I have been drinking so many green smoothies. I do have some travel coming up and with busy (typically indulgent) holiday times on the horizon, I’m taking a “fuel” approach to my meals these days. The simplification has been surprisingly relaxing, not gonna lie, but variety is a challenge. I keep leaning on the typical vegan smoothies, but also the same roasted veg/salad/whole grain bowl combos day after day.
I picked up an excellent smoothie tip from my friend a little while ago: instead of using non-dairy milk as your liquid, you can just scoop in some hemp hearts and add water to the blend. You’re basically making fresh hemp milk AND your smoothie at the same time. No soaking necessary. So smart! You can also just make hemp milk ahead of time in a big batch with my Maple Cinnamon Hemp Milk recipe.
Hemp hearts are one of my favourite everyday superfoods. Compared to some of the other weird and wonderful fruits/powders/herbs/seeds, hemp is quite affordable and (where I live) totally accessible. I added hemp to pretty much everything when I first went 100% plant-based because I didn’t have a great handle on cooking yet and was looking for a mega nutrient boost. I still add hemp to everything though haha.
I hope that you’ll try this super fresh green smoothie combo!
Winter Glow Green Smoothie with Hemp & Ginger
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped greens (I like a 50/50 mix of baby spinach and kale)
- small handful fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon MCT oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped
- 1 cup water
Equipment
Notes
- I think a pinch of ground cardamom would be so delicious in this smoothie.
- I peeled my pear to get that ultra green shade (always doing it for the photo haha), but normally I’d leave it.
- I like using a mix of mild and strong greens for a green smoothie like this one. If your taste buds are hardy enough for all kale though, definitely go for it ;)
- The pear should be quite ripe for the right level of sweetness.
- This smoothie ends up being room temperature, which I like in this colder climate.
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the greens, mint, hemp hearts, ginger, cinnamon, salt, MCT oil, lemon juice, pear, and water. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth. Enjoy the winter glow green smoothie immediately, with an extra sprinkle of hemp hearts on top if you like.
*This post was created in partnership with Manitoba Harvest. All opinions/endorsements are my own. Thanks for supporting!
On toast with peanut butter!
I love your idea to make a vegan cheese with the hemp hearts. I have only used hemp in smoothies so far!
Although not creative Manitoba hemp hearts are a staple in my smoothie every morning. Like the addition of lemon in your smoothie recipe!
I always put hemp seeds on salads and overnight oats. I love the nutty grassy taste and so easy to digest. I really enjoy your recipes and have made many of the cookbook recipes, all just delicious!
I just bought my first small bag of hemp hearts this week! I moved to Toronto from Yellowknife a few months ago and just love how accessable Everything is here (the ‘Health food store’ in Yellowknife would carry hemp hearts, but for $$$$). I used them two ways this week – in a arugula/cilantro/banana/pineapple/avocado/ginger/turmeric/vanilla smoothie ❤️ And mixed them into my spinach quinoa walnut salad with spicy lime vinaigrette.
Great list of suggestions for hemp heart usages on the site! I may just make your pesto tonight. Thanks!
I love using the toasted hemp hearts on a green salad instead of croutons. Gives you a wonderful crunchiness! Can’t wait to try making the instant hemp milk.
I love my hemp hearts on my oatmeal! Love them! They are such a great way to add some important nutrients to the daily diet!
Hemp hearts are my go to add-in for smoothies, salads sprinkling & warm drink blends. In autumn/winter, this is my fave cozy bowl-of-goodness mix;
2 tbs organic hemp seeds
2 tbs organic chia seeds
1 tsp organic toasted almond meal
2 tsp organic ground flaxseed
for sweet, sprinkle a dash of ground cinnamon and cardamom
for savory, pinch of salt and pepper
Add boiling water to desired consistency, and finish with a bit of coconut oil or ghee
The add in options to customize the bowl are endless, and the dry mix portion packs beautifully in small bags for travel for a great bkfst or snack…hot water is easy to source anywhere!
Sprinkled on top of avocado toast, or a tablespoon thrown in to my morning oatmeal/granola is how I usually enjoy my hemp hearts.
Stoked about the hemp heart/water in smoothie tip! :)
Hello! Hemp hearts are nutritious bundles of deliciousness. One of my favourites is adding to a smoothie as it thickens and gives it a creamy goodness- no nut milk required. Cucumber, pineapple, lemon, ginger, hemp hearts and a squeeze of lemon. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
i ended up finding manitoba harvest when i was looking to add nutrition to my little guys foods. he’s almost 2 and we’re entering picky eater territory. he LOVES the hemp heart pancakes i make him and of course in our smoothies. i like to sprinkle them on top of everything. especially avocado toast. their subtle taste makes them so diversable!
thanks for such a new fun take on smoothie making. i too am getting a little bored of my banana peanut butter combo.
Hemp is wonderful!
I use in mixed with my morning nut butter, it is so yummy !
Thank you
Julie
I love hemp seeds and use them in a variety of ways, but among favorite & unusual :
savory oatmeal bowl:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017989-savory-oatmeal-with-greens-and-yogurt
And….does hemp milk count? non-dairy ice cream
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018789-nondairy-ice-cream-base
I love using hemp seeds in smoothies and on salads. They are one of the only plant-based foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids (a complete protein food)! They’re also great for homemaking protein powder!
I sprinkle them on salads
I use hemp seeds to make hummus and tabbouli. I also love them for nut milks.
I also sprinkle hemp seeds on everything too for that additional nutritional boost. I have a special seasoning for avocados that include hemp but I love using then on deserts and pancakes or waffles in lieu of the sugary sprinkles. For homemade peanut butter cups the hemp has to be added before it sets in freezer but for cakes just sprinkle them after you frost…happy sprinkling.
Oh man. I LOVE hemp hearts. I go through a bag so quickly. I like to throw them in my green smoothies, on top of salads, and oatmeal.
So many ways to use hemp hearts………my favorite though is sprinkled on top a salad!
I use hemp hearts sprinkled on yogurt, steel cut oats, and salad. Love this idea of hemp heart milk. Thank you!
I always have a Costco-sized package of Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds in my fridge. I use them in a lot of the ways you mentioned, including scooping them into smoothies, but my favourite way to use them is sprinkling them on an avocado half and calling it dinner.
Homemade hemp milk is my favorite way to use hemp hearts. No soaking, no straining, no waste and an extra nutrition boost to all of my smoothies!
Love using hemp seeds sprinkled on almond butter and banana (or sometimes strawberry) toast. Really easy, delicious, and adds a great nutritional boost as well as added flavor and texture. Great for a quick breakfast in the morning. :)
I like to sneak hemp hearts into soups before blending for richness and an extra boost of protein.
I love putting hemp hearts on top of my oatmeal in the mornings ♥️ Can’t wait to try this smoothie!
lIke so many other readers have said, use hemp seeds daily : salads, smoothies, sprinkles, and in dressings! I just made an herb sprinkle with hemp and nori and I put in on everythin!
I use Manitoba Hemp in my danish nut bread, which is a mix of eggs, nuts and seeds!
Pesto!!!
My favourite way to use them is actually your hemp seed ranch dressing! Love it as an alternative to tahini or cashew based dressings.
I like to roll energy bites in them.
I add hemp hearts to my smoothies. Also sprinkle them on salads and stir into pasta sauces. I find them to a very versatile nutrition boost.
I love folding hemp hearts into my oatmeal in the morning, on top of my salads at lunch, and even as a garnish for soup at dinner.
I love Manitoba hemp hearts in Banana Chia pudding – and I eat it every day.
I like my hemp hearts sprinkled and stirred into my daily morning porridge :) On a side note, making this after my run today!
I love hemp hearts as a topping on my baked sweet potatoes. Yum!
I usually sprinkle hemp on yogurt but need to start adding it to smoothies. Love hemp, for all the reason you said!!
I add hemp hearts to my green smoothies and an added bonus to my vegan pesto sauce on my spaghetti squash. Sprinkle a little on top for added crunch. Thanks love this blog
I have to say, my favorite use of hemps seeds ever has been in your cold coffee drink in your book. It is amazing!
My favorite way is in my oatmeal or oat bran cereal.
We always have a big mason jar of fresh hemp milk in the fridge (so smooth and creamy!) and we sprinkle on salads and oatmeal and throw it in smoothies. I’m going to try your hemp parm recipe, I always make cashew parmesan but hemp sounds great!
I add one tablespoon of hemp hearts to my salad daily. Boring but tasty and a nutritional boost. Great smoothie recipe! Thanks.
My favourite way to use hemp seeds is in the Manitoba Harvest recipe Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites (https://manitobaharvest.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-energy-bites/)
I’ve long been an advocate for the legalization of hemp (it still isn’t in some places!), but I haven’t used hemp seeds in cooking yet! I’m a big Pesto person and I grow kale, so I’m anxious to try using hemp hearts in pesto! Also the pasta sprinkle – so simple!
I use Manitoba Hemp Hearts in two main ways: sprinkled on salads and added to yogurt. Regarding the latter, I made a batch of green tomato mincemeat and use the yogurt and hemp hearts for dessert.
i woulg love to make milk from the seeds and toast the residue to sprinkle on my oatmeal
I use Manitoba Hemp Hearts to make my favorite GoldenMilk – both hit and cold. So delicious!
What a fantastic idea to use the hemp seeds to create the liquid! Love this idea! I make ranch dressing using hemp seeds, lemon, and dill, it’s a hit this household.
I’ve never used hemp seeds, but I’ve been wanting to try them in a smoothie.
I love the taste and texture of these hemp hearts so much that I will eat them straight from the bag with a spoon. Beyond that, I enjoy sprinkling them on everything and anything, sweet or savoury: salads, smoothies, pasta, ice cream, you name it!
honestly im so basic but I love topping any oatmeal dish with hemp hearts <3