Wash the baby spinach thoroughly and drain well. Wash the apple and cucumber, core the apple and roughly chop both.
Peel the banana. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin slices, then squeeze the lemon.
Put the spinach, apple, cucumber, banana, ginger, lemon juice, coconut water and chia seeds into the blender.
Blend everything vigorously until the smoothie is creamy and smooth. If it's too thick for you, add a little water and blend a little longer.
Taste briefly. For more freshness, add a little more lemon juice; for a milder heat, use a little less ginger.
Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Good to know
A smoothie like this tastes clear, fresh and pleasantly sharp. Ideal when you want something green that goes down easily and is still satisfying.
Swaps
Coconut water → water or unsweetened tinned coconut milk, diluted (less sugar or creamier) | chia seeds → ground linseed (fibre and omega-3 fatty acids) | green apple → kiwi (vitamin C and fresh acidity) | banana → avocado (creamier and more unsaturated fats)
Allergens
The recipe is naturally dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free; chia seeds don't agree with everyone equally, for small children it's only suitable finely blended, and during pregnancy ginger is common in normal kitchen amounts.
