Recipe by Carole Romagnolli, Wellness Chef

With the warmer months of approaching, it’s nice to leave aside heavier winter meals and make room for refreshing smoothie bowls.

Our number one favourite is the Acai Bowl. For those of you unfamiliar with this beauty, “acai” (pronounced a-sigh-ee) is a small, round, purplish berry from the acai palm, native to Brazil and the upper parts of Amazon forest.

The dark purple colour of acai is an indicator that it’s loaded with polyphenols and anthocyanins (a flavonoid pigment also found in beets, blackberries and blueberries) and packed full of antioxidants. Acai is also loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and fibber; no wonder why it is considered a superfood.

You can find frozen acai pulp in health food shops and major supermarket chains.

This smoothie bowl is so easy to prepare and also lots of fun, as you can play with a variety of chopped fruit, nuts and seeds as toppings.

ACAI SMOOTHIE BOWL: 2 serves

Ingredients: 

2 packets of unsweetened frozen acai pulp

2 frozen banana

½ cup frozen blueberries

1 cup coconut water 

Toppings: 

Your imagination is the limit.

Here I used strawberries, kiwi fruit, sliced banana, passionfruit pulp, pepitas, sesame seeds, pine nuts, Brazil nuts and hemp seeds.  

Directions: 

1. Place all ingredients for the smoothie bowl in a high-powered blender and blend for a couple of minutes or until smooth.

2. Pour into two bowls and top with your choice of fruits and crunchy bits.