This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and vegan.
I'm pretty obsessed with pumpkins. I love the way they look, their color, their shape. I love how they feel, I love having them in my home, I love the taste, the smell, and the comfort of a warming pumpkin pie spice. So needless to say, when fall hits, I'm in heaven. I fill my house with pumpkins, I go to farms and pumpkin patches just to be around them, and I start to ingest pumpkin everything. #pumpkinfever
Enter, the pumpkin smoothie. For those of you in the colder climates, this pumpkin smoothie is a way to introduce some warming, grounding, earthy spices and flavors into your smoothie in order to balance out that Vata (Ayurveda-speak for cool, airy, space, windy energy).
For those of you living in a warm climate (I'm down in sunny Naples, Florida) this is a great way to spice up your smoothie on those cooler mornings, while packing a great anti-inflammatory punch from the turmeric. Just don't use warming spices too often in a hot climate, as they can be Pitta-aggravating (Pitta is more Ayurveda speak for the hot and fiery energies within us, and in the universe).
I hope you enjoy this! Be prepared for a savory smoothie, since there's no added sugar or additional fruit other than pumpkin, it may not be for everyone. But there's the option to add more sweetener if you'd like ~ just see below!
Finally, for anyone who has never seen turmeric in its raw root form - here you go! The health benefits of turmeric are endless ~ I'll write more on that soon, but a quick google search will provide you with mountains of info if you're curious.
Anti-Inflammatory Pumpkin Smoothie (serves 1)
Ingredients:
- At least 20 oz. of water (or add half water and half clean milk alternative of choice such as coconut, rice, hemp, almond, cashew, etc. ~ look for unsweetened varieties free from carrageenan)
- One serving of Sprout Living Epic Pumpkin Seed Protein (or your protein of choice. I love this because it's smooth, blendable, vegan, and goes with my pumpkin theme.)
- 1/2 to 1 cup of pumpkin purée
- 1/2 to 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 inch by 1/2 inch slice of raw turmeric root
- A handful or two of raw spinach
- optional: sweetener of choice (I used 1 tbsp of natural lucuma powder which is a superfood and lightly sweet. You could also add raw local honey, coconut nectar, or a touch of maple syrup if the savory spiced flavor is too much for you. Don't go crazy with the sugar.)
How to:
- Add all ingredients to your blender of choice (I am obsessed with my NutriBullet 900 Series, I got it a few years ago for Christmas and it's still going strong!). I recommend adding the water first so the protein powder doesn't stick to the blender. Throw everything else in with spinach closest to the blade of the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- If smoothie is too thick, add more water! Then ENJOY!
I'd love to hear how you liked this smoothie. If you make it, snap a pic and post on instagram with #wanderfreerecipes so that I can see what you've done! Pumpkin on, my free wanderers!
Note: the links to my favorite brands are Amazon Affiliate links, and if you purchase through them, I will earn a small commission. This helps me continue to do what I do, and to bring free health and wellness info to my Free Wanderers!