Salted Tahini Maca Smoothie

I know there’s be a lot of smoothies at Running on Real Food lately but it’s summer and I don’t feel like cooking much lately. This Salted Tahini Maca Smoothie is a little different but it’s really, really yummy and very filling and satisfying. Tahini is one of my favourite ingredients both for it’s flavour and nutritional benefits and maca is a wonderful adaptogenic superfood that pairs well with the other flavours in this healthy, nourishing smoothie.

Plant-Based Staples: Tahini

Let’s talk about tahini for a sec. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s rich, nutty flavour and extra-creamy consistency works in both sweet and savoury uses and it’s one my very favourite ingredients. It’s my go-to ingredient for salad dressings and sauces and I love making desserts like Tahini Caramel Cups or Tahini Hemp Seed Bars out of it too.

One of my favourite ways to dress a salad is tahini + hot sauce + lemon + salt and pepper. Oh baby, it’s so good. Tahini doesn’t just taste good either, it’s actually very nutritious and a great alternative to nut butters if you can’t eat nuts.

Health Benefits of Tahini

• rich in phosphorus, magnesium , potassium, zinc, copper and iron
• good source of calcium
• high in vitamin E and B vitamins like thiamine
• it’s high iron content can help prevent iron deficiency and fatigue
• higher in protein than most other nuts and seeds
• contains healthy fats
• contains lignans shown to have anticancer and heart-supporting abilities

Regardless of all good stuff, I mostly just love tahini for it’s smooth, creamy texture and nutty flavour. If you love sesame, you will love tahini and It’d recommend keeping it stocked in your kitchen as a healthy, plant-based staple.

Adaptogenic Maca

You may have seen the word adaptogen spreading around social media like wild fire as of late. They’re the latest trend and all the rage in the healthy living world. But what are adaptogens? Adaptogenic herbs are natural substances that help the body adapt to stress. Adaptogens help deal with ongoing stress and fatigue by regulating important hormones in the body. They can calm you down, boost your energy, normalize imbalances and support adrenal function, all of which helps the body counteract the effects of stress. Whether you need a boost in energy, or something to calm you down, adaptogenic herbs can help you find balance.

Adaptogenic herbs are nothing new and have been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for centruries to treat a range of health concerns. The most well-known of adaptogens is probably ginseng but others adaptogens include holy basil, ashwaganda, astralagus, moringa, milk thistle, maca, eleuthero and bacopa.

Maca is one of these so-called natural adaptogenic substances and I find the easiest way to include maca in my diet is is to blend it into beverages. This might be a smoothie or a latte-inpsired superfood drink, the likes of which you’ve probably seen on social media too. These coffee-style elixirs often have adaptogens like ashwaganda, reishi and maca added them along with other common elixir ingredients like coconut butter and matcha.

Each adaptogens differs in the specific benefits it offers. Maca’s benefits include:

• hormone balancing
• increased fertility
• boosts immunity
• increased energy, stamina and improved sexual function
• high minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium
• contains essential fatty acids, fibre, protein and amino acids
• supports adrenal fatigue
• reduces stress hormones
• promotes a general sense of well-being

For more maca recipes, check out my Maca Hemp Seed Balls and Maca Mocha Energy Bites.

Frozen Cauliflower in a Smoothie?

Frozen cauliflower in a smoothie? Yep, you read right.  If you missed my post on the best vegetables to add to smoothies, go check that out before you decide adding cauliflower to smoothies is crazy. You really can’t taste it in here and it’s adds a ton of volume without adding sugar or calories. Cauliflower is also very nutritious and by sneaking it into smoothies we can take easily advantage of it’s benefits on a regular basis. When blended into a smoothie, it adds a creamy texture with little to no added taste.

I freeze my cauliflower for smoothies raw, some people steam it first. It’s up to you. If you have a sensitive digestive system, you may find lightly steaming it first is easier on your digestion. I have no problem digesting a lot of raw veggies so I just chop it into small pieces and freeze it raw.

If you’re not quite ready for this tahini maca cauliflower combo and want to try a more traditional smoothie with cauliflower in it, check out my Blueberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl.

Salted Tahini Maca Smoothie

Aright, my friends. About this extra thick and beautifully smooth Salted Tahini Maca Smoothie. This creamy delight is a little different than your typical spinach, banana and almond combo. Let’s see what we got.

• tahini for healthy fats, protein, extra creaminess and it’s nutty flavour
• maca for it’s health benefits
• dates for energizing carbohydrates, nutrition and natural sweetness
• vegan protein powder for added protein
• unsweetened almond milk or other plant-based milk of choice
• frozen cauliflower bits for added volume, fibre and tons of nutrition,
• unrefined crystal sea salt for flavour and minerals 
• true cinnamon for nutrition and flavour
• turmeric for nutrition and flavour

Smoothie Bowl or Soft-Serve?

This smoothie is extra-thick and creamy and best enjoyed with a spoon or thick straw. If you prefer, you can always add a little extra plant-based milk to make it more drinkable. Or, try using less liquid to make it even thicker and have it comes out like soft-serve ice cream. Top that with some crumbled cookie dough balls and you’re in serious business.

I topped my tahini smoothie with black sesame seeds, toasted coconut flakes, sea salt, coconut mixed with cinnamon and 2-ingredient raw granola. It was amazing.

More Smoothie Recipes

Here are some more delicious smoothies you might enjoy:

• Orange Mango Smoothie
• Papaya Smoothie
• Beet Orange Smoothie
• Sweet Potato Smoothie

Print