Fall

Quinoa and Oat Breakfast Porridge

by:
May 16, 2017
3.7
3 Ratings
Quinoa and Oat Breakfast Porridge
Photo by Alexandra Stafford
  • Serves 2 generously
Author Notes

Notes:

Source: Jean Adamson, owner of Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn.

Jean’s secret for making the best oats? Christine and Rob’s

If you have the time, make a large batch of the infused almond milk by heating 2 cardamom pods (not crushed), ½ bay leaf (fresh is best), and the 2 cups of almond milk. Let steep for 1 hour. If you don’t have time to make this ahead, proceed with recipe as written below.

Recipe doubles well.

If you don’t care about keeping this vegan, you could use cow’s milk in place of the almond milk and butter in place of the coconut oil. —Alexandra Stafford

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided, see notes above
  • 1 cardamom pod, crushed with the flat side of a knife
  • 1/2 a bay leaf, fresh is best
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, red is nice for color
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats, extra-thick if you can find them, see notes above
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plust more to taste
  • toasted coconut, toasted almonds, fresh berries such as strawberries and blueberries, for garnish
Directions
  1. Place 1 cup of the almond milk, the lightly crushed cardamom pod, and the 1/2 bay leaf in a small pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and keep warm.
  2. In a medium pot, combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand covered.
  3. In another medium pot, combine the oats, remaining 1 cup almond milk, ¼ cup water, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat to low and cook until oats are tender, about 10 minutes. Taste. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
  4. Add ½ cup of the cooked quinoa to the oats along with ½ cup of the infused almond milk, taking care to leave the bay leaf and cardamom pod (and any seeds) behind. Stir to combine. Taste. Add more salt if necessary. Add more quinoa to taste (or save extra quinoa in the fridge in an airtight container for porridge on a future morning).
  5. To serve, pour ¼ cup of the warm, cardamom-infused almond milk into each bowl. Spoon porridge over top. Top with toasted coconut, almonds, and berries if using.
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  • Elle Tee
    Elle Tee
  • Katie Herron
    Katie Herron
  • frecklywench
    frecklywench
  • Alexandra Stafford
    Alexandra Stafford
Alexandra Stafford
I write the blog alexandra's kitchen, a place for mostly simple, sometimes fussy, and always seasonal recipes. My cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs is available everywhere books are sold.

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6 Reviews

Elle T.
Elle T. May 25, 2017
Yum, this is a keeper! My quinoa was leftover from dinner the night before and I had cooked it with a fresh bay leaf and a spiral of peel from a whole lemon (I think I read about doing this in one of Maria Speck's whole grain cookbooks), so it paired really well. I would consider using two cardamom pods and a whole bay leaf in the milk next time. Would also definitey be into stirring this as a cold porridge into yogurt on a hot day... with some crunchy toppings and berries of course. So many possibiilites! :-)
 
Alexandra S.
Alexandra S. May 25, 2017
So happy to hear this, Elle! I think a cold bircher muesli type thing with this infused almond milk and lots of crunchy toppings would be SO good. Your quinoa sounds delish!
 
Katie H.
Katie H. May 19, 2017
Would it work to make this in bulk and re-heat each morning? thanks!
 
Alexandra S.
Alexandra S. May 19, 2017
Yes! In fact, when Jean passed along the recipe, it called for making a big batch each of the infused almond milk, quinoa, and oats. To order, you combine the oats and quinoa in a pan with the infused almond milk, and then you had more to individual serving bowls (as described in the recipe here). Hope that helps!
 
frecklywench
frecklywench May 18, 2017
SO excited to try this! I just discovered non-oatmeal porridges this winter, and it has been truly a life-changing event.
 
Alexandra S.
Alexandra S. May 18, 2017
It's so yummy! What other on-oats have you been porridging :) ?