| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 27 min |
| Prep: | 2 min |
| Inactive: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 5 min |
| Yield: | 1 1/2 cups |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 cups Lemon Simple Syrup, recipe follows
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the yogurt, basil, Lemon Simple Syrup, and ice. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into frosted glasses and serve immediately.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 242 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 54 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 10 mg |
| Sodium | 41 mg |
Reviews
Delicious. When I made simple syrup I used all the zest of a very large lemon and also the juice. It gave the syrup a more citrus taste, and I also used less in the smoothie so it wasn’t so sweet.
Yummy, added some blueberries and less simple syrup. It was delicious treat for the summer!
This is very refreshing and has the most unique flavor. This is a delicious alternative to classic fruit smoothies if you are looking for something different- The only thing that I did differently was I reduced the amount of sugar in the Lemon Simple Syrup since I was using lightly sweetened Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt gives this recipe a really nice texture.
Very Fresh and cleanses the palate! I am in culinary school and we were having a competition within my class of who could make the best smoothie. When I told the master chef about this recipe he seemed intrigued. He wanted to thicken it the day I made it, so we added two bananas and just a bit of fresh lemon juice to cut down the sweetness! Everyone LOVED this smoothie! We garnished it with some orange and lemon zest on top! Delicious!!
I absolutley loved this smoothie…the lemon, & basil was a great combo. T he only thing I did change was the amount of simple syrup I used, just a little adjustment. I love watching Giada at home…one of my favorites on the Food Network. I would like to start seeing some new episodes. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Super delicious! It’s fresh and bright and perfect for summertime. The only reason this isn’t a five-star recipe is that Giada didn’t take time to measure the quantities, so she got them wrong. Those who complain that it’s too sweet are absolutely right — use one-third to one-half of the simple syrup that she calls for. The reason it still deserves five stars is that the combination of basil and lemon zest is pure genius — you have to try it to believe it.
Giada, I was working out at the gym and watched your show while on the treadmill. I made the recipe when I got home because I had a ton of basil and thought it would be a way to use some of it. I absolutely love this smoothie, and so does my husband. I can’t wait to make it again:-
Since I’m not a huge fan of basil, I used fresh spinach instead. I liked the sweetness of the simple syrup. I put all ingredients except the ice in the blender and mixed. I stored this in the fridge and when I want the smoothie I shake the container, pour what I want into the blender with ice, voila fresh smoothie
I usually love Giada’s recipes and was really looking forward to trying this one, but I didn’t enjoy it. It was WAY too sweet. I would use the simple syrup in other things, though (like iced tea. I’m glad I found that part of the recipe!
Loved this!!! So delicious! Make sure it’s really blended at the end. It made enough for about 3 people, so if you’re serving for more than 3 I would double.