The Secret Ingredient For A Refreshing Mango Lassi

You may associate a lassi, the Indian yogurt drink, with summer, as they are truly refreshing on a hot day. But this cooling beverage has much to offer beyond sating your thirst. The one cup of frozen mango in Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye's spiffed-up mango lassi is loaded with nutrition, providing one gram of protein, 25% of your daily requirements of vitamin A, and a whopping 75% of the vitamin C you need in a day (via Healthline). Combined with yogurt's probiotics and the 49% of the calcium you need a day, as Healthline reports, and you have a satisfying drink no matter the season.

If drinking a lassi is new to you, you've been seriously missing out, as the drink has been around for a long, long time. Originating around 1000 BC in the Punjab and Multan regions of India, some consider the lassi to be the first smoothie. Lassi recipes often include ingredients like salt and spices — such as the cardamom in Rye's updated version of the classic mango lassi — which Cocktail Ways explains likely stems from ayurvedic traditions that utilize herbs and spices as remedies and elixirs for good health. But warming spices aren't the only flavorful addition featured in our mango lassi recipe.

There are many great attributes to Tasting Table recipe developer Jennie Rye's mango lassi recipe; it takes only five minutes to provide a two people with super nutritious snack or a great accompaniment to a spicy meal. But don't worry about waste if you're cooking for one, as this lassi will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. And a quick prep doesn't mean Rye skimps on flavor.

In addition to the cardamom mentioned above, there's a special ingredient that takes this mango lassi to the next level. Rye adds a squeeze of fresh lime juice to her modern twist on this ancient classic. She explains, "I love the combination of lime with mango, and it just adds an extra dimension to the drink. There is just enough lime that it doesn't take center stage, the mango with yogurt is still the predominant flavor." We agree — the lime really makes the mango flavor pop!