I do love my porridge at this time of year, and not so long ago, porridge meant oats. However my mind has been opened to the vast array of different healthy wholegrains that can be made into porridge over the last few years. I’ve been making quinoa porridge, freekeh porridge or brown rice porridge fairly frequently and I thought it was about time I posted a recipe for a different kind of porridge. I do prefer quinoa as it’s high in protein, gluten free and cooks pretty quickly.
I like to make my quinoa porridge on the thicker side as I hate watery quinoa. For that same reason I also make this with milk, unlike oat porridge which I make with water. Quinoa needs the creaminess from the milk, but what it lacks there it makes up in nutty deliciousness! I’ve made this recipe with seasonal chopped apple, walnuts and dried cranberries, but add whatever you fancy to the basic recipe.
- 1/3 cup of dry quinoa
- 2/3 cup of almond milk (or whatever milk you'd like to use)
- 1 eating apple
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
- Cinnamon to serve
- 1. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve.
- 2. Add to a pan with the almond milk and simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa has reached a suitably porridgy texture.
- 3. Chop the apple and add to the pan (if you like your apple warm and softened, do this about half way through the cooking time).
- 4. Serve with the cranberries, walnuts and cinnamon.
- I don't eat this with sweetener as the apple and dried cranberries add enough sweetness for me, but feel free to add some honey or stevia to taste.
You could also make a bigger batch of this as it keeps well in the fridge, or cook in a slow cooker overnight for a delicious warming breakfast!
Have you tried porridge made with an alternative wholegrain?
I tried quinoa porridge once but didn’t add anything to it and it tasted so bland (as you can imagine, the idiot that I am). I love oats because they give a flavour to it. I suppose quinoa does too but it was just very very subtle. This sounds like a great recipe though with the added extras in it.
Thanks Anna, yep it’s a funny one unless it has plenty of added flavours!
I tried it once with quinoa but it tasted a bit weird and savoury to me- not sure why because oats aren’t exactly sweet! Love the sound of the combination of apple and cranberries.
I sometimes think it’s when we’re just so used to eating it in a different way. It takes a bit of getting used to!
Oh wow this looks so amazing – what a great idea to serve a porridge with quinoa rather than oats – love it!!!
Love Katie
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