Sometimes the best ideas are spur of the moment, driven by the ingredients you happen to have on hand. So it was with this banana, turmeric and maple syrup smoothie which I liked so much I made it three days in a row.
Banana is my staple base for a smoothie – I love the flavour and the thick creamy texture it gives, whether as the star ingredient or as a base for other fruits. I like to use natural sweeteners – usually honey, dates or maple syrup. I first made this smoothie in a snatched 5 minutes before leaving for work early on a dark January morning and it gave me a burst of energy as I headed out into the cold.
A recent fruit and vegetable box gift from Abel & Cole included fresh turmeric root and I was keen to try it raw. Turmeric is the spice that gives many Asian dishes their vivid yellow colour and has a distinct, earthy flavour; strong, a little bitter and quite unlike any other ingredient that I can think of.
I’ve been taking the powdered form, on and off, as a natural anti-inflammatory – recommended by Ayurveda for thousands of years, but only recently being researched by Western medicine. It is said to help with digestive complaints and poor circulation too. My daily dose is mixed with ginger and fenugreek, a combination that tastes pretty vile so I stir half a teaspoon into a few tablespoons of cold water and swallow fast, chasing it down with a long glass of cold water and quickly brushing my teeth! Does it work? Hard to tell, since I also rely on a range of more conventional treatments. Right now, I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt.
That said, I’m not making any health claims for turmeric; I’m not qualified medically or scientifically, and I’m not a fan of the current crop of health gurus that make pronouncements about excluding various food groups based on the flimsiest of anecdotal, purportedly personal, evidence.
In this recipe, the turmeric is far more palatable, adding a vibrant colour and distinctive flavour to this quick-to-make, energy-boosting smoothie.
Golden Banana, Turmeric & Maple Syrup Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1-2 bananas , peeled
- 1 small piece fresh turmeric root*
- 120 ml water^
- maple syrup to taste, I use about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tsp cinnamon- (optional)
Notes
^ I like a thick but pourable smoothie. Adjust amount of water up or down if you prefer a thinner or extra thick smoothie.
~ Cinnamon is such a natural bedfellow for maple syrup and banana that I added a teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon to the last batch. It’s not that strong against the turmeric but adds a lovely dimension to the scent.
Instructions
- Place ingredients into a well-powered blender and blitz until smooth. If you like your smoothies with less sweetness, use half the maple syrup to start and add more to taste if you need it. Likewise, adjust volume of water to your preference.
- The banana will start to oxidise and brown after a while, so this smoothie is best enjoyed as soon as it’s made.
As you may have spotted, I used my much-loved Froothie Optimum blender to make my smoothie. We’ve been using the Optimum 9400 for over a year now and it’s one of the best appliances in our kitchen. It’s enormously powerful – enough to blend solid frozen chunks of fruit easily or ice cubes if you want some instant slushie base. In fact the motor whips those blades to an impressive 44,000 rpm which generates enough friction heat to make piping hot soup or one-step custard. You can use it to make your own nut butters and nut milks too. See the affiliate box in my sidebar for information on how to claim an extra 2 year warranty on any Froothie appliance.
Other Recipes Featuring Fresh Turmeric
- Kellies Food To Glow is one of the few blogs I take seriously when it comes to nutritional advice. Her Spiced Golden Turmeric Milk recipe includes some excellent information about the potential benefits of turmeric, including lots of links to reliable sources for further reading. More of Kellie’s turmeric recipes can be found here.
- Tin & Thyme’s Spiced Parsnip Spinach Soup with Apple and Turmeric.
- Franglais Kitchen’s Vegan Chai Latte With Cinnamon, Ginger & Turmeric.
- Rebecca’s Tummy Healing Soup.
- My Wife Can Cook’s Black Chai Tea Concentrate.
- Bam’s Turmeric Pork Skewers with Thai Basil Dipping Sauce.
Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!42 Comments to "Golden Banana, Turmeric & Maple Syrup Smoothie"
Fresh turmeric is a very hard commodity to get down our way, but I did manage to get a whole load of it recently and it has been featuring in our smoothies regularly ever since. I like the flavour as well as the colour and I’m very happy to accept any healthy benefits it cares to bestow.
Same here! I only see it in Asian and oriental supermarkets really and you have far less of those!
I have never used turmeric for smoothies, what exactly does it taste like?
Hi Sylvia, apologies for the delay in replying – your comment was diverted into spam, and I just noticed and retrieved it! It’s really difficult to pin down the taste of turmeric as it’s very distinctive, not hugely like any other ingredient I can think of. It has quite an earthy flavour; strong, a little bitter and I guess if I was forced to try and liken it to something, I’d suggest saffron, which also be quite earthy and also gives a glorious yellow colour. They’re not really equivalent though!
I love turmeric, it has so many health benefits! This recipe looks sooooo good!
Thanks Charlie
I can second Choclette’s pain of not being able to find fresh turmeric in Cornwall – well not easily anyway. The colour of the smoothie is lovely and warming. Perfect for this time of year.
I only see it rarely, usually in Asian and oriental grocery shops…
love this and I will be trying it out with my stack of fresh turmeric for a breakfast smoothie.
Hope you enjoy it!
First of all, thank you so much for the very kind link and “big up” about my own blog. That is super-kind of you, Kavey. I am beaming. 🙂 And secondly, this looks and read like a bloody awesome slurp. You have made a health drink into a proper treat. I hope it helps you to keep the germs and bugs that are flying around at bay. Turmeric is my go-to for fending off respiratory infections and also for painful joints. I swear by it Lovely stuff
My pleasure, and yes “a bloody awesome slurp” is a lovely description! Thank you!
What an awesome smoothie Kavey, love the sound of all these flavours together:-)
Thank you!
What a beautiful colour, I do wish we could get fresh turmeric here, I have tried to grow it but with no joy 🙁
You can certainly use dried, I was keen to play with fresh as I seldom have it!
1. banana smoothies are the best. 2. turmeric is my new I-love-it-and-it-loves-me ingredient. 3.My blender is going to have some work to do 🙂
Heh, I am glad to hear from a fellow banana smoothie lover!
Love it!! :)This is so necessary right now.. I have to give this a go soon
Hope you enjoyed!
I use a lot of turmeric in my cooking… but never tried it in a smoothie!! What a great recipe and idea!! 🙂
Thank you Ramona!
My husband swears by turmeric, and takes turmeric capsules daily. I’ve never seen fresh turmeric root before. It’s not something I’ve ever looked for, as we’ve always just used the powdered stuff. I must try some. The smoothie sounds wonderful as well.
It’s such a glorious colour when you cut into it, nature’s amazing palette!
I feel I have been left behind with trying out fresh turmeric. I must change that. Lovely looking smoothie.
I know what you mean, I’ve rarely come across fresh turmeric before, then again I’ve not looked very hard. I have been noticing it in local Middle Eastern, Asian and Oriental grocery stores lately.
The wonders of turmeric. Natural flavor bomb, color enhancer and incredibly good for you. Love the yellow of the drink.
Thanks Mark, spot on and yes the colour is such a nice bright thing to enjoy in the morning!
Turmeric is so good for you and this is a great way to enjoy its benefits.
Thanks Peter!
Your delicious banana turmeric smoothie is a burst of healthy to start the day. Sounds wonderful.
Thank you, it’s so quick to make and a tasty way to start the day!
This smoothie sounds really delicious! I’ve never had a smoothie with turmeric in it 🙂 Bet it’s really yummy!
First for me too, but now I’m really liking them!
What a great healthy way to start the day! The turmeric would make this so nice and warming!
Yes, that’s a good way of describing it!
Great recipe! Thanks a lot! I believe it’s not going to be easy to get fresh tumeric though… Could it be made with regulat tumeric?
I think I’m goig to try ot for breakfast tomorrow before to go to a paella catering in Surrey… Looking forward to it! 🙂
Thanks a lot!
I would give it a try but adjust to use less. You may like to mix the turmeric into a tablespoon of hot water and mix well to remove lumps before adding to the smoothie, if your blender is not a super powerful one.
My mil swears by turmeric, any sign of cough, cold, sneeze ,aches or spins and she makes us drink turmeric milk. In Asian households turmeric is classed as an antibiotic to cure all ailments.
Exactly! I’m from an Asian household too, so our family in India passes across these recommendations too.
I love banana and maple syrup, I’ve never used fresh turmeric and not sure I could get it in our rural idyll but I really should try. This looks like such a fabulous smoothie.
Yeah it’s tricky to find outside of Asian / Oriental grocery stores.