Strawberry Lassi Recipe

An Indian smoothie, baby – that’s what a Strawberry Lassi is!

Cool, refreshing and just sweet enough, a fresh strawberry lassi is good for whatever ails you, as my mother used to say. Whether you are afflicted with a touch of the vapors, or a chronic case of cranky-pants, this will cure it.   

A traditional drink in India, a lassi is based on tangy yogurt or buttermilk, and can be flavored with all sorts of things – mango, strawberry, rosewater or mint for a sweet version, or toasted cumin, garlic, turmeric and/or ground chili powder for a more savory type. Mace and cardamom are also sometimes included.

But so we don’t scare anyone off with a toasted cumin drink, let’s do an easy strawberry version. It could be breakfast, lunch, after-school snack or even dessert. You choose!

All you need is a blender, some fruit and yogurt, and you’re there.

Strawberry Lassi

8 ounces fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved
1 (8-ounce; 1 cup) container strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt (can use plain Greek yogurt)
1 yogurt container of crushed ice (or ice cubes)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Tiny pinch salt
1-2 tablespoons agave syrup (if needed)

Put all ingredients except agave in a blender, put the lid on and blend on high speed until smooth and light pink. Taste and add agave as needed; some strawberries are sweeter than others, so adjust sweetener to your taste. (Also, if you end up using plain unsweetened yogurt, you may find you need more sweetener.) Blend on high to combine.

Pour into pretty glasses and serve. This looks particularly beautiful and festive in stemmed or frosted glasses.

Serves 3-4.

Note: Voskos brand makes a strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt, as do other producers.

Tagged as: agave syrup, almond extract, blender, breakfast drink, drink, Greek yogurt, lassi, orange juice, strawberries, Voskos Greek yogurt