Some green juices taste like grass and regret. This one doesn’t. It’s built around cucumber and celery, which are mostly water, so it’s the lightest, cleanest juice I make, and the kind of thing you reach for when you’ve overdone it and just want to feel normal again.

The ginger and lemon give it a sharp little lift, and the parsley rounds it out with a clean, green note that stops it tasting like a glass of lawn. If you’re new to green juice, this is the one to start with.

Why these ingredients work

Cucumber and celery are about ninety-five per cent water, so this juice is genuinely hydrating and low in sugar compared with fruit-heavy juices. Green apple brings the sweetness without going overboard. Ginger has been used for centuries to settle the stomach, and lemon wakes the whole thing up with vitamin C.

Parsley is the quiet overachiever here: it packs more vitamin K than most leafy greens, and it gives the juice its clean, savoury finish.

FAQ

Is this a detox juice?

Not in any medical sense. Your liver and kidneys do the actual detoxing, and no juice changes that. What this does is give you a low-sugar, hydrating drink that’s easy on your stomach when you’ve eaten too much. Think of it as a reset rather than a cleanse.

Do I need a juicer for this?

A juicer gives the cleanest result, but you can blend everything with a splash of water and strain it through a nut milk bag instead. The texture will be a bit thicker, which isn’t a bad thing.

How long does it keep?

Best within a few hours. The vitamin C and the fresh flavour both fade fast, so make it and drink it.

More detox recipes: see the full Detox collection.