A vegan taro smoothie made with boiled and mashed taro root, coconut milk, sugar and ice is smooth, creamy and ever so slightly sweet. Both vegan and gluten-free.Â
The first time I tried taro flavored anything was in a frozen yogurt shop in Washington DC. There was a taro fro-yo that I was intrigued enough to grab a sample of.
Oh my god.
So good. So pretty purple in color and so smooth with a ever so slightly sweet and creamy after taste. Yes please. Luckily there happened to be a Vietnamese girl working at the shop who was able to tell me more about this mysterious taro flavor.
She told me it came from the taro root, a vegetable similar to the potato which is prevalent in Asian cooking.
Hmmm I had never heard of it nor seen it in any grocery stores. It’s not exactly sold at the town Stop and Shop.
Once my travels took me to China though, when locals invited D and I to dinner and naturally ordered everything on the menu for us, taro was one of their picks. This time it was boiled and pan fried with a medley of spices.
Wow. Kind of like potatoes but oh so much better. The root vegetable is white with flecks of purple inside and so when blended together it really gives off that purple tint. Pretty and delicious.
Now I literally run into every fro-yo shop looking for taro flavor. Unfortunately it can be pretty hard to find.
When D and I just rented an apartment in Vancouver we happened to be in a predominantly Asian neighborhood, to my delight because the nearby Safeway grocery store was packed with all sorts of Asian ingredients you wouldn’t normally find in a chain grocery store.
One of these delicacies was raw taro root.
YAY!
I couldn’t help myself and bought a 2 pound package of taro. From there, I cut off the rough brown outer skin, cut it into 1-2 two inch chunks and boiled in water until soft when pierced with a fork.
Using about half of the cooked taro I mashed it up with a fork and decided to make taro smoothie.
And that’s where these purple beauties come in.
With a bit of coconut milk, sugar, water and ice these came together in a snap.
Creamy, smooth, and delicious.
Taro flavor is kind of hard to describe. If I had just one word it would have to be….
Pleasant.
Taro is simply pleasant. And because it’s similar in texture to a potato I’m sure you can imagine how super creamy it gets when blended. In the same way that bananas when blended have a super creamy consistency (like in my Vegan Piña Colada Smoothie), taro has that same effect in a smoothie.
So next time you kind yourself face to face with this mysterious root vegetable with purple flecks in the flesh, buy a bunch and make these vegan and gluten-free taro smoothie (or if smoothies aren’t for you just boil and pan fry — that’s delicious too).
If you’re looking for more smoothie tips and tricks take a look at this free smoothie class on Skillshare.
So although a taro smoothie might some strange at first I highly encourage you to try it out for yourself – the taro smoothie is definitely one of D’s favorites!
If you’re looking for more smoothie ideas be sure to check out my:
- Superfood Kale Smoothie with Maca, Pear and Banana → PIN For Later
- Spinach and Pear Breakfast SmoothieÂ
- Vegan Piña Colada Smoothie → PIN For Later Â
- Vegan Mango Smoothie Â
Or if you prefer a proper smoothie bowl instead check out my:
Other smoothie recipes you’ll love include the Creamy Banana Nutella Smoothie, the Deliciously Refreshing Mango Smoothie, this Blueberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie Recipe and the Saffron Makhaniya Lassi Recipe (and an Indian inspired dessert to go with this smoothie is the Indian Dessert Rava Kesari)
How to make taro smoothie
- 1 cup mashed cooked taro
- 1 cup cocount milk
- 3 ice cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
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Blend everything together until smooth. Add more water if needed to thin out the smoothie.
I used to see taro in the Asian grocery stores when I lived in Arizona! Aw, this makes me miss those days. I hope I see taro again someday to give this a try. I had no idea what to do with it back then! This smoothie sounds so soothing and yummy!
Taro is definitely an odd vegetable — especially when you cut it open and see the purplish specks on the inside. It is so good though, both in smoothies or just boiled and pan fried.
What type of coconut milk for this smoothie…from a can or the carton unsweetened coconut milk?
You can use either. The one from the can is thicker and richer than the one in the carton so it is up to you!
looks amazing! cant wait to give it a try- i’ve never cooked fresh taro!
Thanks! Taro is the best!
My wife grew up in southeast Asia so taro has never been in shortage around our home. After I boil them I cut them into eight even sized pieces and put them in the freezer. It’s easy to keep quite a number ready for use. When I add one to a smoothie it blends perfectly and helps keep the smoothie cold and delicious.
Taro is the best!