Pink Guava Strawberry Sweet Cream Yogurt Smoothie in Minutes

Pink guava has a bright, perfumed flavour that turns a simple strawberry smoothie into something special. Grated fresh over the board, it blends into a thick, pale pink drink with no visible chunks. A cloud of sweet whipped cream and a few strawberry pieces finish the glass, so it looks as good as it tastes and is ready in about fifteen minutes.

This pink guava strawberry smoothie is built on three simple ideas: fresh pink guava, ripe strawberries and a thick base of yogurt and sweet cream. The method is quick and forgiving. You halve the guava, grate its flesh over a board, dice the strawberries and blend everything until the mixture turns a uniform pale pink.

Then you pour it into a tall clear glass, layer it with strawberry pieces and a light cream, and finish with a generous swirl of whipped cream. The result is a smooth, cool drink with a sweet, floral note and a creamy finish.

It works as a breakfast drink, a dessert in a glass or an afternoon treat, and it needs no cooking at all. Most of the work is in the preparation, so set out the fruit and dairy before you start.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Grating the guava is the key step. A box grater breaks the flesh into fine shreds and curls that blend quickly into a smooth liquid, while a chopped piece would leave small fibrous bits behind. Grating also releases the juice and fragrance that give the smoothie its distinctive pink colour and perfume. Working over the board catches the juices, so none is lost to the counter.

Blending the guava, strawberries, yogurt and sweet cream together creates a stable emulsion. The yogurt and sweet cream give body, so the smoothie stays thick enough to hold the layers in the glass. Blending until no chunks remain is what gives the drink its silky, uniform texture. Because nothing is cooked, the fresh flavours stay bright and clean from the first sip to the last.

Notes and substitutions

Pink guava is the star of this recipe and is usually sold in Latin American and Asian markets or in larger supermarkets during its season. Choose fruit that yields slightly when pressed and smells sweet.

If it is hard to find, ripe guava or guava nectar can stand in, though the colour will be paler and the flavour a little less intense. Strawberries should be fully red and firm, with no soft spots, so the blend tastes fresh.

You need a sharp chef's knife and a wooden cutting board for the fruit, a box grater for the guava and a blender with a sturdy jar. A tall clear glass lets you see the layers, and a piping bag with a star tip gives the whipped cream its generous swirl.

Plain yogurt keeps the flavour balanced, while Greek yogurt makes the smoothie even thicker. Sweet cream can be replaced with heavy cream whipped lightly with a teaspoon of sugar, which keeps the same richness and sweetness.

• pink guava: ripe guava or 1/2 cup guava nectar, if fresh pink guava is not available
• sweet cream: heavy cream whipped lightly with 1 tsp sugar
• plain yogurt: Greek yogurt for a thicker texture

Equipment

• Sharp chef's knife
• Wooden cutting board
• Box grater
• Blender with jar
• Tall clear glass
• Piping bag with star tip