First Watch Kale Tonic Recipe (5 minutes) (2024)

• Kale: I use curly kale, but you can also use dinosaur kale or lacinato kale.
• Fuji apple or a green apple: Since kale can be bitter, we're adding sweetness to the juice by using apples!
• Cucumber: You can use any cucumber you like including English cucumbers or mini cucumbers. Just make sure they're sweet and juicy.
• Lemon juice: For adding a little bit of tanginess to contrast the bitter taste of the kale. You can also use lime juice.
• Water: For blending everything.

Expert Tips

• se a fine mesh to strain the juice. The last thing you want is to have pulp or chunks of vegetables in your juice. Make sure to use a super fine mesh or a nut milk bag.
• Add more apples to make it sweeter. If you're new to drinking green juices, you may want to make it a bit sweeter to start. This first watch kale tonic recipe tastes a bit bitter, so feel free to add more apples or cucumbers.
• Don't be afraid to switch things up! I look at this recipe more as a base to which I sometimes add different things like ginger, celery stalk, carrots, and even parsley.

FAQ

Substitutions

• Apples: I am using Fuji apples because they're sweet, but you can use any apples you like including Golden Delicious, Granny Smith Apples, and green apples.
• Kale: If you don't have kale on hand, or if you don't like the taste of it, you can use spinach or other leafy greens like Swiss chard.
• Water: You can use coconut water or orange juice.
• Cucumber: You can use celery or another green vegetable of your choice.

Helpful Equipment

I think that investing in a high-quality blender is key if you're looking to eat healthier. Not only you can use it for smoothies, but you can also blend green soups, homemade hummus, and banana pancakes, AND you can even use it to make your own vegan cream cheese with it!

For this First Watch kale tonic recipe, you'll need a high-speed blender like Vitamix, as well as a fine mesh strainer.

If you don't have a blender on hand, you can use a powerful juicer and dilute the juice with some water.

There is also evidence that certain compounds in fresh juice may act as prebiotics, feeding the beneficial bacteria in our gut.

To wrap it up, drinking green juice can be an efficient way to add key nutrients to your diet. It should be consumed in moderation and as a part of a balanced diet.

Storage

If you don't drink the juice right away, store it in a mason jar in the fridge for 2-3 days.