Pumpkin and Parsnip Smoothies
My apartment building is old as heck, so the heating system has its fair share of issues. Perhaps the biggest problem is that no matter what we do, we cannot turn off the baseboard heaters. There is a thermostat in the living room set to 50 degrees (the lowest possible setting) and yet our unit is consistently 75 degrees or higher because the heaters simply do not turn off. Luckily we can open the door to cool it down, but this is an incredible waste of energy and leaves me feeling guilty every time.
That being said, I don't turn on the oven these days unless I absolutely need to. While everyone else has been baking pies and cozy dishes to warm up, I have truly just been wanting an ice-cold smoothie. That's where this recipe comes in: it has all the flavors of a perfect fall dish without the heat that many fall foods bring. I assume most of you have functioning heating systems, but I hope you will still enjoy this refreshing change of pace from the warmth of fall.
This recipe also features the underappreciated parsnip: an earthy, spicy carrot-esque root vegetable. I chose to put parsnips in this smoothie because they are in peak season right now and have a spicy flavor that perfectly compliments pumpkin pie spices. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Makes: 8 large smoothies
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
2 cups water (for soaking cashews)
1 medium (6-ounce) parsnip, chilled
3 1/2 cups (29 ounces) pumpkin puree, chilled
1/3 cup maple syrup, chilled
2 teaspoons ground pumpkin pie spice
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand you can use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, a pinch of ground allspice and a pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of salt
4-6 cups of nut milk, or enough to achieve desired consistency
Steps
Place cashews in a medium heat-safe bowl and set aside. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour water over cashews. Place a lid (or heat-safe plate) over the bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, drain off the water and rinse off the cashews with cold water.
Place cashews and roughly chopped parsnips in a large blender or food processor and blend until pureed. Add all ingredients except the milk to the blender and blend until well combined. Add the milk about half a cup at a time until your favorite consistency is reached. Drink up!
Sustainability Tips
Cashews: Forever and always buy fair trade cashews. Most cashews sold in the U.S. are grown and processed in Africa, India or Vietnam at operations associated with nasty practices and poor working conditions (think: acid burns and forced labor). Buying Fair Trade means you can avoid supporting these operations.
Parsnip: Getting the parsnip from your own back yard is the most sustainable option, but local and organic fruits are your second-best bet. Local varieties will be easiest to find when they're in season, so be sure to make this recipe in the fall or winter.
Pumpkin: If you're making the puree from a fresh baking pumpkin, buy the pumpkin locally and organically to reduce GHG emissions and pesticide use. If you're buying canned, go for organic and don't forget to recycle the can!
Syrup: Go for local syrup! This will decrease GHGs from travel and maybe even help you get to know your local syrup producers. Read all about it in my liquid sweeteners post!