5 Refreshing, Creative Summer Juice Recipes

By Amy Marturana for Well+Good

You’re probably juicing year-round because your body loves the vitamins and minerals. But when outside temps are well over 90 degrees, you may want to sip a cool, refreshing juice simply as a survival tactic.

Austin-based Daily Greens founder Shauna Martin hits both of these needs in her recently released book, Daily Greens 4-Day Cleanse, and it includes lots of juice recipes that tap the fresh, seasonal produce that’s bursting with flavor and color this time of year.

RELATED: 3 recipes for every level of green juice drinker

“When an ingredient is picked in season, it’s at the height of its potential nutrient content, so you should get the most potential nutrients out of it,” Martin says.

Plus, in addition to helping you stay hydrated and energized in the heat, these recipes take your juice game to the next level with creative, in-season ingredients, like bell peppers, zucchini, and cantaloupe.

Click through to check out five of Martin’s favorite summer recipes, and try not to melt in the meantime, okay?

Yellow Bell Pepper Juice

“Don’t let the color of this drink fool you. It’s chock full of green goodness!” says Martin.

1 cucumber
3 to 5 celery stalks, bottoms removed
2 to 3 kale leaves
1 yellow bell pepper (yellow capsicum)
Handful of basil (3 to 4 leaves)
½ lemon, peeled (optional)

Wash the cucumber, celery, kale, bell paper, and basil. Remove the top and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer. If you need to cut the “greenness,” use ½ lemon. If not, skip it. Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!

Melon Green Juice with Chia Seeds

“Several years ago, my sister turned me onto the benefit of eating chia seeds for hydration. She would put them in a mason jar with water, a little lime, and Stevia to soak overnight. She would drink it the next morning after her run, to rehydrate and replenish. I tried it a few times and liked it so much that I started soaking chia seeds overnight in filtered water and then adding them to my green juice the next day. Soaking the chia seeds releases all of their fabulous nutrients–including super-hydrating electrolyte minerals, which will make your green juice more hydrating than ever. They also give your green juice an interesting texture.”

1 cucumber
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of mint (3 to 4 leaves)—optional
½ cup cubed cantaloupe
½ cup cubed watermelon
1/8 tsp sea salt
¼ cup chia seeds, soaked overnight in filtered water, then drained (optional)

RELATED: Why Chia seeds are the superfood du jour

Wash the cucumber, spinach, and mint. Run all ingredients except salt and seeds through your juicer and scrape off foam (if desired). Sprinkle in the salt and chia seeds (optional), stir, and enjoy!

Honeydew Watercress Green Juice

“This green juice combines three of my favorite summer ingredients: sweet honeydew, creamy zucchini, and a touch of spiciness from the watercress,” says Martin.

1 zucchini
Handful of watercress (1/3 bunch)
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 3 to 4 stems)
3 to 4 celery stalks, bottoms removed
1 cup cubed honeydew melon
1/8 tsp sea salt (optional, but recommended)

Wash the zucchini, watercress, cilantro, and celery. Run all ingredients through your juicer and scrape off foam (if desired). Season with salt, if desired, stir, and enjoy.

Peach Green Juice

“Peaches may be my all-time favorite fruit during the summer. I love stopping at farm stands and buying them directly from farmers. Don’t refrigerate them, as they taste much better warm and ripe straight from the farm. They make a scrumptious addition to a green juice.”

1 cucumber
1 peach
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of mint (3 to 4 leaves)
¼ inch piece ginger root
1/8 pineapple or ¾ cup pineapple chunks

Wash the cucumber, peach, spinach, mint, and ginger. Cut and core the peach, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer. Top and tail the pineapple, peel it, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer.

RELATED: Peach Basil Boost Smoothie

Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!

Zucchini Pear Green Juice with Cilantro

“Zucchini makes a perfect substitute for cucumber in any green juice,” says Martin. “It gives the juice a slightly creamy texture. I love using zucchini in my green juice all summer long while it’s in season.”

1 pear
1 zucchini
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 3 to 4 stems)

RELATED: An amazing recipe for Zucchini Carpaccio

Wash all ingredients well. Cut and core the pear, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer. Chop the zucchini into pieces that will fit through your juicer. Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!

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