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This tangy, peppery, lightly sweet mango and arugula smoothie is delicious and invigorating. If you’re a fan of green smoothies and looking to level up, this one’s for you.
Why we love this recipe
If you’re a green smoothie aficionado and a fan of arugula, you’ll love this next-level smoothie. I turn to it on occasion when I want an unimpeachably nutritious, invigorating way to start the day. It’s:
- Lightly sweet, a little bit tangy, and lightly savory
- A fabulous way to jump-start some good vibes — it’s practically liquid sunshine
- Great for athletic performance
I first published this recipe here and on Serious Eats way back in 2011. I’ve since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Arugula gives this smoothie an assertive, peppery vibe. It’s packed with nutritional benefits, including the potential to improve athletic performance. (That story is about beet juice, but arugula contains substantial naturally occurring nitrate as well, and can have a similar effect.) It varies a lot in flavor and intensity throughout the year and across brands, so find one that you like.
- A little bit of fresh ginger goes a long way. You can adjust the amount according to your preference.
- You can use a regular or Meyer lemon. You’ll remove the skin, white pith, and seeds, and use the flesh.
- If you have fresh mango, you can use that. I usually only keep frozen mango on hand. The flavor and sweetness of frozen can be less intense than fresh, but frozen fruit makes for great smoothie texture.
- Frozen banana helps give this smoothie a dreamy consistency despite the large quantity of leafy greens. Whenever you have bananas that get too ripe, peel them and pop them into a zip-top freezer bag. They keep well in the freezer for at least a year and slice easily even when frozen. If you’re not into banana, you can double the frozen mango instead.
Smoothie resources
- Want to level up your smoothie game? Here’s my epic post with everything you need to know get started and to take your smoothies to the next level.
- Prefer to have a little help? I recommend SmoothieBox. Read my review or buy now with discount code UMAMIGIRL for $35 off your first box.
- And here are my recommended products: Vitamix 5200, cacao nibs, ground flax seed, chia seed, and maca powder.
A note on nutrition
I’ve noticed over the years that people searching for smoothie recipes tend to have strong feelings about nutrition, and sometimes to assume that their personal preferences are more universal than they are.
The smoothies on Umami Girl are delicious, generally pretty good for ya, and always presented with nutritional data. They’re also very flexible — so if your nutritional needs are different, feel free to tweak the recipes. Some easy changes include:
- Swapping in different liquids
- Adding your favorite protein powder
- Removing higher-sugar ingredients like dates or jam
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a great lean green mango and arugula smoothie. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Add the arugula to a high-speed blender.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Position the lid and blend on high speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. You can adjust the amount of liquid to suit your preference.
- Pour into a glass and serve right away.
Expert tips and FAQs
Yes. Leafy greens, even delicate ones like arugula, have a hard time blending up perfectly smooth in a regular blender. I highly recommend a high-speed blender for green smoothies. This is my favorite model for home kitchens.
Smoothies are at their best shortly after blending. But if you need to make your lean green mango and arugula smoothie in advance, you’ve got a couple of options. Store it in a regular cup in the freezer for up to an hour or in an insulated, lidded cup in the fridge overnight.
More favorite green smoothies
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Lean Green Mango and Arugula Smoothie
Ingredients
- 3 ounces (85 grams) arugula
- 1 cup (140 grams) frozen mango chunks
- 1 medium frozen banana, about (125 grams)
- 1 lemon or Meyer lemon, peel, pith, and seeds removed
- 1 small piece fresh ginger, about 10 grams, peeled and sliced
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) cold water
Instructions
- Add the arugula to a high-speed blender.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Position the lid and blend on high speed until perfectly smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a glass and serve right away.
Notes
- If you have fresh mango, you can use that. I usually only keep frozen mango on hand. The flavor and sweetness of frozen can be less intense than fresh, but frozen fruit makes for great smoothie texture.
- Frozen banana helps give this smoothie a dreamy consistency despite the large quantity of leafy greens. If you're not into it, you can double the frozen mango instead.
- A little bit of fresh ginger goes a long way. You can adjust the amount according to your preference.
- You can adjust the amount of liquid to suit your preference.
- Leafy greens, even delicate ones like arugula, have a hard time blending up perfectly smooth in a regular blender. I highly recommend a high-speed blender for green smoothies. This is my favorite model for home kitchens.
- Smoothies are at their best shortly after blending. But if you need to make your lean green mango and arugula smoothie in advance, you've got a couple of options. Store it in a regular cup in the freezer for up to an hour or in an insulated, lidded cup in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
love it!
Such vibrant colors! Love it.