5-Minute Jugo Verde (Authentic Mexican Green Juice)
Jugo Verde is a blended Mexican green juice loaded with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. This nutritious elixir promotes better health, vibrant skin, and overall energy and is one of my favorite Mexican drink recipes.
WHAT IS JUGO VERDE?
Jugo verde is as vibrant as the Mexican mercados from which it hails. Translated as “green juice,” it is loaded with nutrients and made with fresh fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens that will help you power through your day. This vibrant and refreshing drink is known for its detoxifying properties and nutritional benefits, which is probably why it is so popular among market goers in Mexico.
While jugo verde is not technically considered an agua fresca, you can learn more about traditional Mexican drinks in my article, All About Aguas Frescas.
WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Inspired by Mexico’s mercados: I’ve tasted quite a few jugos verdes in my day. As a self-proclaimed jugo verde aficionada, I enjoy tasting the various versions different mercados have to offer throughout Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico. The green juice that my tastebuds found most memorable, and the one that inspired this, was from a small mercado in a town outside of Oaxaca, called Mitla.
- Easy-to-find ingredients: In Mitla, the señoras blended a nutritious elixir for the mind, body, and soul that consisted of fresh orange juice, nopal (cactus paddle), pineapple, parsley, celery, and aloe vera and my recipe captures its essence. Most green juice recipes call for nopales and aloe vera. Since cactus and aloe vera may not be easily accessible for everyone, I have recreated the flavors I remember, with easy-to-find ingredients so you can make it at home.
- Easy-to-make: Making Mexican green juice is easy to make, but you must get the proportions just right to enjoy the mercado-grade concoction that I have come to love.
- Nutritious: a green machine powerhouse of beverages, this healthy juice is anti-inflammatory and loaded with vitamins and minerals such as fiber and vitamin C.
- No fancy equipment necessary: All you need to make this recipe is a blender! I use the Vitamix, which is a high-powered blender, but the señoras in Mexico never use anything fancy and the jugo comes out just fine.
INGREDIENTS
(full list of ingredients and amounts included in the recipe card below)
- Fresh orange juice is naturally rich in vital nutrients, such as vitamin C and potassium. It is also naturally sweet, so your jugo verde requires no additional sweeteners. Oranges also contain thiamine, folate, and potassium and are believed to help with anemia prevention, heart health, and kidney stone prevention. If you don’t have time to squeeze your own juice, check if your local grocery store carries Natalie’s Orange Juice. The organic ones from Trader Joe’s.
- Pineapples contain vitamin C and manganese and also have high amounts of antioxidants. These minerals and nutrients aid in boosting immunity and suppressing inflammation. I use the core, too.
- Green apples are lower in sugar and carbs than other apple varieties, and contain higher amounts of fiber, protein, potassium, iron, and vitamin K.
- Dinosaur kale is high in fiber, low in calories, and has zero fat and minimal flavor when blended. These attributes make this veggie a super easy addition to your drinks for weight loss or watching caloric intake, all while providing 75% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C in one serving.
- Cucumbers are packed with water, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
- Parsley is technically an herb and it is a vitamin powerhouse! Only ½ cup of parsley contains 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 53% of vitamin C, and 547% of the daily intake recommended for vitamin K.
- Celery stalk also aids in digestion due to its high fiber content.
For more of my favorite nutritious ingredients to add to drinks and smoothies, check out my article, Rise and Shine: 25 Nutritious Ingredients to Boost Your Morning Smoothie.
TOOLS, SUPPLIES, AND EQUIPMENT
- Blender: Oftentimes green juices in the U.S. are made with a juicer and are light (watery) in texture. In Mexico however, they’re made in a blender and are a bit thicker. The consistency of the Mexican version of green juice is somewhere between orange juice and a watery smoothie. I do not recommend straining it, as this would remove many of its natural healing powers.
- Glass pitcher or carafe + juice glasses for serving
RECOMMENDED FOR THIS RECIPE
Vitamix Professional-Grade Blender
I have owned a Vitamix blender for nearly 25 years and it is well worth the investment, especially for making smoothies, aguas frescas, and jugo verde! VIEW PRODUCT
HOW TO MAKE this recipe
This easy jugo verde requires a few simple steps and a total of five minutes:
Step 1
Prepare the fruits and vegetables. Wash all of the produce and chop it into large pieces.
Step 2
Add the orange juice, fruits, and vegetables to a blender.
Step 3
Blend until completely smooth.
Step 4
Serve chilled. You can pour over ice if you like it extra cold.
TIPS, TRICKS, AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- If using cold orange juice and ingredients, your juice should be ready right out of the blender.
- If you prefer your jugo ice-cold, add 3-4 ice cubes to it when blending. It is not meant to be icy or frozen, like a smoothie, but definitely colder than room temperature. Alternatively, serve your jugo over ice.
- Reduce the sugar in this recipe by substituting coconut water (it contains natural electrolytes!) for the orange juice.
- For extra potassium, add a banana to your jugo verde!
- For extra fiber and vitamins C, K, and E, add 1/4 cup of chopped cactus paddle.
- For digestive support and antioxidants, add about a tablespoon of fresh aloe vera pulp or a few fresh mint leaves.
- For additional immunity support, add fresh lime juice before blending.
HOW TO STORE
This green smoothie is best served as soon as you make it. However, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the health benefits of green juice?
The health benefits are endless! It is essentially a cocktail for better health, vibrant skin, and overall energy and contains anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. If you’re anything like me, this is precisely what I need at this stage in my life. Bottoms up to that!
Can I drink green juice every day?
The answer is yes and no. This juice is loaded with fiber and other nutrients to help you power through each of your days. However, if you are following a low-fiber or low-sugar diet, then it’s probably best to enjoy this drink in moderation.
Can jugo verde help with weight loss?
Jugo verde is also referred to as a green detox smoothie and can be a great addition to a weight loss plan as it is low in calories and high in nutrients. It is important to note that Mexican green juice should not be used as a meal replacement and should complement a well-balanced diet. I always drink mine en route to drop the kids off at school, then enjoy a protein-packed breakfast once I get home.
What does green juice do for you ?
Green juice provides essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health, boost the immune system, aid in digestion, and promote detoxification.
STORAGE TIPS
Ideally, it’s best to consume jugo verde immediately after preparation to retain its maximum nutritional value. However, I like to make enough to last 2-3 days and store it in a mason jar with a lid in the refrigerator.
LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?
- Rise and Shine: 25 Nutritious Ingredients to Boost Your Morning Smoothie
- Mexican Aguas Frescas and Drink Recipes
- Agua Fresca de Tamarindo
- Strawberry Beet Agua Fresca
- Mango Strawberry Agua Fresca
- All About Aguas Frescas
Jugo Verde (Mexican Green Juice)
Equipment
- Piitcher or carafe
- Juice glasses
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice chilled
- 4 dinosaur kale leaves
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 pineapple spear
- 1/2 green apple
- 1/3 cucumber with skin
- 10 parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Prepare the fruits and vegetables. Wash all of the produce and chop it into large pieces.
- Blend orange juice, fruits, and vegetables until completely smooth.
- Serve chilled.
A Note from Lola
- If using cold orange juice and ingredients, your juice should be ready right out of the blender.
- If you prefer your jugo ice-cold, add 3-4 ice cubes to it when blending. It is not meant to be icy or frozen, like a smoothie, but definitely colder than room temperature. Alternatively, serve your jugo over ice.
- Reduce the sugar in this recipe by swapping out the orange juice with coconut water, which contains natural electrolytes.
- For extra potassium, add a banana to your Jugo Verde!
- For extra fiber and vitamins C, K, and E, add 1/4 cup of chopped cactus paddle.
- For digestive support and antioxidants, add about a tablespoon of fresh aloe vera pulp or a few fresh mint leaves.
- For additional immunity support, add fresh lime juice before blending.
Nutrition
Originally published March 17, 2021 / Photography + Styling: Cacey McReavy (process shots by Lola)
Lola Wiarco Dweck
Lola is a Mexican-American recipe developer, writer, and cooking instructor who loves sharing her culture with the world. Growing up in California and spending summers in Mexico, Lola celebrates her family’s Mexican recipes and vibrant culture through Lola’s Cocina.
This recipe looks very close to what we drank over and over and over in Mexico City and Oaxaca and Guanajuato.
My favorite part of this smoothie is that you can’t taste the kale. I love the addition of ice cubes so that it’s nice and cold.
I had spare time at work (i work at a juice bar) so I whipped this bad boy up! We don’t have dinosaur kale just common curly kale but I still think it came out the same. Super delish, easy to make, and very refreshing!
Glad to hear you liked it! It’s great for your skin.:)
I really loved the juice, it was delicious. I love all the recipes that Lola puts on here.
Thank you, Darlene! Cheers to 2024.
I really love the pineapple in this jugo as it masks the bitter flavor of the kale! I personally don’t eat many greens so I kill many birds with one stone when drinking this. Yummy!
Yes, all of the fresh fruit overpowers the greens in this recipe so it’s delicious!
Good golly Miss Molly this is a well written and comprehensive recipe on all the natural goodness that comes from jugos verdes. I’ve been wanting to incorpoate a jugo verde into my weekly diet for quite some time now and this just gave me the boost I needed to make it happen. XOXO 💚
Stock up on the ingredients and get started ASAP! I usually make a quadruple batch.
I used regular kale (didn’t think to look up dinosaur variety before the store) and also used squeezed juice from the store. Still turned out great- though the kale I had was quite large, I used 2 1/2 large branches instead of 4.
That’s great – I’m glad you were able to adjust the recipe with regular kale and it still turned out great. I usually use dinosaur kale or spinach – whichever I have on hand. I like dinosaur kale because it lasts at least an entire week without wilting as long as I keep it in a mason jar with water.
I love this! Do you have a recipe for someone who DOES have regular access to nopal and aloe? I’d love to try it out that way.
Hi, Jay – my recommendation would be to add the equivalent of half of a small nopal paddle (about 1/3 cup nopal that has been cleaned and diced) and a tablespoon of aloe pulp to this recipe! That’s how the señoras in Oaxaca make it.
Wow, these are the exact flavors I crave in my jugo verde. It’s the perfect texture too, just like the ones I’ve tasted in Mexico. Thanks for sharing and making it with ingredients that are accessible to all of us.
So happy to hear that you love it! It’s the best.