There’s a particular kind of morning where I don’t want to cook, don’t want to think, and don’t want to stand at the bench peeling anything. On those mornings I make this. Nine things go into the blender, and a few seconds later I’m holding a glass of something green that actually tastes like a good idea rather than a punishment.
This one comes from the Golden Door kitchen, where Executive Chef David Hunter put it together for Shane Crawford. I’ve made it so many times now that I could do it half-asleep, which, honestly, is sometimes the situation.
What I like about it is the balance. Kale on its own can be a bit much first thing. The apple and the juice of an orange soften the edges, the mint lifts it, and a little ginger gives it a quiet warmth at the back of the throat. It’s a green juice recipe that doesn’t taste like you’re being told off.
I’ve come to think of a drink like this as a small act of looking after yourself, the kind you can repeat without much thought. Not a cleanse, not a fix, just a generous serve of plants before the day gets loud. On the mornings I drink it, I notice I’m a bit kinder to myself by mid-morning, more inclined to reach for real food at lunch. Whether that’s the greens or simply the habit of starting gently, I couldn’t tell you. Both, probably.
What goes in, and why I love each bit
None of these ingredients are showing off. They’re the sort of things that hang around in the crisper drawer anyway, which is exactly why this juice has lasted in my routine.
The cucumber and celery are the water and the spine of the drink. They give it volume and a clean, almost cooling base so it never feels thick or heavy. The apple and the orange juice bring the sweetness, and they’re doing the diplomatic work, talking the kale down off its high horse. The kale is the point of the whole thing, of course, all that deep green colour, and a packed cup is more than it looks once it collapses in the blender.
Then there are the small touches that make it feel considered. A quarter teaspoon of fresh ginger is barely anything, but you’d miss it if it were gone. The mint reads as freshness more than flavour, a top note that makes the glass smell like spring. And the lucuma powder is the quiet sweetener that ties the lot together. The water or ice is simply there to loosen it to a drinkable consistency.
Ingredients
- ½ a cucumber
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 apple (core and seeds removed)
- ¼ tsp fresh ginger
- 1 cup of fresh kale packed
- Sprig fresh mint
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tsp lucuma powder
- ¼ cup of water or 6 ice cubes
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
That really is it. Blend until smooth, give it a taste, and add a splash more water if you’d like it thinner. I usually let it run a good thirty seconds or so, because kale and celery have a bit of fibre to break down and you want it silky rather than gritty. If your blender is on the gentler side, chop the apple and cucumber roughly first so it has an easier time. Recipe by Golden Door’s Executive Chef David Hunter.
Serves 1 generously, or 2 small glasses.
How I make it work on a real morning
The lucuma powder is the one ingredient people ask about. It’s a mild, malty South American fruit powder with a soft sweetness, and it rounds the whole thing out. If you haven’t got any, the juice will still be lovely without it, just a touch sharper. A teaspoon of honey or a couple of soft dates blended in will do a similar job if you want that gentle background sweetness.
I tend to drink this slowly rather than knock it back. There’s something steadying about starting the day with a glass of greens and a few quiet minutes before the house wakes up. I’ll often sit with it by the window and not look at my phone, which sounds like a tiny thing but sets a different tone for the hours that follow. If you’re new to the green-juice habit, the team at Nutrition Australia have sensible, no-hype guidance on fitting more vegetables into a normal week, and it pairs nicely with the idea of foods that help you feel calm rather than wired.
For variations, swap the apple for a pear when they’re in season, or push the mint to a small handful if you love that cooling note. A squeeze of lime instead of the orange makes it brighter and a little more grown-up. In the colder months I sometimes warm to the idea of more greens, not fewer, so I’ll add a few baby spinach leaves alongside the kale for an even softer flavour. If you’re after a fuller breakfast that travels in the same gentle direction, the green smoothie bowl and the gluten-free granola both sit well alongside this. And on the days my body wants something warm instead, I reach for the honey and lemon tea and save the juice for tomorrow. For more on building a steady, plant-forward plate, Better Health Victoria is a calm, trustworthy place to read.
Make it the night before if mornings are chaos at your place. Blend, pour into a jar, lid on, fridge. It’ll separate a little, so give it a shake before you drink it. The colour fades slightly overnight but the taste holds up fine.
A word on the blender-versus-juicer question, since it comes up. This recipe says blend, and I’d keep it that way. Blending leaves the fibre in, which means the drink is more filling and the sweetness from the apple and orange lands a little softer on you. If you strain it through a nut-milk bag for a thinner, juicier finish, you’ll lose that, so I rarely bother. Whole and slightly textured suits the way I like to drink it.
One small confession: I never measure the kale anymore. A loose, generous cup is what the recipe says, and that’s a good place to start, but some mornings I tip in a bit extra and call it breakfast.
– Tanya Pryce, Golden Door Living
