A Cooling 4-Ingredient Pineapple-Basil Sorbet With Gut-Healthy Perks

Once the sweltering heat of summer hits, those go-to cookie recipes and party-worthy brownies are a lot less appealing to make. But something like a simple, no-churn sorbet? That's much more likely to make the menu.

This vibrant dessert is the perfect balance of sweet and tropical, with just a touch of earthy notes thanks to the combination of basil and pineapple. It starts in much the same way as some of our favorite smoothies, with frozen fruit and a blender—but then you'll let the mixture set in the fridge to come together. "The faster you move from blending to freezer, the less icy the final sorbet will be," writes Dustin Harder in Epic Vegan Quick and Easy. "If you have xanthan gum in your arsenal of ingredients, you can always add ¼ teaspoon to the blender. This will aid maintaining a smooth mouthfeel and overall avoidance of an icy texture, but it's unnecessary."

Bonus points: Pineapple is loaded with nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, plus antioxidants (flavonoids and phenolic acids). It also contains digestive enzymes, which can help to support digestion and our body's ability to absorb nutrients "Digestive enzymes are proteins that break down food macromolecules into their smaller building blocks," says digestive health expert Vincent Pedre, M.D., "in order to facilitate their absorption into the body through the gut lining."

Excerpted with permission from Epic Vegan Quick and Easy © 2021 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text: © 2021 Dustin Harder. Photography: Ashley Madden.