Fruit and Spice Lassis

Each Thursday, Emily Vikre (a.k.a fiveandspice) will be sharing a new way to love breakfast -- because breakfast isn't just the most important meal of the day. It's also the most awesome.

Today: A summer-y, yogurt-y take on a smoothie.

As a general rule I like to eat my food, not drink it. I think this is why I’ve never been able to fully embrace the smoothie-for-breakfast mania. Entirely incongruously though, I do, on occasion, like a lassi for breakfast. This makes absolutely no sense, given that a lassi is essentially a smoothie, but I’ve never cared for making too much sense.

The difference (for me, at least, because this distinction may have no actual basis in reality) between a lassi and a smoothie is that a lassi gives you more unbridled yogurty goodness.  A smoothie is more about frozen fruit; a lassi is more about dairy. Also, a lassi is a smoothie with a reputation untarnished by an overproliferation of mediocre versions in chain coffee shops. And as yet, lassis have been unsullied by the addition of kale. (Don’t get me wrong. I love kale. I just don’t like it blended up, and especially not with berries. Sorry if I’ve offended you.)

There’s no real reason to try to improve on the classic mango lassi. It’s already an ideal type. At the same time, there’s also no real reason not to off-road with your lassi ingredients -- and so I do, blending up a wide variety of fruit (whatever’s looking appealing) with spices and sometimes nuts. These two, a peach-pistachio-cardamom version and a cantaloupe-lime-cayenne one, are my two current favorites. They’re lightly sweet, chilly, frothy, and perfect for a sunny summer morning, particularly if you feel like sipping breakfast rather than chewing.   

Peach Pistachio Lassi 

Serves 2

2 small, or one very large, peaches, pitted and cut into chunks (no need for peeling)
2 tablespoons pistachios
1 ½ cup Greek-style yogurt, preferably full-fat
2 pinches ground cardamom
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey (optional - if your peaches are nice and ripe you probably won't need it)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold milk

See the rest of the recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by Emily Vikre