Simple Detox Green Juice [No Juicer Required]

No juicer, no problem! This blender-only detox green juice packs the detoxifying powers of lemon, ginger, apples, kale, and celery. It’s the perfect balance of ingredients - you end up with all the nutritional benefits but none of the gnarly “green taste”. All in less than 15 minutes!

Whether it’s the start of a new year, you’re trying to rebound after a stint of poor eating, or simply trying to enhance an already healthy lifestyle, a high quality detox green juice is a great addition to your routine!

Something different about this recipe that I love is that it doesn’t taste hardcore “greeny” like many other green juices do. This recipe balances the ingredients so that you get just enough ginger for all the flavor and minimal heat, enough apple to naturally sweeten, and the right amount of celery and kale to pack the nutrients without degrading the flavor.

Why are these ingredients in a detox juice?

Highlights of each ingredient:

• Ginger - loaded with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, aids in digestion
• Lemon - packed with vitamin C, which helps to make glutathione (helps the liver detox harmful chemicals)
• Apple - natural sweetener and contains vitamin C and potassium
• Kale - contains calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K
• Celery - reduces inflammation, high in vitamin C and K, folate, and potassium

Can you drink green juice every day?

Drinking detox green juice in moderation is always ideal because juice lacks fiber. The existence of fiber in fruits changes the way your body digests and absorbs the fruit’s sugar. So, whatever sugar is in the fruits will cause your blood sugar to spike more than if the fiber was present. I intentionally made the apples the only fruit in the ingredients to minimize that effect as much as possible.

What substitutions can I experiment with?

• Try substituting spinach for kale. Spinach has a much more mild flavor, so you could probably get away with using 3-4 cups of spinach in place of the 2 cups of kale.
• Substitute swiss chard, mustard greens, or turnip greens for kale (1:1 ratio).
• Add pineapple instead of apple or in addition to the apple for a sweeter juice.
• Sub grapefruit or lime for the lemon.
• Sub cucumber or zucchini for the celery.
• Sub turmeric root for the ginger.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups filtered water

• 3-5 stalks of celery (1 cup chopped)

• 2 large apples, cored (about 13 oz)

• 1 whole lemon

• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled (about 0.5 oz)

• 2 cups kale

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender.

2. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and slowly pour the green juice into the strainer. Note: you can also use a nut milk bag to strain the juice from the pulp.

4. Use a rubber spatula to stir and press as much liquid as you can from the strainer. Once all of the juice has been pressed into the bowl, discard the pulp left in your strainer. 

5. Pour the green juice into glasses (over ice, if you’d like) and serve.

6. The remaining green juice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shake before drinking.