Confession: The only Ben & Jerry’s flavor I’ve ever tasted is Cherry Garcia.

Fact: This smoothie tastes just like it.

If you’re anything like me you have 5 pounds of cherries sitting in your fridge, you’ve been too busy at lunch time to think of putting together much more than a smoothie and yet you want something that fills you up.

If that’s your dilemma, this is your solution.

I have been in love with the cherry and almond combination ever since trying Ashley’s buckwheat bake months ago.

Having 5 pounds of cherries in your fridge seems like a good occasion to recreate that flavor in smoothie form, no?

It’s high in protein and filling. The only thing missing is some vegetables, otherwise it’d be a complete meal.

I thought about throwing in some spinach for that reason alone but, I really hate what spinach does to the otherwise beautiful color of a fruit smoothies.

Plus, fruit > spinach in the summer when cherries are in season in my opinion. Save the leafy greens for winter when you need a cold busting smoothie.

I actually left this smoothie kind of chunky instead of blending it to a smooth consistency. With the pitted fresh cherries and whole almonds, I kind of wanted a “chew factor” to the smoothie.

Chewing my drink also makes it feel more like a meal than a snack and that hopefully means I won’t be raiding the pantry an hour after.