I grew up on an island in the pacific northwest, on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Taking a ferry to the mainland (where I live now – in the city of Vancouver), through an archipelago of mountainous, treed islands was a regular occurrence – sometimes you could even spot whales!
The ferry passes through a grouping of islands called the Gulf Islands, and one of those islands is Salt Spring. Salt Spring Island is very small in comparison to the island I grew up on, with a tiny town, rolling hills of farmland, artisans, hippies, rocky beaches, and a very, very laid back lifestyle. (It’s a lovely place to vacation! You should go!)
Salt Spring Island has an incredible, incredible farmer’s market during the spring and summer – one of my favourite vendors is Salt Spring Kitchen, who sell artisanal preserves.
Last summer I picked up their Blueberry Basil Jam which has become a favourite to pair with a sharp cheddar cheese and cracker. The sweetness of the berries plays off a hint of refreshing basil – it’s a lovely sweet-savoury combination.
This pairing inspired me to re-create the same flavours in a Blueberry Basil Smoothie! I’ve added fresh basil leaves to a classic blueberry smoothie, creating a refreshing twist in this healthy breakfast smoothie.
Basil is hands-down my favourite herb, what about you?! It is so versatile and transitions easily to pair with sweet and savoury dishes.
I can’t even wait until it’s warm enough and we can plant basil in our rooftop veggie garden. And then it will be basil, basil, basil in everything 😉
Starting with tons of these Blueberry Basil Smoothies!
Looking for more smoothie inspiration? Try this Triple Berry Green Smoothie (my new fav to drink almost every day!), Cinnamon Bun Smoothie, or Everyday Green Smoothie.
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 banana
- 1 cup milk of your choice (I love to use almond or cashew milk)
- 1/4 cup basil (approximately one small handful)
- 3-4 ice cubes
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Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy!
Freeze your banana instead of using ice cubes (or use frozen blueberries!)
1/4 cup basil gives a subtle refreshing basil taste. Use a few more leaves for more intense flavour!
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October 1, 2022 at 5:19 pm[…] throwing spinach into smoothies, but who would have thought about throwing basil in! This combo of blueberry and basil sounds so intriguing and I can’t wait to try […]