Lychee Smoothie With Thai Basil for an Antioxidant Boost

Sep 04 2024

Make this refreshing lychee smoothie recipe packed with tropical flavor, creamy coconut yogurt, and Thai basil. Perfect for summer breakfasts or a healthy treat during your cleanse!

BY Mindy Palmer

If you want to liven up your smoothie routine, then this lychee smoothie is for you. Made with juicy lychees, fresh Thai basil, tangy lime juice, and creamy coconut yogurt, this smoothie is packed with tropical flavor and a hearty dose of antioxidants. It makes the perfect breakfast for those cleansing or anyone looking for a delicious summer treat. Its light, refreshing taste will make you feel like you’re lounging on an exotic beach.

What are Lychees?

Lychee (litchi) is a small tropical fruit with red, bumpy skin. Due to this, they’re sometimes called an ‘alligator strawberry.’ Their juicy white flesh is sweet with delicate floral notes. Their unique flavor is hard to nail down. But many describe them as a cross between a strawberry and a watermelon. Lychees pair well with other tropical fruits, citrus, ginger, and vanilla.

Lychee fruit are native to southern China. Yet they also grow in other tropical areas and some warm regions in the US like Florida and Hawaii. They belong to the soapberry family, along with rambutans and lognans. Lychees are a summer fruit in season from late spring to early fall.

Fresh lychees are typically eaten raw on their own. They can also be added to fruit salads or stir-fries, or blended into sauces, jellies, sorbets, or smoothies. Lychees add a subtle sweetness to any dish. But they also deliver a slew of health benefits.

Benefits of Lychees

Here’s a look at some of the health benefits of lychee fruit:

Packed with vitamin C

Lychees are loaded with vitamin C, a powerful nutrient that boosts your immune system and promotes skin health. A 100 mg serving of lychees (about 10) has 71.5 mg of vitamin C. That’s about 80% of the RDA or roughly the same amount you’d get from a medium orange.

Polyphenols powerhouse

Lychees are rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Polyphenols are shown to improve heart health and brain function and even protect from certain types of cancer. Many fruits contain polyphenols. However, lychees have a higher polyphenol content than many other fruits like apples, pears, and oranges.

Enhances liver health

Your body relies on your liver to filter blood and remove harmful toxins. Some research shows lychees contain compounds that may improve liver function. A healthy liver is important year-round–but is especially crucial when cleansing with Clean 7 or Clean 21.

Lychee Smoothie Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

Fresh lychees: You can buy lychees fresh, canned, or frozen. Canned lychees are typically packed in heavy syrup and high in sugar. So we’ve opted for fresh lychees in this smoothie. Fresh lychees can be hard to track down in some areas. But you can find them at some grocery stores and most Asian supermarkets.

Coconut yogurt: Yogurt adds a creamy texture and a dose of gut-loving probiotics. We’ve chosen coconut yogurt to keep this recipe dairy-free.

Cauliflower rice: Most lychee smoothies include bananas to make them more filling. But since bananas are starchy and high in sugar they’re excluded from the Cleanse Diet. So we’ve chosen cauliflower rice instead. This sneaks in a serving of veggies, bulks up the smoothie, and lets the lychee flavor shine through.

Coconut water: A splash of coconut water adds electrolytes to this lychee smoothie along with a subtle sweetness.

Chia seeds: Chia seeds help thicken this smoothie and add a punch of fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Lime juice: The tartness of lime pairs well with lychees’ sweetness and rounds out the flavor profile.

Thai basil: Thai basil complements the lychee and lime and adds antioxidants.

Date: A date adds a dash of natural sweetness and extra fiber.

Daily Shake: Our Daily Shake adds 16 grams of plant-based protein along with a probiotic blend for enhanced gut health.

Ice: While optional, ice makes this smoothie colder and helps give it a smooth, creamy texture.

Lychee Smoothie Recipe

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

12 fresh lychees (peeled, sliced, and deseeded)
½ cup coconut yogurt
1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
¼ cup coconut water
1 tbsp chia seeds
8-10 leaves of fresh Thai basil
1 large date, pitted
Juice of ½ lime (about 1 ½ tbsp)
1 scoop or cleanse packet of Plain Daily Shake Fermented
½ cup ice (optional)

Directions

First, peel and deseed your lychees. Hold one lychee fruit with your fingers and pierce the bumpy skin with your thumbnail. Then peel the skin off like you’d peel an orange.

2. Once the edible white flesh is exposed, slice one side of the fruit with a knife. This will reveal the stone.

3. Open up the lychee and use your fingers to scoop out the stone. Don’t worry if the flesh tears. In the center of each lychee, you’ll notice a brown membrane. The membrane is edible and trying to remove it can waste a lot of juice. So just leave it intact. However, lychee seeds are toxic – so never eat them!

4. Peel and deseed the rest of the lychees, discarding the skin and pits.

5. Add the lychees and the rest of the ingredients into a blender.

6. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass and serve immediately. Or store in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to two days.

Lychee Smoothie Recipe Variations

Add a pop of color: Toss in a few fresh raspberries to give this smoothie a more vibrant hue. Just don’t add too many, or it may overpower the lychees’ flavor.

Go with vanilla: While we used the plain Daily Shake for this recipe, the Vanilla Daily Shake would work well too. The vanilla version is naturally sweetened with monk fruit, so you might not need the date.

Mix up the herbs: If Thai basil is hard to track down, regular basil is fine. Fresh mint or ginger would also work well with this recipe.

Make it a popsicle: For a cool tropical treat, try pouring this recipe into a popsicle mold.

Recipe and photography by Mindy Palmer

If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like this Mango Cardamom Smoothie or

Papaya Ginger Smoothie.