Fig and Strawberry Smoothies

Nature’s sweetness swirls throughout this thick, creamy beverage. It’s a simple collection of fruit – gorgeous dried figs bringing along an earthy note, strawberries with their bright, fresh flavor and bananas sharing a sweet, natural creaminess. They all work in harmony delivering something quite nice.

We don’t need to say goodbye to fruit smoothies just because it’s months until summer. I’m a huge fan of making smoothies and juices mainly because there are no “big rules”. You can use all fruit, all vegetables or mix them together. Toss in some dairy, no dairy – just grab whatever is available and blend away.

I will frequently take a quick look in my freezer and check my inventory of fruit – bananas and strawberries are almost always on hand. And they’re perfect to start a cold blended drink.

For this latest batch of smoothies I was craving something rich and comforting. So looking for some inspiration I perused through the recipes housed on Vitamix’s site then took a stroll through my favorite Farmer’s Market. And there was the third fruit ideal for this smoothie – figs. Dried figs to be exact. Figs have recently gained the respect they deserve. Surprisingly many folks have only encountered them in that “Newton ‘cookie. Figs offer so much more. Look inside and you’ll find an almost nougat quality. Add them to your favorite cheeseboard, keep them on hand for a snack or toss them in your blender for a delicious drink.

This smoothie also includes a handful of granola – something simple, with no fussy added flavors to fight the fruit. The granola creates a thicker drink plus another layer of goodness.

And if you’d like, add a touch of honey to enhance the sweetness of the fruit. Ridiculously easy to make and truly wonderful for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack!

Fig and Strawberry Smoothies

1-½ to 1-¾ cups milk

6 dried figs cut in half

¼ cup granola

2 frozen bananas

2-½ cups frozen strawberries, about 12 ounces

4 tablespoons honey, optional

Pour in 1-½ cups of the milk into the canister of a blender. Add the dried figs along with the granola.

Toss in the frozen bananas and the strawberries.

Blend, starting on low speed for about 15 seconds, then turn the blender to medium. Use the tamper if needed to aid in mixing and the additional ¼ cup milk if mixture is too thick.

Add the honey if you want the smoothies a bit sweeter.

Makes 4 smoothies.