Why Frozen Cauliflower Is The Hidden Gem For A Better Smoothie

Who doesn't love a good smoothie? It's a tasty and nutritious way to kickstart the day, and you can customize it with your choice of fruits, vegetables, protein powders, and other superfoods. Plus, you can even use clever tricks like adding frozen cauliflower for thick and sensational smoothies. To get clarification on this hack, we turned to chef Abbie Gellman MS, RD, CDN, who's also an ambassador of the Foundation for Fresh Produce's Have a Plant program. Her answer to whether blending in frozen cauliflower really creates a thick, creamy, milkshake-like texture without needing dairy gave us all the confirmation we needed. "It does! I love adding frozen cauliflower because it makes it into a thick, creamy texture, and it does not add or change the flavor," she says. Though using frozen fruits is a cheat code for more flavorful smoothies, thanks to cauliflower's neutral flavor, Gellman says this particular tip is a great way to bulk up your drink with a "stealth health" veggie, especially for picky eaters and the veggie-averse.

From a quantity perspective, Gellman advises, "A little goes a long way, so a handful is plenty." And while she usually has some cauliflower in her freezer just to use for smoothies, don't worry if you only have fresh florets in your kitchen. Though the resulting texture won't be quite the same as using frozen cauliflower, Gellman says you can add them as long as you briefly steam the uncooked florets in the microwave so that they soften before going into your smoothie.

In the event that using cauliflowers is out of the question, chef Abbie Gellman recommends zucchini and summer squash as great alternatives, owing to their neutral notes that won't detract from the flavors of the rest of the smoothie ingredients. However, to achieve a thick, milkshake-like consistency, she emphasizes the need to use them in their frozen form. 

If you don't have those on hand either, there are plenty of other ways to get a perfectly creamy smoothie that could easily pass for a decadent dessert. Taking a trick from Gellman's "stealth health" approach, avocados are the secret fruit that you ought to be using for ultra-creamy smoothies. In addition to a luxurious sip, you also get a dose of healthy fats into your serving. Adding your choice of nut butter is also an excellent tip for thicker smoothies with a boost of good fats and protein. Speaking of protein, just like how silken tofu makes for a fantastic swap for milk in a creamy serving of oatmeal, so can it be an incredibly versatile soy-based addition for protein-packed smoothies without the aftertaste. Another option to elevate your morning smoothies is to use freeze-dried tofu, a shelf-stable product with a texture suitable for a rich, dessert-like smoothie.

Last but not least, making smoothies is as simple as mixing all the ingredients in a blender, but one commonly overlooked rule is not paying attention to the order of adding the ingredients (in most cases, liquids first, frozen items last). Keeping these tidbits of smoothie wisdom in mind will enable you to whip up some delicious drinks that are creamy, dreamy perfection.