3- to 4- inch piece cucumber preferably peeled, cut into chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla nondairy milk or water or half of each
- 1 to 2 tablespoons hemp seeds or chia seeds optional
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar or other liquid sweetener optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
- A few ice cubes optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Process until completely smooth. Divide between 2 or 3 glasses and serve at once.
- Explore more recipes for Green Smoothies on VegKitchen.
44 Comments
Ellen Claire
December 6, 2013 at 11:06 amJust got a new blender, and this was the first recipe I tried in it–boy is it good! Yum!!!
Nava
December 6, 2013 at 11:07 amSo flattered that you chose one of VK’s recipes to try first, and that you enjoyed it!
Ewelina Savas
March 22, 2014 at 4:53 pmTried and love this recipe.I frequently use flax meal in my smoothies,particularly if I use water. Flax meal adds extra nutrients and fiber and curbs hunger. Love Chia seeds too.
Nava
March 22, 2014 at 5:07 pmThank you for your input, Ewelina — glad you enjoyed this!
Joy
April 7, 2014 at 10:12 pmMy husband and I are starting green smoothie mornings. This recipe looks great! I just have one question: why should it be served immediately? Is making it the night before, a bad idea?
Nava
April 7, 2014 at 10:25 pmJoy, once you liquify veggies and fruits, they lose nutrients and the flavors go flat as well. You get the most benefits and best taste if you drink it right away!
Supreet Sandhu
May 7, 2014 at 7:06 amwhy spinach or any green leafy vegetable generally used in apple smoothie….???
Nava
May 7, 2014 at 10:00 amSupreet, having a leafy green in the smoothie adds a lot of fiber and antioxidants without adding too much of a “green” flavor. The greens also add a nice contrast to the sweetness and sugars in the apple. It’s a great way to get the goodness of greens, broken down to the cellular level.
Barb A
June 6, 2014 at 1:38 pmI just tried this recipe.. I was really good..
I did a couple of alterations to it though..
I used flax meal as I ran out of Chai and haven’t been able to purchase more yet.. I didn’t have agave, so I used a few chunks of honeydew.. I used unsweetened organic van. rice milk.. It is so very good.. Thank you for posting such a tasty recipe..
Donna
June 13, 2014 at 11:58 amThis is a tasty smoothie! Will make it again! My husband even enjoyed it! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
jane
July 1, 2014 at 8:50 amWell here goes! Today I bough my nutra bullet I am looking at just vegie smoothies with milk and whey protein does anyone have any thoughts or ideas on this regards jane
Nava
July 1, 2014 at 8:52 amJane, veggie smoothies will do you a lot of good, but why add dairy? You don’t need it, nor does any adult need the milk that nature formulated especially for calves. Enjoy!
rosalind waltzman
July 6, 2014 at 7:15 pmCan leftover smoothies be made into popsicles? TU!
Nava
July 7, 2014 at 1:52 pmRosalind, that’s a great idea!
AM
July 7, 2014 at 3:12 pmSmoothies need to be consumed within 20 minutes for full nutritional benefits. Beyond that, they lose their nutritional and fibrous punch but are still refreshing and definitely a better choice over canned sodas and other crappy caloric-laden alternatives!
Also, I don’t share America’s obsession with sugars or fats. I find the addition of agave or any other sweetner absolutely unnecessary in this smoothie or any other. Natural foods speak for themselves, need NO enhancements and I enjoy them in their natural form.
Your mileage will vary.
AM
July 7, 2014 at 3:19 pmP.S. Nava is absolutely right. There’s no reason for the nondairy (or dairy) addition! Fruits and veggies and seeds pack their own flavor punch and stand on their own. Don’t understand why smoothie-makers feel a need to cloak their natural beauty with dairy or non-dairy (or added sweeteners).
Only time I use non-dairy (unsweetened soy milk in small amount) is in my evening treat — a “milkshake” of banana, unsweetened dark cocoa and peanut butter and ice.
Buugi
July 20, 2014 at 5:59 amWow, thank you so much for this recipe. I liked it a lot.I used organic soymilk. it was so good.
Nava
July 25, 2014 at 11:46 amThanks so much; glad you enjoyed it!
lea
January 21, 2015 at 1:08 pmJust made this sans sweetener and it’s great. Even my 2 year old likes it.
Laura
January 22, 2015 at 8:10 pmThis is an exceptional smoothie.
Used granny smith apple, spinach,cucumber,water, lemon juice, agave syrup and it was beautiful.
Only one problem……
Can’t stop drinking it. 😉
Nava
January 22, 2015 at 8:16 pmThe good thing is that you need not stop!
Nazia
March 4, 2015 at 2:44 amHi, thank you for these recipes, they are very helpful for beginners like myself. My veggie smoothies seem to come out quite foamy…is this normal or am I doing something wrong? Also there seems to be a separation in the glass between the liquid and the veggies. Please help. Thanks:)
Sam
March 4, 2015 at 4:58 pmTried this as I’m trying to cut down on snacking at night will have it for breakfast tomorrow as it was so filling thank you for this great recipe!!!
Marka Howard
March 17, 2015 at 1:05 amAre you allowed to eat with this diet along with the smoothie?
sunshine
May 7, 2015 at 8:51 amI ran across this, and I’ve been drinking green smoothies for a couple of months and I need different ones to try they all sound good and from reviews they say they are good can’t wait to try, thank you.
Rosemary
May 20, 2015 at 7:29 amAre you supposed to drink the entire thing? Also, what are the nutritional facts for this recipe; calories, fat, etc..
Nava
May 20, 2015 at 8:23 amRosemary, this makes 2 or 3 servings, so find someone to share this with! We’re working to analyze all of our recipes, but in the meantime you can DIY on myfitnesspal.com — you can be sure that each serving is very low in calories and has virtually no fat.
Keikei Val
June 5, 2015 at 3:33 pmLove this site. So glad I found it.
Nava
June 8, 2015 at 4:12 amThank you! I hope you come back often.
Carina
October 3, 2015 at 12:35 amDoing a green smoothie 30 day challenge and I had this one just now. Delicious, and very refreshing!! Thank you.
Kamma Dunning
October 6, 2015 at 5:19 pmI was a little hesitant on the proportions; I didn’t think one apple would be enough, but this smoothie is amazing!! I left the skins on and threw in a handful of cashews in place of the milk. I added cinnamon and vanilla just for kicks and I am loving this smoothie. Bravo!!
Nava
October 9, 2015 at 10:41 amThanks for your feedback, Kamma. Love your tweaks — that’s why simple recipes are great; they serve as templates that people can alter to suit their own tastes.
Erin Hagan
January 16, 2016 at 2:33 pmThis was the first green smoothie I’ve ever made and I love it! Might have me hooked!! (I added a banana to it, it tastes great!)
Nancy
January 18, 2016 at 11:13 amI used coconut water and it was delicious and refreshing!
Anupama Bharathula
April 7, 2016 at 12:38 pmWill the lemon not spoil the milk?
Crystal Flanagin
June 23, 2016 at 11:56 amMy first try at a smoothie. I was hesitant to use spinach, but it tastes pretty good. The aftertaselte is going to take some adjustment! Off to a fabulous start though! Thanks for the recipe!
Liz Swann { Red Smoothie Detox Factor Review }
July 12, 2016 at 4:50 pmI don’t like spinach. What can I sub?
Nava
July 12, 2016 at 5:21 pmIf you have a high-speed blender, try collard greens. But you’ll be surprised, you won’t even taste the spinach!
Neeru
October 13, 2016 at 2:49 pmHi!! It’s a good recipe..please advice if I can replace cucumbers with some other veggie or fruits. Thanks!
Paul Kreher
November 9, 2016 at 3:12 pmI’ve been doing a variation of kale smoothies everyday for nearly 2 years. My 45 year old body has never felt better. My smoothie is a meal, more concerned with general health and no worries about weight loss, but I exercise a ton! So…my meal includes the following:
non fat unsweetened greek yogurt, kale, cukes,1/2 sweet pepper, 1/3 cup oatmeal, Tart Cherry juice (keeps my joints happy), frozen berries, and…a raw egg. The egg adds awesome protein and raw is the most nutritious way to consume egg, as cooking will denaturate the protein. Today’s supermarket eggs are super fresh and safe. No need for expensive hemp or chia, shoot-eggs are under $2 a dozen!
Christi
November 29, 2016 at 6:30 pmI was really hungry and this tasty smoothie was just what i needed. Definatly a daily drink.
Zalak Desai
December 22, 2016 at 6:40 amI just tried this and it turned out to be great, I also added a kiwi in it. Tasted wonderful!
Roxanne
February 14, 2017 at 6:16 pmThis was my first time making a spinach smoothie and it was AMAZING. It tastes nutty and is nutritious of course. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone who is starting to drink green smoothies! It’s not thick at all, I added three ice cubes and used 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk. It was dee-lish!
Lola
July 9, 2017 at 1:29 pmI just tried making this and it really wasn’t my favorite. I don’t like the consistency and I thought the contrasting flavors would be way tastier. Would I make it again? probably not but I might try tweaking the recipe somehow