A fresh and nutritious green smoothie with pear, ginger, parsley, and bee pollen.
Spring is in the air, right? It's March, so it has to be.
I always find this time of year so tedious. The deepest of the winter months are behind us, but we've still got a good stretch to go before the warmer weather arrives. The light is coming back just enough to tease, and it's like, c'mon spring, let's do this already!
Living way up north, there's still a ways to go before fresh food will start to arrive. I find myself looking for ways to bridge the seasons, to eat with the lightness of spring but using the still limited produce that winter has to offer. I've always found pears to be a fruit that straddles the seasons well. They weather the winter, but still offer that juicy freshness that I associate with spring.
I've been craving parsley something fierce lately, so it was a logical partner to the pear, along with celery, spinach, lemon juice, and a bit of bee pollen. The bee pollen isn't necessary, but it adds a nice zip to the smoothie. Its flavour is something special; quite floral (obviously) with notes of honey and lemon, and the flavours will change depending on what kind of flowers the bees have been collecting pollen from. If you want a strictly vegan smoothie, you can leave the bee pollen out. Or, if you don't have bee pollen on hand and don't want to make a special trip to get some, this smoothie won't suffer without it. But if you do have it or have been wanting to try, this is a good place, and I think you'll appreciate the zippy flavour - it just tastes like spring. Happy blending!
What’s the deal with bee pollen? It’s the pollen that honey bees collect from flowers and take back to the hive to store for food. As the bees return to their hive, they pack the pollen they have collected into large granules, a process during which the pollen is mixed with nectar, enzymes, and other organisms. The resulting granules of bee pollen are much higher in nutrition content than untreated pollen, and is the primary food source for the hive.
Bee pollen is said to contain nearly every single nutrient the human body needs in order to survive. It’s surprisingly high in protein (20-35% by weight) and includes all 22 amino acids. It’s also jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Since bee pollen is a highly concentrated food supplement, and considering it’s harvested from flowers, it’s really important to source your bee pollen from a pesticide-free environment. Although I’ve seen bee pollen available at many health food stores and even supermarkets, my preference is to buy it from the farmer’s market so I can actually have a conversation with the beekeeper and ask about the source, etc.
Granules of bee pollen should be quite soft, and dissolve easily on the tongue. They should never be crunchy! Although many sufferers of seasonal allergies actually experience some relief when they start taking bee pollen, this is a powerful food and needs to be introduced to the body slowly. A very small percentage of the population is severely allergic to bee pollen (particularly those who are allergic to bees or other bee products such as honey), so it’s best to use caution when trying something new for the first time. Start with a small amount (1 teaspoon for adults, just a few granules for children) and increase your intake slowly, by just a few grains at a time. Daily intake should be maximum 1 tablespoon for adults and ½ teaspoon for children.
Two years ago: Almond Butter with Vanilla and Sea Salt
Three years ago: Maple Oat Scones
pear ginger springtime smoothie with bee pollen
Ingredients
- 1 medium pear
- ½ cup packed parsley
- 1 stalk celery
- 1-2 cups packed spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon chunk about the size of your thumb fresh ginger
- juice of ½ a lemon more to taste
- 1 teaspoon bee pollen
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a glass, and enjoy!
Notes
-I often use frozen spinach in this smoothie, throwing in a couple of handfuls of frozen spinach cubes in place of fresh leaves
Natalia says
Parsley is one of my favourite green ingredient for smoothies! Love your recipe!
Katie Trant says
Isn't it wonderful and fresh tasting?!
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
I want spring to come SO BADLY! I am so ready for it. I love bee pollen and am adding these smoothies to my to make list! Perfect way to start the day.
Katie Trant says
Riiight? Spring is so close I can taste it (in this smoothie!). I'm so ready for longer days and warmer weather. Let there be light!
Julia says
Cheers to spring being just around the corner!! This smoothie is exactly what I want for breakfast right now! I love how vibrant and healthful it is! I've been meaning to use herbs in smoothies and you're inspiring me to do so! I've also never used bee pollen and have heard great things about it! My mind is blown and my mouth is watering, thanks for the fabulous idea, lady!
Katie Trant says
You're gonna love it, lady! Get yourself some good quality bee pollen and give it a try! I love herbs in smoothies. I'll basically use whatever I've got on hand, so parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, whatever. It's all good!
Karen says
Yum -- Looks so great!
Katie Trant says
Tastes great too!
Linda @ Veganosity says
This is the second time that I've read about bee pollen in a week. Thanks for the information Katie. The color of this smoothie is gorgeous!
Katie Trant says
The flavour is gorgeous as well! I'm not sure whether bee pollen would be considered vegan (I know honey isn't) or whether it's within your personal parameters of veganism, but if it is, give it a try. Such a unique and lovely flavour, and so much good nutrition packed in there!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
This looks awesome! I've never used bee pollen before!
Katie Trant says
Give it a try, Rebecca! It's got such a lovely flavour.
Alanna says
This smoothie looks so refreshing. Spring is so close yet so far away but this post screams hope! I've used bee pollen last year and it was so hard to tell whether or not I could feel a difference, but maybe I should try again 🙂
Katie Trant says
I'm not sure whether I notice any effect from taking bee pollen, but I sure do love its flavour!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
This color is stunning! Thanks for all the wonderful information about bee pollen, sounds like I need to go get some right away!
Katie Trant says
Bee pollen certainly has a delightful flavour, so be sure to try it out at some point! But as with all 'super foods' I'd take the myriad of health claims with a grain of salt.
kellie@foodtoglow says
I love this so much Katie. One of my friends has said recently that she has a craving for parsley too. I will send her this to try. The extra info on the bee pollen is really useful. I posted a bee pollen porridge recently and it is good to know that it really is very good for us. Thanks so much for posting this almost spring - yes, c'mon get on with it! - recipe. 🙂
Katie Trant says
I'm not totally sold on bee pollen as a miracle food, but I sure do love the flavour! And yes, c'mon spring! Let's do this already!
Tawnie Kroll says
yum! Looks great!
Katie Trant says
Thanks Tawnie!