No… I did not!
I didn’t dare… did I?
Oh yes, I did! 
I added goat cheese to a smoothie. A luscious, sweet, chocolaty smoothie.
With creamy goat cheese, and caramelized pears.
Oh, the decadence!
The idea came to me while discussing with Joann and Nora after I posted this Creamy Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad recipe. I just got the sudden inspiration to use avocado and goat cheese together in a smoothie.
For some reason, I often get inspirations like that when answering comments… Not a bad thing I guess, so keep ‘em comments coming guys, they seem to make my brain come up with super bright ideas.
Anyway, I LOVED the idea of using goat cheese in a smoothie so much that I HAD to try it, and the sooner the better.
I just thought that its tangy bite, its subtle saltiness, and delicious creaminess, would add so much to a nice thick, sweet and creamy smoothie.
It would definitely make for the most interesting sweet and savory experience, and you all know just how big a fan of that concept I happen to be!
I have to tell you that I was absolutely right! The combination is just straight out extraordinary. This tastes like heaven in a glass.
As much as I can’t wait to try the avocado / goat cheese combo, I opted to leave it out that time because I wanted the caramelized pear to really shine. And I just HAD to have the caramelized pear in there.
Hey, we all have to make decisions, sometimes. Some tougher than others.
This one was a no brainer, but fear not, though… I’ve got plenty of avocados in the fridge.
You know what that means…
Oh yeah! It will happen. Soon.
CARAMELIZED PEAR, CHOCOLATE AND GOAT CHEESE SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS
(Serves 1)
- 1 bosc pear
- 1 tbsp extra dark cocoa powder
- ¼ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 scoop unflavored whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 tbsp soft goat cheese
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs
- ¼ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch ground cardamom
DIRECTIONS
- Set your oven to broil.
- Cut your pear in half, remove the core and cut each half into 3-4 slices. Lay the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and dust very lightly with ground cardamom.
- Place your sliced pears in the oven under the broiler, and cook until they turn nice and golden brown and start to bubble at the surface, about 3-5 minutes, depending on rack position. Flip pear slices and cook until other side is golden. Make sure to keep a close eye on your pears so they don’t burn. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- You can make the pears in advance and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use (of course, you can do more than one at a time!)
- When pears are cold enough, add all the ingredients to a mini blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Transfer to serving glass and garnish with crumbled goat cheese and a few cacao nibs if desired.
That has got to be the most creative smoothie I have ever heard of. As a smoothie addict, making one once or twice daily, I have never ever thought of going as bold as this one. But to be honest, this is so brilliant, it seems like a perfect addition to any menu at a farm to table gourmet restaurant. While I am mostly vegan, goat cheese does hit a sweet spot with me, and combined with cacao… breath taking really. This is more like a piece of art than a recipe! Bravo!!!
Oh wow, thank you so much Lauren, I am truly flattered. This is the kind of comment that I would gladly have printed and framed!
You seriously made my day, thank you so much for that! 
OMG! I cannot wait to try this! I would be running to Wegmans right now to get the missing ingredients but I am out of town. I will definitely be making this as soon as I get home!
Hehe, I can’t wait to hear what you think, Joann! After all, you are somewhat “behind” this new creation of mine. Now, that would make you my partner in crime, wouldn’t it?
I truly hope you like it as much as I did!
I loved it!! I will definitely be making this one again. I’d love to see where you take my avocado/mango combination. I also got fennel yesterday so I could try the fennel/orange salad!
YAY!
So happy to hear you liked it! Now I need to get working on this mango/avocado combination. Hey, I happen to have both ingredients at home right now. I need to have a chat with my brains on my way home tonight… I’m sure he can come up with something! 
Can’t wait to hear what you think of the fennel and orange salad!
Joann, enjoying the mango / avocado combination as I type. I have but one thing to say: OMG. I’ll give you a sneak peek at the list of ingredients! Think avocado, mango, goat cheese, shredded coconut, white balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. WICKED! One of my favorite so far, I think. Can’t wait to share that recipe. Hope the pics turn out!
What an amazing flavour combo for a smoothie!
Wow, I am totally excited and surprised by this, you are a genius. I can’t wait to try this– its making the wheels in my head turn and seeing smoothies in a whole new view.
Hehe! Thank you so mucn Heather, I am totally flattered! Hope you like the combination! Make sure to share your thoughts if and when you try it!
I’d just discovered this site half an hour ago and immediately prepared this smoothie. Oh my God, that was delicious. I had it with a piece of buckwheat pie (this is a typical one from the region that I’m from in Poland). Gonna be a regular visitor!
Wow, you didn’t waste any time, did you? Glad you liked it! Sure is one of my favorites smoothies ever! I have more caramelized pears in the fridge (made a whole bunch this time!) guess what I’ll be having for breakfast this week!
Now… buckwheat pie? I sure would love to hear more. HUGE buckwheat fan here, but not familiar with a buckwheat pie. Do you have a recipe to share?
And real happy to hear you’ll be visiting regularly! Always a pleasure! And please, don’t be a stranger… Make sure to say hello when you drop by!
I definitely love the combo of flavors…and as the girl who put goat cheese in oatmeal, I say, why not!
Reading that list of ingredients makes me want to eat a tart with flavor combo inside. Have you found a way to make really flaky pastry? That’s one thing I’m still trying to crack.
Hey, you might very well be behind this inspiration. After all, if you hadn’t inspired me to add goat cheese to my oatmeal, I might have never thought of adding it to my smoothies. You know, my brain is like that… give it an idea and it just runs with it and try and fit all sorts of things everywhere. I’m sure he’s convinced that he can fit a square into a triangle!
As for making real healthy flaky pastry, it’s quite a challenge, you know… the principle of flaky pastry is that you need to imprison fat between layers of dough, so to do that, you need loads of fat, and moisture… High in fat and healthy don’t really go hand in hand, although I guess if one was to use healthy fats, such as coconut oil, maybe that could work.
Now look at you, here you are, inspiring me again… Now I want to make a fig, thyme, honey and goat cheese cripsy, flaky tart. I wish I could spend every waking hour of my life cooking!
That sounds really good!
Yeah, I had a client (for personal training, where I do talk about food a lot)…who is a baker for a living. He was struggling with eating healthy, and asked if there was a healthy way to make pastries. I explained the same thing about the fat creating pockets..but I though I’d ask you anyways
Maybe it’s time to experiment with coconut oil….
Well, I guess the heatlhiest alternative would be whole wheat phyllo dough brushed with olive or coconut oil… but it wouldn’t be suitable for any kind of project. Still, I’ve been toying with the idea of using this for a “healthier” dessert.
Now I’m trying to create grain free crusts and breads. Not quite as easy as I thought it would be…
Hey, if you get anywhere with that healthy flaky pastry, make sure you let me know! I promise I won’t ask for ALL your secrets… just part of ‘em!
Good idea to prepare some pears in advance! As of today I’m also a big fan of overnight oats. Genius!
When it comes to the pie, the beauty of it lies in that each family prepares in a slightly different way. There are two layers of shortcrust pastry and the filling in-between them. The filling: 350g mashed potatoes, 250g buckwheat groats, 150g curd cheese/quark + a little bit of sour cream, optionally 1-2 eggs or some vegetable oil (depending on the consistency you want to achieve) + salt, pepper and fresh mint, chopped. I cook potatoes first, then drain them leaving some water, add buckwheat and simmer for some time. I bake it for an hour or so.
Here’s the picture: http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/no_doubt89/104_4020.jpg
There are obviously a lot of variations on the theme
Oh, I LOOOOVE overnight oats! It has to be one of the first things that I will be eating when Lent is over, and I start grains again…
That buckwheat pie looks amazing! I will definitely research it some more and look into creating a super healthy version of this… although it really doesn’t sounds so bad to start with! Thank you so much for having me discover a new dish!
I just broiled my pears so they will be ready for me to make the smoothie tomorrow! They are delicious all by themselves. Is it normal to be this excited for the next day to try a smoothie!! I also feel so special to be mentioned in your post!!
Aren’t they? I have some in the fridge too right now and can’t stop munching on them. I love the subtle flavor of the olive oil… and they’re so easy to make too. I think I’ll be using them in a few upcoming recipes!
Glad to hear I made you feel special… knowing this just must made my day!
I had this for lunch again today! I’m hooked. Now I’m waiting for The Healthy Foodie app for my iPhone…haha!!
Awww, Joann! Thank you so much. You are a true gem, seriously!
Woooooohoooo! This is brilliant! I LOVE this combo miss Sonia!!!! Absolutely flawless…the photos, the creativity, the recipe—amazing!
Glad you like, miss Nora! Maybe you could make it into a frozen yogurt? I’m sure it would be a hit!
And thanks for the unbelievable compliment. Flawless? Wow! I am flushed!
Actually, I have to confess that I had a huge accident with my cocoa powder. Dropped a spoon right in the middle of it just as I was ready to start shooting. I LOVED the way it looked and decided to leave it like that! Hey, sometimes, unpleasant incidents can turn into something really good!
I am trying to substitute the healthier fat of coconut oil for butter in cookies, etc. So far the taste is good, but watch out that it might ‘brown’ quicker than with the butter.
I’d like to clarify when you say soft goat cheese, are you referring to Feta Cheese? I have it on hand.
This sounds delicious! Keep experimenting and sharing with us!
By soft goat cheese, I mean a soft, unripened goat cheese, such as this one here. I think Feta would be an overkill…
I intend to do just that, Martha! Experimenting would be my favorite thing in the whole wide world!
Glad you appreciate my sharing the results!
Oh, now I get it! Chevre! Thanks for clarifying that! Feta would be way too salty, I’m sure.
That’s so funny. I just added basil to mine this morning. Can’t wait to see your finished product! Vanilla/basil is another good combo…if you’re looking for another project…haha! I was actually looking at your hummus recipe a little while ago and I’m going to try that tomorrow.
The anticipation is killing me!!
LOL! Too funny, Joann. I’ll try not to keep you waiting for too long…
Isn’t fresh basil incredible in a smoothie? I think I’m hooked! Vanilla/basil sounds DELISH! You’re gonna have me really expand my horizons when it comes to smoothie making, you! I can’t thank you enough for that!
And I can’t wait to hear what you think of that hummus. Hope you like it as much as I did (read, become completely, totally addicted!)
I first had the vanilla/basil combination in a vanilla/basil creme brulee. I wasn’t sold on the idea and had to be persuaded to order it, but I’m so glad I did! Before that I would never have thought of adding basil to desserts or sweeter dishes.
I had never heard of it before, to be honest. The idea just popped into my mind while making the smoothie. I looked at the plant, then at my smoothie in the making and thought that it would probably add a nice peppery taste to it. Had to try it. Glad I did!
Vanilla/basil crème brûlée sounds AMAZING! I would’ve been sold INSTANTLY! I have to make this at home! Have to!
what a creative idea! I love it
I just made a pear smoothie this weekend too! how weird!?
you always amaze me girl! I will be trying it out for sure!
Thanks a bunch, Meg! I had mad a fresh pear smoothie in the past, definitely a big fave for the summertime. So light and fresh! This caramelized pear and chocolate version is definitely more on the robust side, but sooooo tasty. Hope you like it! =D