I first started making this immune-boosting green smoothie a few years back after my best friend Callie visited me from LA. She’s always coming to me with the latest and greatest wellness ideas and made me this “wellness drink” a few times while she was here. I was skeptical at first because I wasn’t used to using real turmeric root in anything except my famous chicken soup, and was nervous to try it in a smoothie.
Upon my first sip, I realized what a game-changer this recipe was and how much I love using fresh turmeric in recipes.
I come back to this immune boosting smoothie, or “wellness drink,” time and time again whenever I’m feeling a little under the weather. It’s refreshing, flavorful, and packed with nourishing ingredients that make you feel dang good. Absolutely perfect for postpartum, too!
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Amazing ingredients in this immune boosting smoothie
Not only does this smoothie taste fantastic with hints of pineapple, banana and ginger, but it also includes ingredients that boast some pretty incredible health benefits. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Banana: I love using frozen banana to add creaminess to this recipe. It’s packed with healthy carbs and potassium.
- Pineapple: pineapple includes a natural enzyme called bromelain, which is wonderful for preventing inflammation and helping digestive issues. It also sweetens the recipe nicely.
- Spinach: I always encourage using spinach in smoothies to get your greens in, because you can’t taste it at all! You can add 2-3 cups to this recipe and get an extra dose of fiber, vitamin and nutrients in all before lunchtime.
- Ginger root: fresh ginger makes all the difference in flavoring this dish; it also helps with digestive issues, reducing inflammation and even pain.
- Fresh turmeric root: this is the magic! It’s earthy, incredibly flavorful, and has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herb. There are numerous benefits of turmeric, which range from increasing antioxidant absorption to even preventing cancer. Turmeric also happens to contain a compound called curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
- Black pepper: yes, you’ll need a few shakes of black pepper to release the magic of this immune boosting smoothie! Read up on this below.
- Manuka or raw honey: I LOVE using a little honey, but make sure it’s raw or manuka honey to get additional benefits and higher antioxidant levels. I love keeping a jar of raw/manuka honey in my cupboard just in case I come down with a sore throat during the cold season.
- Milk: I love using coconut milk in this recipe because then the smoothie tastes a little like a pina colada. Oh la la!
Wait… why is there black pepper in my smoothie?
As I mentioned above, turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties thanks to a compound called curcumin. To get a good dose of curcumin, you’ll need to add black pepper in with the turmeric, which enhances your body’s ability to absorb the compound. You won’t be able to taste it at all. In fact it adds a nice zest to the smoothie!
Should I grate the turmeric & ginger?
Nope! Feel free to toss the knob of freshly peeled turmeric and ginger right into your blender. They will both blend up well so that you don’t get chunks of them in every sip.
Simple ingredient swaps
Out of a few ingredients? Good news: this immune boosting smoothie is easy to customize. Here are some suggestions:
- Customize your fruit: feel free to substitute an extra 3/4 cup of pineapple for the banana, or use mango or even an apple.
- Swap your greens: feel free to use fresh kale instead of spinach for a boost of greens.
- For the fresh turmeric: if you don’t have any fresh turmeric root you can also use a 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric.
- Choose your milk: I typically opt for unsweetened almond or coconut milk but feel free to use any milk you’d like.
Make it vegan
If you’d like to make this immune boosting smoothie vegan, simply omit the honey. It will still be sweet enough with the banana and pineapple.
Try our favorite nutrition boosters
Enhance any smoothie with some additional nutritious ingredients to really make it your own. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little! Here are a few suggestions that you can add to this immune boosting smoothie:
- Matcha: if you’re a green tea lover, you can add a teaspoon of matcha to your smoothie for green color, antioxidants and earthy flavor. It’s so good!
- Flaxseed meal: this is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a little boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply. Usually, a tablespoon is plenty! Here’s a brand I love.
- Chia seeds: feel free to add in a tablespoon of chia seeds to your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats and fiber.
- Hemp seeds: if you’ve been wondering what to do with those hemp seeds lurking in your cupboard, feel free to throw in a tablespoon into your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
- Protein: make this a post-workout smoothie and boost the protein by adding 1/2 cup greek yogurt or 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides or Four Sigmatic Protein Powder.
How to make this smoothie thick & creamy
I have a few tips & tricks for making this immune boosting wellness smoothie thick, cold and perfectly creamy every time:
- Use frozen fruit. Using frozen fruit is best as it helps keeps the smoothie cold and thick. Sometimes ice doesn’t blend as well, so it’s best to skip unless absolutely necessary. If you only have fresh fruit, try adding 1 cup frozen cauliflower.
- Watch how much liquid you add. Start with less and then don’t be afraid to add more milk if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend. High powered blenders tend to blend frozen fruit much better, so if you have a regular or personal size blender, you may need to add more milk.
- Start low, go high. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally, end with the blender on low speed.
Meal prep this immune boosting smoothie
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Watch me make this wellness smoothie
More delicious smoothies to try
- Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
- Almond Cherry Smoothie (my favorite smoothie ever!)
- Peanut Butter Blueberry Banana Smoothie
- Get Your Greens in Smoothie (the best green smoothie!)
- Vitamin C Packed Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie
Get all of our delicious smoothie recipes here!
I hope you love this immune boosting wellness smoothie! If you make it, be sure to rate the recipe below and leave a comment to let me know how you liked it.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Delicious Immune Boosting Wellness Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen ripe banana
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 2-3 cups organic spinach
- 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled (about 2 inches of ginger)
- 1 knob turmeric root, peeled (about 2 inches fresh turmeric)
- ½ tablespoon manuka or raw honey
- ⅕ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or a just couple grinds)
- ½-¾ cup almond milk or coconut milk
Instructions
- In a large high-powered blender, add in all ingredients and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are well combined. If necessary, add in more almond milk to thin the smoothie. Makes 1 smoothie.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 15th, 2018, republished on April 12th, 2021, and republished on January 3rd, 2024.
72 comments
I can hardly wait to try this! Does the pineapple have to be frozen? I love your site and have shared it, too. So glad you share such great recipes that are healthy and delicious!
You can use fresh pineapple too! Thanks so much 🙂 I’m glad you found AK!
Green smoothies are my favorite!
Green smoothies are my favorite!
They’re the best!
Delish! Healthy and smooth tasting! Perfect green smoothie! Will make this again!!!
I’m glad you liked it!!
This looks amazing! Question about smoothies, can I make them and keep them in the fridge for a day?( ie make one for lunch and save the other portion for breakfast next day?)
I’d recommend storing them in the freezer! They should be great the next day – you’ll just want to blend them up with a bit more liquid 🙂
I only have turmeric powder on hand. Can I sub and how much do you suggest?
I only have turmeric powder on hand. Can I sub and how much do you suggest?
I would do 1/2 teaspoon max!
omg. this is amazing! I am a ginger lover and turmeric proponent. Am fighting a cold and can’t wait to see if this boosts my system enough to get rid of it quick! What a great taste, too! Never would have thought of these ingredients. thank you!
So happy you found this recipe! I love ginger + turmeric too. Perfect for colds (and all the time).
omg. this is amazing! I am a ginger lover and turmeric proponent. Am fighting a cold and can’t wait to see if this boosts my system enough to get rid of it quick! What a great taste, too! Never would have thought of these ingredients. thank you!
So happy you found this recipe! I love ginger + turmeric too. Perfect for colds (and all the time).
The best tasting smoothie!! Love, love, love it!!
So glad you love it! My fav 🙂
Sorry. Apparently I’m not healthy enough, i didn’t really enjoy it. It was an odd blend of flavors.
Everyone has different taste preferences! You might like this green smoothie 🙂
Sorry. Apparently I’m not healthy enough, i didn’t really enjoy it. It was an odd blend of flavors.
Everyone has different taste preferences! You might like this green smoothie 🙂
Did you not peel the tumeric and ginger? I have made smoothies with both before but always peeled. Your video seemed to indicate no peeling, which I don’t bother with when juicing, but usually do when blending. Just a little clarification, please. Thanks!
I peel the ginger (see the ingredient list for some more details) but just toss the turmeric in as-is 🙂
Super tasty!! Followed everything exactly and it was really nice and easy to make 🙂 Have been trying to get into green smoothies, I’d recommend this one.
So happy you found this one! My favorite 🙂
This looks great! Wondering for almond milk would I use sweetened, original or the vanilla one?! I’m trying to go dairy free but always get overwhelmed with the choices of flavors!
Any of those will work well! If you’d like an additional sweetness feel free to use the vanilla one 🙂
This definitely only made one serving unless it’s meant to only be about 4 oz each.?? I haven’t tasted it yet, but smells great, fun green color, and super excited to try it.
Definitely only made one serving despite indicating 2, unless it’s meant to be a 4oz serving each?? I have not yet tried it, but AK’s recipes are always amazing plus it smells delicious and has a fun green color!
Hmmm the amount should look similar to what’s in the photos + video, as it should be 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup pineapple per smoothie 🙂 I hope you’re loving the taste, too!
Really loved this refreshing, healthy smoothie! I’ve been in a rut with my smoothie making lately, and this definitely bumped me out of it! The banana, pineapple and honey add plenty of sweetness, and the ginger gives it a great kick! I’ll be making this one again soon.
I’m so glad you found this one! One of my absolute favorites. Here are some more delicious smoothie recipes you might love 🙂 https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/smoothie-recipes/
Delicious smoothie. Plenty sweet. My only issue was I needed a lot more liquid to get it to blend. Maybe it’s my old blender….. I added about a cup of coconut milk and another 1/4-1/2 cup water.
It could be the blender as there’s lots to chop up in here. Glad you enjoyed!
I was just wondering if those fruits in recipe were too much sugar? What are the best low sugar fruits to use?
I don’t consider fruit sugar to be too much as it’s a natural source of sugar, but everyone’s needs are different!
I love this smoothie combo. I used soy milk and some Texas wildflower honey. I also added a tablespoon of hemp hearts.
Perfect! Glad you love it!
This smoothie sounds amazing! I will definitely be making it soon. Also, love the glassware! Where can I get those glasses?
I hope you love it! I don’t have an exact link but you can check out all of our fav kitchen essentials in our shop 🙂
This is a delicious smoothie!!!! Everything is well balanced
So glad you love it!
I’m allergic to Turmeric, any replacement suggestions?
Feel free to leave it out!
I used 2 Tbsp Califa better half& half and added 1 cup Essentia water as a vegan choice instead of milk. The banana, spinach and frozen pineapple is a perfect blend with the root spices . I topped it off with a dash of cinnamon. MY NEW GO TO DESSERT😋YUM!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
Would it be possible to make large batches of smoothies to freeze and enjoy later? I was thinking maybe freezing then in ice cube molds but I’m not sure if that would affect their taste it the nutrients.
Absolutely! Check out my full post on how to prep smoothies ahead of time 🙂
I subbed frozen mango for the banana and added two scoops collagen peptides. SO GOOD.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This immune-boosting smoothie is my favorite smoothy that I have always loved to take. thanks for this eyes opening, I will always come around for new recipes
Happy you love it!
I loved,,thanks x share recipes
Thanks x share this recipe,,I will loved 😍 ❤
Fire Smoothie to start the day! Adding a variation of smoothies to my morning routines on my chiller days before duty and definitely adding this recipe to the mix! Thankyou for this!
US Soldier overseas 🤙🏽🇧🇪
Thank you!! So happy you enjoyed this one 🙂 And thank you for your service!
Love the look of this recipe, I am a 75 years old woman and my inmune system is not very good so is time to star doing it, It really look so yum yum, Thanks.
Hope you enjoy it, Barbara!
delish!! Used a fresh banana instead of a frozen and added half a scoop of protein powder, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp hemp seeds and used coconut milk!
Yum!! So glad you enjoyed it — thanks for the comment 🙂
Amazing! I was looking for a new go-to green smoothie and this one has all the right stuff. Just sweet enough, and the ginger adds a nice flavor profile. Plus it’s perfect for cold season. Will be making this a lot!
So happy to hear that, glad you found this recipe ❤️
So yummy! I have fibro and am always looking for new anti-inflammatory recipes and this is full of those ingredients so I wanted to try it out.
So glad I did! I did use oatmilk as that what we had on hand and also added some flaxseed. It is a new favorite. Even my 3yo thought it was yummy!
Love your recipes! Thanks for always sharing!
Excellent. So glad you are enjoying this recipe ❤️
I like the green earthy taste of this and it has lots of healthy ingredients for immunity. What I’m struggling with is the black pepper. I used fresh ground pepper and it gives the smoothie too much of a “bite” for my liking. What kind of pepper did you use? Can you give a suggestion for a milder pepper? I know that pepper and turmeric work together to improve absorption in the body so I don’t want to leave it out.
A recipe that will be very useful in winter times, thank you.
I so am gonna try this, is it okay to drink even when not sick
Also is frozen fruit purchsed okay or best to buy fresh cut and freeze?
Frozen fruit will work well!
Healthy drinks, love it.
What about oxalates? Nobody is talking about them. I’ve eaten well for years, green smoothies, nuts, seeds, tofu, pulses and veg and ended up with awful IBS and now surgery for kidney stones all from eating too much spinach, beetroot and lots of other “healthy” foods. We need to be talking more about the anti nutrients in these foods too.