Raw Vegan Avocado Smoothie

I LOVE avocados. Can I say that again? I LOVE avocados. They are my absolute favourite raw food and I simply cannot get enough of them. My mum was always cutting open avocados and chowing down with a spoon when I was a child; and from my first bite, it was LOVE. A love that has only grown stronger over time. Guacamole, Avocado Dressing, Avocado Dip, Avocado Soup, Avocado everything. Oh it is just so versatile, and best of all – packs a healthy punch!

I must admit, it wasn’t until I started dabbling with raw food about 20 years ago that I realised the untapped potential of my beloved avocado. It truly is THE fruit of the Gods. OK – so I say that about a lot of raw things. But avocados really are God's butter. That rich, nutty, buttery, smooth tropical fruit from Heaven keeps my snout alive! I am partial to the Hass variety which I think have the best flavour, and thank God, make up over 3/4 of the whole Californian avocado crop. I have to confess, my moto is “an avocado a day keeps Tess happy and ready to play”. The sun does not set without an avocado passing over my snout. I hear a lot of you saying “But they are so fattening!” Well…Yes – they are almost 2/3 fat. BUT they are loaded with oleic acid -- the good, heart-healthy monounsaturated fat similar to that found in Olive Oil. Avocados are also a good source of potassium to help regulate blood pressure; and Vitamin C and copper, which help in free radical cell damage. Avocados contain Vitamin K for healthy blood and bones; and B Vitamins like Folic Acid and B6, which help with heart health.

Have I sold them yet? Note to self Tess: you are a recipe blogger not a doctor! OK. Well how about this sales pitch? They are hands down, the most scrumptious thing on the planet, and possibly one of the most versatile foods on the planet. Use them in raw salads, raw vegan creams, raw vegan salad dressings, raw vegan dips, raw sauces, raw vegan puddings, and, yes, raw avocado smoothies! Every time I offer a vegan avocado smoothie to somebody their snout more than often scrunches up in negative anticipation, only to have it recount with joy later. Most people associate avocados with savoury flavours. But us in the raw food community know that they can be utilized so beautifully in all kinds of raw recipes. It makes the avocado experience even sweeter.

I remember a phenomenal raw avocado pudding at a macrobiotic restaurant in Portugal that my friends and I discovered when we were touring with a theatre show years ago. I would walk over half an hour there and back to stick my snout in that avocado pudding trough. You can imagine my dismay on the last night when I rocked up only to find that there was none left. I was not a happy pig, and had a pout on my snout all the way back to the theatre. Over on the other side of the world, I had my first experience with a vegan avocado smoothie in Indonesia. They use loads of avocados in their cuisine. Their avocado smoothies are absolutely delicious, but they are full of coconut milk, palm sugar, and heavy sugar syrups and other nasties. Anyone who has been with me to Warung Agus (my favourite Balinese restaurant), knows only too well, my penchant for their avocado smoothie and coconut avocado appetizer.

I have been known to pick up the plate and lick it clean on more than one occasion! I am NOT even embarrassed to admit it. I mean, wasting ONE drop of that heavenly treat is just sacrilege! A well known wine reviewer once described a heavenly wine that he could not quite do justice to as being like, “angels pissing on your tongue”. Doesn’t that just say it all? I happily stole this catch phrase a long time ago, and you will hear me reserve it for the really mind blowing snouting experiences.

So you understand my devotion to the vegan avocado smoothie! I couldn’t give her up. But I was getting tired of having to coat check my colon at the door every time I indulged. I simple had to replicate the vegan avocado divinity with a healthier halo. This quick, easy raw avocado smoothie hits the spot for me. If I really want to be decadent I use coconut milk and dates. But if I am toning it down a notch, then raw almond milk strikes a perfect balance, and hits my avo snout G Spot without expanding my hips! You could use soy milk, rice milk, raw cashew milk or raw macadamia milk, and sweeten it with whatever natural sweetener you like. I like agave because it does not overpower the natural flavour of the avocado, which for me, is the magic of this raw avocado smoothie. I LOVE the taste of the avocado. I will say that if you are not a fellow avocado lover, this avocado smoothie is not for you. Having said that, avocados are a wonderful way to thicken smoothies if you don’t want the blood sugar spike of bananas. I use them to thicken my raw vegan smoothie treats, as they are a better food combining option with nuts, seeds and fruit.

Give this avocado treat a go, It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free  and absolutely yummy.