Give Your Smoothies A Silkier Texture With One Extra Ingredient

Are you always in search of the perfect, silky-smooth, quick and easy fruit smoothie? While prepping your smoothies with a muffin pan hack saves you time, and using in-season fruit produces the best flavor, the extra ingredient your smoothies need isn't a fruit at all. For an incredible velvety texture, try adding frozen cauliflower to your next smoothie.

Sure, cauliflower and fruit may not be an obvious combination, but don't be worried, as they blend together beautifully. Frozen cauliflower will give your smoothie a rich, milky, frappe-like consistency that's thick and satiny, pouring out of the blender in pillowy layers. The veggie's mild taste melds seamlessly with your favorite fruits and juices, adding almost no other flavors whatsoever. You might notice just a slight tang, similar to yogurt.

To try this, simply add a few florets to your smoothie directly from the freezer, or let the cauliflower thaw for five minutes for a less thick and icy consistency. Not only will this veggie improve the texture, but cauliflower gives a nice boost of fiber to your smoothie. And if your blender isn't terribly powerful, fresh cauliflower florets or riced and then frozen cauliflower both work great, and create a milkier smoothie texture.

Cauliflower isn't the only veggie that can help you up your smoothie game. Go further down the rabbit hole with a handful of leafy greens. Spinach, kale, and chard will add plenty of vitamins and just a touch of grassy flavor that balances out the fruits and juices. Just be sure to remove the leaves from the stalks and blend them with liquid ingredients first, to arrive at a nice, consistent smoothie texture without any chunks.

Another great green addition to put the "smooth" in smoothie is avocado. It will add a slight buttery flavor and lend your smoothie the rich texture of melted ice cream. Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and tahini are also great choices for a super creamy consistency, plus a nice boost of protein. But for the thickest of thick, creamy textures (and some protein, too), blend silken tofu into your drink.

If you're looking for an additional boost to get you all the way through the afternoon, green tea is the caffeinated drink you should be adding to your smoothies. It's like having your morning coffee and breakfast together in a single beverage. And if you'd like some extra probiotics, splash kombucha into your smoothie. Go beyond the basic fruit smoothie and open your eyes to all the possibilities — you just might be surprised.