Layered Mango-Strawberry Lassi-Inspired Smoothie

As the heat rises in the summertime, so does the heat level in the food I make, and I'm not talking temperature! There's something about a hot day that has me craving spicy food. While my tolerance for spice is pretty good, I've been known to push my own limits from time to time, resulting in me turning to shots of milk or yogurt to fan the flames on my tongue. Whenever I order in Indian food I'm reminded of how soothing a cold lassi can be after a hot-as-fire bite of curry. With that in mind, and my tendency for putting hot chilli oil on my morning eggs, I wanted to create a lassi-inspired smoothie that could aid in keeping my tastebuds happy and cool when enjoying my spicy morning eggs. With Ontario strawberries still in the markets, I wanted to combine the mango-flavoured lassi that I'm most familiar with, with a strawberry one in a unique way that would allow the flavours of each to shine individually.

I adore the flavour of honey that always shines through in the lassi's that I've tried, so I kept that consistent, using it as my sweetener. To switch things up a little bit, I also chose to use a lighter Greek yogurt to give the drink that same rich taste that I love in a lassi, but with a more viscous consistency that's easier to drink in the morning. While I had previously never tried any myself, I had read that there are some lassi's that can be infused with rose water, turmeric, or saffron. I loved the idea of really making that yellow colour pop against the pink strawberry smoothie, so I infused the honey with some saffron to give it that extra intensity.

Not only does this layered lassi-inspired smoothie look gorgeous, it's also delicious and cooling! I love the idea of serving this smoothie for an elegant outdoor summer brunch for friends and family. Let me know how you enjoyed this layered lassi-inspired smoothie in the comments below!

Tip: If you're shot on time, forget about layering and just toss all the ingredients together!

Ingredients:
For the Mango Lassi Smoothie
2 cups Metro Irresistibles Frozen Mango Chunks, thawed
2 tsp Metro Irresistibles Organics Pure Honey
pinch of saffron threads
1/2 cup Metro Irresistibles 0º Plain Greek Yogurt
handful of ice

For the Strawberry Lassi Smoothie
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced
3 tsp Metro Irresistibles Organics Pure Honey
1/2 cup Metro Irresistibles 0º Plain Greek Yogurt
handful of ice

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, add mango chunks and blend until relatively smooth.
2. In a small bowl add the honey and saffron threads and stir to combine. Add to blender with Greek yogurt. Blend until very smooth. Add a handful of ice, blend, and transfer to a container and set aside in fridge. Clean blender or food processor bowl.
3. In a clean blender, add strawberries and blend until relatively smooth. 
4. Add honey and Greek yogurt and blend until very smooth. Add a handful of ice and blend.
5. Divide the Mango Lassi Smoothie between 2-4 cups (depending on the serving size you prefer). Using a large spoon to avoid the two smoothies from mixing, carefully spoon the Strawberry Lassi Smoothie over the Mango Lassi Smoothie. Serve immediately!

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:
Snail Mail - Pristine