For all the choices available in the non-dairy milk arena today, I find it truly dismaying that there isn’t more of a focus on flavor. That’s not to say that many of these options don’t taste great, or that I don’t buy all sorts of soy, almond, oat, hemp, and rice beverages regularly. My complaint is how unadventurous most manufacturers have become, afraid of upsetting our simple and undeveloped palates, perhaps! Whereas even the mainstay, Silk, previously had offerings of a chai and mocha variety, their numerous colored cartons are now largely limited to the standard: Plain, vanilla, and chocolate. I love a good vanilla soymilk over my cereal, and I’ll take a tall glass of chocolate soymilk with my cookies any day, but after a while, these same staples just get boring.

Thirsting for something a bit more fun, a recent sale on strawberries was just the inspiration I needed. It’s hardly an original idea, but the results were just so refreshingly tasty, it seemed like a shame not to share. Not too sweet, but creamy and bursting with fresh berry flavor, it absolutely hit the spot. Best of all, it takes next to no effort, and leaves plenty of room for creative interpretation. Trust me, this is only the beginning- Imagine adding ginger or mint, or swapping out the strawberries for blueberries, or… Well, you get the picture!

Strawberry Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Raw Almonds, Soaked for 8 hours or overnight
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
4 Cups Cold Water
2 Cups Hulled and Sliced Fresh Strawberries
2 – 4 Tablespoons Agave Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch Salt

Thoroughly rinse and drain your almonds before tossing them your blender, along with the chia seeds and water. Give it a quick pulse to combine, and then let it sit for about 10 minutes for the chia seeds to start re-hydrating. Then, turn it on to high, and allow the mixture to blend for about two minutes. Pause, add the strawberries, agave, vanilla, and salt, and blend for another two minutes, or until completely silky smooth. Strain the resulting milk through a fine mesh sieve or nut milk bag, either discard the solids or save them to bake with, and store the almond milk in an air-tight pitcher in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes about 6 Cups

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