Winter Elixir Green Juice

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Throughout college, I worked at a local vegan cafe and juice bar near my hometown, and still today it’s one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had.

I learned SO much about vegan cooking—working with seasonal produce, “veganizing” traditional recipes, and learning about ingredients and cooking methods to make plant-based food taste amazing.

Part of my job was to help run the juice and smoothie counter, and it was there that I learned about how to use frozen bananas to make smoothies creamy, how to balance the bitterness in kale juice with apples and celery, and so much more.

I was lucky enough to work with the loveliest group of coworkers, and we’d talk, laugh, and experiment with our own juice and smoothie combinations during lulls throughout the day (one of the best perks of the job was that meals were on the house!).

Whenever I even walk past a juice bar today, the fresh, happy scent of juiced ginger and celery wafting from the front door always brings back wonderful memories of my time working at the vegan restaurant.

It’s one of my favorite things about making juice at home—I love the way it fills my home with that joyful, familiar scent. And of course, every sip of fresh juice feels like a big, nourishing, invigorating hug. (And yes, I know I’m a weirdo :P)

I started developing this Winter Elixir Green Juice recipe a while ago.

I usually don’t follow recipes when I’m making green juices—I love to just use whatever fresh produce I have on hand that will taste good together. But, every once in a while I’ll accidentally make something that tastes AWESOME, and I’ll write down the ingredients I used and keep adjusting the recipe from there, so that I can share something delicious with you!

And that’s exactly what happened with this Winter Elixir Green Juice.

Made with kale and grapefruit as the star ingredients, this green juice is a delicious way to take advantage of seasonal winter produce. Apples and celery bring some mellow sweetness to balance out the astringency of the kale, and ginger adds some spicy warmth that brings it all together.

If you don’t have a juicer at home, you can easily make this recipe using a blender or food processor instead! Just add some filtered water to the vegetables, blend until completely smooth, then strain with a cheesecloth.

Winter Elixir Green Juice

Makes about 16 oz of juice

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, peeled

• 2 apples, cores removed (I recommend using Pink Lady or Fuji apples for this juice!)

• 1 small bunch of kale

• 3 stalks of celery

• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  

To make:

1. Wash and prep all fruits and vegetables.

2. Turn on the juicer and add all ingredients. For best results, alternate between adding hard/non-juicy produce and soft/juicy produce. Alternatively, if you don’t have a juicer, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor along with 1-2 cups of cold filtered water. Blend until completely smooth, then strain with a cheesecloth.

3. Pour over ice and enjoy right away!!

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