It’s Rhubarb Season: Make A Berry Rhubarb Smoothie

Rhubarb, is it a fruit or a vegetable?

One could also cook the rhubarb and mix it into a
Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable, but it’s often eaten like fruit. Raw rhubarb has the stalky look and crunch like celery but with a lip-puckering tart flavor. However, rhubarb’s tart flavors mellow once it’s cooked.

I love turning rhubarb into a honey-sweetened compote. I keep it in the fridge or freezer for all kinds of culinary creations, like this Berry Rhubarb Smoothie.

Let’s talk about this sweet-tart smoothie, and how to make it.

Ingredients for Berry Rhubarb Smoothie 

This recipe is amazing and it only requires 3 things!

Honey Rhubarb Compote: My recipe for Rhubarb Compote is easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Use it in smoothies, yogurt parfaits, spooned over ice cream, or whisked into a Lemon Rhubarb Vinaigrette.

Coconut Water: I like to use coconut water in this recipe. It is refreshing and tropical! Option to use cold water if you do not have coconut water on hand.

Frozen Berries: I use a mixture of frozen strawberries, cherries, and blueberries. Use any mixture of berries you prefer.

Optional – Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice: I include this as an optional ingredient because people don’t always have some oranges lying around. You could swap for store-bought OJ or replace the amount of OJ with coconut water.

How to Make this Berry Rhubarb Smoothie: It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1. 1. Gather your ingredients
   2. Add them all to your blender
   3. Blend Until Smooth

I’m a Registered Dietitian and This is How I Serve This Berry Rhubarb Smoothie

This smoothie has about 30g of sugar and 6g of fiber, but only about 2g of protein. Usually, for a meal like breakfast, I am mindful to include at least 15g of protein. Did you know, including 15-30g of protein with breakfast is great for hunger management?

With that in mind, when I drink this Berry Rhubarb Smoothie at breakfast I like to bump up the protein by either serving this with a couple of eggs, adding some full-fat Greek yogurt, or adding a scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder.

Additionally, this smoothie makes for a terrific snack. I love to freeze ice cube trays full of 2 tbsp of my Rhubarb Compote so during the hot summertime months, I can whip up a Rhubarb smoothie after a long hot day of adventuring around the Columbia Gorge.

Sharper Nutrition Fix: Rhubarb

What is Rhubarb and how does it taste?

Rhubarb is technically a springtime veggie, however it is often eated like a fruit. The edible part of this perennial plant is the bright pink-redish stalk. The redder the stalk the sweeter the flavor.

Rhubarb is pretty sour, think lemonly sour, and therefore often cooked with sugar to make it extra tasty. Many people associate rhubarb with strawberries because they are often paired together in desserts.

Storage of Rhubarb Stalks

You can store rhubarb stalks in either the refrigerator or freezer. 

Refrigerator: Wrap the rhubarb stalks up in a reusable produce bag, aluminum foil, or covered container. Store for 2-3 weeks in the crisper drawer of your fridge. 

Freezer: Slice the stalks into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Then, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 4 hours. Once fully frozen, transfer the rhubarb to a reusable freezer bag and store it for 6 months to a year.

Like this Berry Rhubarb Smoothie?

This Berry Rhubarb Smoothie will have your tastebuds singing “it’s spring!”

Other recipes featuring my Honey Rhubarb Compote recipe include:

Honey Rhubarb Parfait

Lemon Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Also, check out my article about Rhubarb and why it should be on your produce list for your next farmer’s market visit on Hood River Eats a blog that shares what’s going on with local food makers in Hood River and its surrounding communities.

References:

https://www.almanac.com/plant/rhubarb