Vegetable Juice
Vegetable juice made at home tastes sweeter and fresher than most bottled versions, and you choose exactly what goes in. This blend pairs carrots, beetroot and celery with a green apple for sweetness, a little ginger for warmth and lemon to lift it. It needs a juicer, takes about 10 minutes and makes two 200ml glasses.
- Total
- 10 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 115kcal
Before you start: vegetable juice
Carrots and apple supply most of the sweetness here, so a vegetable juice like this is naturally sweeter than a savoury blend with tomato or greens. Juicing also removes most of the fibre, which is why the sugars in the glass act more like those in a fruit juice, and why a small glass with food is a better way to enjoy it.
Beetroot stains hands, chopping boards and clothes, so rinse the board straight away. It can also turn your wee pink for a day, which is harmless.
How to make vegetable juice
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Prepare Scrub the carrots, beetroot and celery and wash the apple. Peel the beetroot if the skin is thick or earthy. Cut everything into pieces that fit the juicer chute, and cut the peel and pith off the lemon.
- Juice Feed the ingredients through the juicer, alternating hard and soft pieces: carrot, apple, beetroot, celery, ginger and lemon last. Soft items help push the harder pieces through and get more juice from them.
- Stir Pour the juice into a jug and stir well, as it separates quickly. Taste, and add a little more lemon or ginger if you want it sharper.
- Serve Pour into two glasses over ice, if you like, and drink straight away.
Variations and using the pulp
For a greener glass, swap the celery for a cucumber or add a handful of spinach. For a citrus-heavy drink, try the orange-based homemade orange juice, or keep to roots with a plain beetroot juice.
The leftover pulp is useful. Stir it into a soup or a stew, or add it to savoury muffin mixture or a vegetable burger.
Common problems and fixes for Vegetable Juice
- The juice is too earthy or too sweet.
- Beetroot gives the earthy note and carrot and apple the sweetness. Use half a beetroot for a milder juice, or add another celery stick and a squeeze more lemon to cut the sweetness.
- The juice is thick and foamy.
- Foam comes from fast centrifugal juicers. Skim it off with a spoon, or pour through a fine sieve.
- The pulp is wet and the yield is low.
- Cut the produce into smaller pieces and push gently. Wet pulp usually means the produce was soft or pushed too fast.
Frequently asked questions about Vegetable Juice
Can you make vegetable juice without a juicer?
Yes, with a blender. Blend the chopped vegetables with 100ml of water until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve or a clean muslin cloth, pressing out as much liquid as you can.
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Up to 24 hours in a covered jar or bottle in the fridge, though it tastes best on the day. Shake or stir before drinking, as it separates.
Does it count towards your 5 a day?
Yes, but only once. A 150ml glass of juice counts as one portion however much you drink, because juicing releases sugars from the cells of the fruit and vegetables. It is better drunk with a meal than between meals.
What can I use instead of beetroot?
Use a cucumber, which gives a milder, more watery juice, or an extra carrot and a little more apple for a sweeter one.
How did you like the recipe?
4.9 / 5 · 49 ratings
