Name: Passionate Dragon Smoothie
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 2½ cups frozen dragon fruits chunks; 4 ounces frozen passion fruit pulp, broken into 2-inch pieces; 4 ounces silken tofu; ½ ripe banana , peeled; 1 cup water , plus extra as needed

Why This Recipe Works

Dragon fruit, with its dramatic appearance and exciting name, comes in a variety of internal colors and was a tempting ingredient choice. It had a light, sweet flavor but was ultimately underwhelming. The purply-pink hue from the frozen fruit was too pretty to pass up, though, so we decided to enhance its natural flavor with the assertive taste of tart, tangy passion fruit. The tropical combination was irresistible, with its inviting color and fruity flavor. Blending in banana gave an almost buttery quality to the smoothie that helped balance the tartness of the passion fruit with a mild sweetness. For a creamy emulsifier that disappeared into the drink, we used silken tofu (its plant-based protein was an added boon) and blended everything for a full minute to achieve our desired smooth texture.

Before You Begin

Passion fruit pulp is often sold in the freezer section with other fruits.

Instructions

In order listed, add all ingredients to blender and process on low speed until mixture is combined but still coarse in texture, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Gradually increase speed to high and process until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Adjust consistency with extra water as needed. Serve.