For years I worshipped at the temple of rolled oats for breakfast, but I’ve recently converted to whole oat groats—the same grain, but with the sanctity of its entire nutritional profile honored. A two-step process of soaking and pre-cooking softens these tough seedy grains on their own, but when combined with their more forgiving friends—buckwheat groats and cashews—the texture is just right. I love the idea of having cashew cream blended right into this easy raw, gluten-free porridge, rounding out every bite with an airy whip and healthy fats to compliment these high fiber carbohydrates. There is a sanctity in the act of making a breakfast like this. Eating it has a bit of that flavor, too, but I’m talking about the preparation. What to eat for breakfast is often the first real decision we make of the day, and while it’s debated where it falls on the meal hierarchy (is it more or less important than lunch?) to me it holds the number-one spot. I could eat breakfast for every meal, and sort of do if you consider the multitude of savory breakfast options out there. Treating each meal like breakfast ensures for me that it’s well prepared, thoughtful, grounded, and savored. A conscious act that pauses and refuels. When you prepare a big batch of porridge at the beginning of the week, part of your decision is already made. It’s your base, your blank canvas upon which your taste buds can lead the way to breakfast artistry. Serve yours cold, room temperature, or heated if, like me, you prefer something warm in the mornings. I won’t even say the toppings are optional—pile on the fruit, preferably what’s in season like my choice of cranberries and local apples from the farmer’s market, and other mix-ins: My current combo includes Four Sigmatic’s Adaptogenic Blend, Anima Mundi’s Vegan Collagen Booster, a few spritzes of Complement vegan vitamin spray, and a tablespoon of freshly ground seeds I have on rotation. It might seem like a lot of steps, a lot of pieces, a lot of spoons—and it is—but the magic of breakfast happens in the process of making it. Take your time, stir slowly, and spoon-feed yourself something nourishing.
Whole Groat Vegan Breakfast Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 cup oat groats
- 1 cup water
- 5 pitted dates
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maca powder
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- Fresh fruit to serve
- Honey
- homemade almond milk and additional cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cashews, buckwheat groats, and oat groats and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let the seeds soak overnight in the refrigerator.
- In the morning, drain the seeds of any remaining water and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear and smoothly (the buckwheat groats will obtain a slimy coating while soaking).
- Add to the bowl of a food processor with 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the dates, cinnamon, maca powder, and cloves. Blend to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning according to your preferences.
- Divide cereal into bowls, and top each bowl with fresh fruit of your choice. If you wish to serve the cereal warm, heat the portions you’re using in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Add fruit if you wish it to be cooked as well, or serve with the warm or cold cereal.
- Add optional toppings as desired.
