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    Home » Recipes » Breakfasts

    Quinoa Porridge

    18th July 2020 by Jamie Raftery 2 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    A sustaining bowl of protein-powered quinoa porridge to fuel you up for success. Add this to your collection of breakfast recipes to make it year-round. It's easy to make, tasty, and good for you in so many ways.

    quinoa-porridge-in-a-bowl
    Quinoa porridge: super-powered breakfast bowl
    Jump to:
    • Introduction to porridge
    • Scandanavian porridge adventures
    • Superpowered ingredients
    • Chefs' top tips
    • How to cook quinoa for porridge
    • How to store quinoa porridge
    • Ways to serve quinoa porridge
    • More breakfast recipes to try
    • 📋 Recipe

    This quinoa porridge is better than your standard oatmeal in many ways. Try adding a quinoa porridge to your morning routine at least once a week for a healthy balance.

    Quinoa porridge is a comforting and soul-nourishing bowl of goodness packed with healthy ingredients. It's got protein, fiber, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and minerals.

    fresh-quinoa-porridge-served-for-breakfast

    Introduction to porridge

    From Asia to Europe, in many shapes and forms; porridge is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world.

    • Congee is a traditional Asian rice porridge.
    • Kasha is the Russian variety made with buckwheat groats.
    • Teff porridge is used in Ethiopia.
    • Millet porridge in parts of Africa and Asia.

    Porridge has been my staple breakfast for the most part of my life. It's been a love-hate relationship at times!

    Like all food, It's a very personal thing. Everyone enjoys porridge in their own particular way. I've had hundreds of varieties of porridge over the years, experimenting with various grains, milk, and toppings.

    Scandanavian porridge adventures

    My porridge recipes started to expand after a visit to Grod Porridge Cafe in Copenhagen, Denmark a few years ago when I was on a Scandinavian culinary adventure. I fell in love with this cafe concept and all its different porridge combinations.

    They had several exciting signature porridges as well as the option to build your own: choose your grain, choose your milk, choose your toppings. Genius! You can eat porridge every day and never ever get bored.

    Mixing up your breakfast bowl combination every day provides you with a variety of different nutrients. Oats are super healthy, but imagine having a mix of different grains throughout the week. After all, 'variety is the spice of life

    If you've not tried Quinoa Porridge yet, I urge you to do so. Other grains you can play around with are buckwheat, rye, barley, lentils, millet, teff, and rice.

    quinoa-porridge-served-in-a-bowl

    Superpowered ingredients

    What makes this porridge a bit different is that I'm using a mix of oats, quinoa, chia seeds, and some other nutritional toppings.

    I tried to pack as much superpowered nutrition into this bowl as possible by using various “superfood” ingredients.

    • Quinoa: an incredible gluten-free grain that rose to fame over the last 10 years, and rightly so. Quinoa is now effectively cultivated all around the world. It comes complete with all 9 essential amino acids, high fiber, and a low GI index to help keep blood sugar levels in good order.
    • Oats: a staple for most of my breakfasts, oats are a fantastic source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. They're not as high in protein, but they are in complex carbohydrates so they digest more slowly, helping to keep you fuller for longer and help you to maintain sustained energy throughout the day. Read more about Oats here
    • Chia seeds: Chia seeds are most well-known for being full of omega-3s. But in addition to those, they also contain all 9 essential amino acids. Chia seeds are also easy to digest and full of other vitamins and minerals. Read more about chia seeds here
    • Blueberries: the king of anti-oxidant fruits. Blueberries protect against high cholesterol and help lower blood pressure
    • Pumpkin seeds: a nutritional powerhouse, full of essential minerals, protein, and fiber
    • Almonds: a great source of many nutrients and minerals
    • Banana: lots of potassium and natural sweetness
    ingredients-for-quinoa-porridge
    Quinoa porridge ingredients ready to cook

    Chefs' top tips

    1. Soak grains in water overnight in the fridge.
    2. Cook on a gentle heat, and add your favorite plant milk.
    3. Stir well.
    4. Cook slowly, adding more milk or water as the porridge thickens up.
    5. Use a good medium-sized saucepan.
    6. Check the seasoning, add a little pinch of pink salt, sweet spices like cinnamon or vanilla, and some sweetener of choice to lift the flavors of the porridge.
    breakfast-porridge-in-a-bowl

    How to cook quinoa for porridge

    While the recipe below is the basic recipe for making quinoa porridge, lately I have also been making a few different variations of it so I thought I could outline those to help you as you make your own.

    Method #1: Cook rolled quinoa flakes with plant-based milk

    The first method is to cook quinoa with your favorite plant-based milk. If you are new to cooking quinoa with milk, this is a good recipe to start. Plant-based milk like unsweetened coconut and almond milk makes a nice creamy porridge

    In the recipe below, I used almond milk, but you could use coconut, oat, or any other plant milk.

    The ideal ratio is 2 parts almond milk for 1 part of quinoa. However, if you want it to be lighter on the creamy part, you can swap some of the plant milk with water.

    To sweeten it, I used a few tablespoons of coconut syrup. However, you can adjust the amount of sweetener you use based on your preference. Maple syrup or honey will work well also.

    As you can see in the photos, I used rolled quinoa flakes. However, you can also make this recipe with red or white quinoa.

    Please take note; it is vital to rinse quinoa thoroughly to ensure that it's natural coating (that makes it bitter) is fully removed.

    Method #2: Use Leftover Quinoa

    I usually cook a large batch of quinoa to add leftovers to salads, soups, or stir-fries. Lately, I have also been using it to make a similar quinoa breakfast porridge as well. This works perfectly if you have leftover quinoa.

    To turn leftover cooked quinoa into a delicious bowl of quinoa porridge, simply place it in a saucepan and pour in your favorite plant-based milk. Place it on the heat for 2-3 minutes to warm through, sweeten and top with your favorite ingredients.

    How to store quinoa porridge

    The best way to store any leftover quinoa porridge is in the fridge. You can keep it in a large container as one portion, or if you want to meal prep this recipe, you can portion it out into individual containers. It will keep fresh for about 3 days. Anything longer than this and it will deteriorate in freshness.

    To reheat your quinoa porridge, you can put it back in a small saucepan and heat it up with a bit of almond milk.

    serving-a-bowl-of-quinoa-porridge-for-breakfast

    Ways to serve quinoa porridge

    I love serving this warm with some different toppings. No two breakfast bowls of mine ever look the same! Here are some of my favorite topping options:

    • Fresh berries: blueberries, but raspberries or sliced strawberries would also be great
    • Chia seed jam: try my blueberry chai seed jam recipe
    • Sliced fruit: try some bananas, apple, or kiwi
    • Nuts/seeds: I'm all about the texture, I love using sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds
    • Nut butter: a good drizzle of almond or peanut butter on top of quinoa porridge takes it to a whole new level!
    • Yogurt: try a dollop of coconut or plant milk yogurt for some extra creaminess
    • Raw honey or maple syrup: and lastly, sweetness! I love to drizzle on some honey, coconut nectar, or maple syrup

    No matter what toppings you serve up with this recipe it's going to be delicious! I really think it's going to become a staple in your morning rotation.

    Let me know how you like it in the comments section below. And, remember to tag #holisticchefacademy when you make it. I love to see your creations.

    More breakfast recipes to try

    • Oat and chia seed porridge
    • Buckwheat kasha porridge
    • Banana and chickpea pancakes
    • Teff marathon bowl
    • Oat Bircher muesli

    📋 Recipe

    quinoa-porridge-in-a-bowl

    Quinoa Porridge

    Jamie Raftery
    Quinoa breakfast porridge with oats, chia, blueberry, almond butter, banana and pumpkin seeds
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Save Go To Collections ShopGo to List
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Difficulties Beginner
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine International
    Servings 4 portions
    Calories 352 kcal
    Allergens Gluten free, Oil free, Sesame free, Soy free, Vegan

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Saucepan - medium size
    • Spatula
    • Serving bowl
    • Spoon

    Ingredients
     
     

    Soak the night before

    • 100 g Quinoa flakes
    • 100 g Oats
    • 5 g Chia seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon Pink salt
    • 500 ml Water - filtered

    To cook in the morning

    • 100 ml Almond milk or coconut milk
    • 100 g Blueberries
    • 100 g Banana
    • 20 g Pumpkin seeds
    • 40 g Almond butter
    • 20 ml Coconut syrup or honey
    • ¼ each Lime zest
    • 10 g Almonds - whole
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Instructions
     

    Assemble ingredients

    • Add the quinoa, oats, chia seeds, pink salt and water to a small saucepan. Mix well and leave to soak overnight in the fridge.
    • The next morning, add the almond or coconut milk and cook out on a low simmer for about 8 minutes.
    • Stir regularly and add more water if it gets a little thick.
    • Check and adjust the seasoning if necessary, add the lime zest.
    • Allow to rest for 2 minutes.

    To serve

    • Transfer quinoa porridge to warmed serving bowls.
    • Garnish with blueberries, almonds and sliced banana.
    • Top with almond butter and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
    • Garnish with a little drizzle of coconut nectar and a twist of lime zest.
    • Sit back, relax and enjoy your delicious creation.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Quinoa Porridge
    Serving Size
     
    300 g
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    352
    % Daily Value*
    Protein
     
    11
    g
    22
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    50
    g
    17
    %
    Fiber
     
    7
    g
    29
    %
    Fat
     
    13
    g
    20
    %
    Sugar
     
    10
    g
    11
    %
    Sodium
     
    197
    mg
    9
    %
    Potassium
     
    338
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    31
    IU
    1
    %
    Vitamin B1
     
    0.2
    mg
    13
    %
    Vitamin B2
     
    1
    mg
    59
    %
    Vitamin B3
     
    1
    mg
    5
    %
    Vitamin B5
     
    0.5
    mg
    5
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.2
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    5
    mg
    6
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    3
    mg
    20
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    6
    µg
    6
    %
    Calcium
     
    103
    mg
    10
    %
    Copper
     
    0.4
    mg
    20
    %
    Folate
     
    24
    µg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    Manganese
     
    2
    mg
    100
    %
    Magnesium
     
    112
    mg
    28
    %
    Phosphorus
     
    379
    mg
    38
    %
    Selenium
     
    9
    µg
    13
    %
    Zinc
     
    2
    mg
    13
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Keyword Anti-inflammatory, Brain food, Detox, High protein, High-fibre, Sleep food
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @the_holistic_chef on social media and hashtag it #holisticchefacademy

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandra Aidar-mcdermott

      May 30, 2023 at 10:54 pm

      Hello Jamie,

      Thank you for creating this nutritious recipe.

      I made it. It was satisfying. One suggestion is to cook the quinoa first or to cook it longer. Eight minutes is not enough for the quinoa to cook so the grains were al dente.

      Your website is gorgeous. I will explore other recipes.

      Congratulations on accomplishing this initiative.

      Kind regards,

      Sandra

      Reply
      • Jamie Raftery

        June 02, 2023 at 8:34 pm

        Hi Sandra, thank you for the feedback. I use rolled quinoa flakes for breakfast porridge as they cook quicker and act similar to oats. You can also use pre-cooked whole quinoa as an alternative. Let me know how it works out next time, Jamie 🙂

        Reply

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