Cardamom & Vanilla Buckwheat Basil Seed Porridge (Easy GF/Vegan)
This buckwheat basil seed porridge with vanilla & cardamom is a delicious, nourishing breakfast that can be enjoyed warm or chilled. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a gluten-free porridge or simply an alternative to oats. Before I get into the details of this recipe though, let’s talk a little bit about breakfast and the idea of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has become popular in recent years and is essentially the practice of leaving a significant amount of time between your last meal of the day and your first meal of the following day. Most people doing this type of fasting aim for a time of between 16 and 20 hours which often means skipping breakfast and sometimes even lunch. However, there’s increasing evidence that it might be more beneficial to do it the other way round whereby you eat breakfast, lunch is your main meal and then you either have a very light dinner or skip it altogether. The idea behind limiting food later in the day is that it lightens the digestive load before you go to bed which gives your body the best opportunity for cell renewal and repair while you sleep.
This form of short intermittent fasting has a number benefits. By giving the body time to fully digest any food it can then turn it’s focus to other essential work such as cell repair, renewal and immune funcion. Autophagy, which is the clean up and removal of old and malfunctioning cells also starts near the end of the intermittent fasting window and is considered to play an imporant role in ageing and longevity. Fasting has also been shown to reduce inflammation, aid in weight loss and can help support a healthy circadian rhythm which in turn helps balance the body’s hormones.
Whether or not you choose to fast intermittently, it’s still highly beneficial to leave 10 to 12 hours between dinner and breakfast and at least 3 hours between your last meal and going to sleep. This helps to ensure your body has enough time to digest it’s last meal and is then able to turn it’s attention to the essential repair and renewal functions it needs to carry out while you sleep. Allowing your digestive system time to rest also helps to improve the quality of your sleep.
When you do break your fast, you want to be fueling your body with the right foods. An ideal breakfast will contain a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fibre and healthy fats. Which brings me to th is buckwheat basil seed porridge. It’s the perfect recipe for anyone who’s avoiding gluten or wanting a porridge with an element of protein. There’s a little prep involved by way of soaking the buckwheat beforehand, but it only takes a few minutes and is well worth the effort. Soaking buckwheat removes the mucilaginous substance from its outer coating which makes it a lot easier to digest. Soaking also softens the buckwheat groats making the cooking process a lot shorter.
When you cook soaked buckwheat with a creamy plant milk such as coconut milk, you’ll end up with a beautifully creamy porridge consistency. Adding basil seeds increases the creaminess even further as they absorb an impressive amount of liquid and take on a gel like quality. Vanilla and cardamom go beautifully with the creamy base and whether you add sweetener or not is up to you.
Toppings are only limited by your imagination. A quick berry compote which I’ve given the recipe for below is a delicious option. But you could top this porridge with anything you can dream up! Sliced banana, fresh berries, dried coconut, raw cacao nibs, maple syrup, coconut yoghurt or a beautiful super food powder would all be amazing.
Buckwheat Basil Seed Porridge with Cardamom & Vanilla
Makes: 2 generous serves or 3 regular
Prep time: 10 minutes Soak time: 2-4 hours Cook time: 20 minutes
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
2 to 3 cups plant milk (I used coconut milk – the drinking kind)
2 tsp basil seeds (or chia seeds)
2 tsp rice syrup, raw honey or coconut sugar (optional)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
Topping Suggestions
Quick berry compote (see below)
Fresh berries
Sliced banana
Nut butter drizzle
Coconut milk/yoghurt
Ground flaxseed
Dried coconut
Superfood powders
Prep ahead by placing the buckwheat groats in a bowl, cover with water and stand at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours (if it’s hot, soak them in the fridge). Drain the water off and rinse really well to remove the mucilaginous. If you’re prepping ahead of time, you can store the soaked/drained buckwheat in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to rinse it well again before using.
To make the porridge, place all the ingredients, starting with 1 cup of milk, in a small pan set over medium heat. Stir occasionally to stop the porridge from sticking to the bottom. Allow it to come to a simmer then turn down the heat so it’s just bubbling. Add more milk as needed i.e. when it’s looking a bit dry and starts sticking to the bottom. Basil seeds are super soakers so it’s likely you’ll need at least 2 cups of milk, maybe more depending on how long you cook it for.
The porridge is ready when the buckwheat has softened and expanded, and the basil seeds have soaked up all the liquid.
Pour the porridge into a serving bowl and top with your favourite toppings. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve again, bring the porridge to a simmer and add extra milk as necessary.
Quick Berry Compote
Place 1 cup of frozen berries such as raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, in a small pan with a little water. Heat gently until the berries defrost and come to a simmer. Your compote is then ready to use! Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
