Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

Creamy, chocolaty, filling and healthy, this quinoa breakfast porridge is a slightly more daring choice for anyone stuck in a morning rut. You can have a big batch ready in just 15 minutes and store it in the fridge for days.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a gluten-free, whole-grain carbohydrate (but not a grain) and a whole protein (containing all nine essential amino acids). Because of its nutritional profile, it’s an excellent addition to any vegetarian or vegan diet.

How Is Quinoa Grown?

Quinoa is harvested from tall green plants. The part that we typically eat is the seed, which means technically quinoa is not a grain but a seed. The seeds are harvested when the plant is very dry, and all the green leaves have fallen off the plant and all that remains are just the seed heads on a stalk. Chief growing areas of the world’s quinoa crop are in Peru and Bolivia, but it often comes from Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina as well.

Is Quinoa Healthy?

Quinoa has been labelled as a superfood due to its numerous health benefits. Here’s why the health community is going crazy over quinoa:

• High in plant-based protein
• Low in fat
• Naturally gluten free
• High in fibre
• Provides many key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B and magnesium

Is Quinoa Suitable for a Keto Diet?

No, quinoa is too high in carbs for the keto diet, and it also has a high glycemic index. This means it takes longer to digest, causing a slow rise in blood glucose and insulin levels, making it unsuitable for anyone trying to stick to a keto diet.

Can Quinoa Be Eaten Raw?

Quinoa can technically be eaten raw or uncooked if it’s first soaked and sprouted, however some experts believe quinoa should always be cooked and not consumed as a sprout. This recipe calls for quinoa to be cooked.

Is Quinoa Porridge Better Than Oatmeal?

Oatmeal, or rolled oats, are higher in calories and carbohydrates than quinoa, as well as lower in fibre and protein.

How to Cook Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

1. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a high simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
2. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. It’s crucial that you keep stirring, as quinoa tends to stick to the bottom and burn very quickly. Do not leave the stove unattended. If it starts to bubble, turn the heat off, give it a stir, and resume cooking.
3. Once it’s thick and creamy, remove the pan from the heat and let the quinoa porridge sit for five minutes, until all the milk is absorbed.
4. Serve warm or cold with your favourite toppings.

Meal-Prep Tips

This porridge easily keeps in the fridge for up to three days, which makes it perfect as a make-ahead breakfast. Here are a few tips for how to meal-prep your quinoa porridge:

• Let your quinoa cool in the pan to room temperature, then transfer it to individual containers (as many as you want your serving sizes to be).
• Seal with a lid and store in the fridge for up to three days.
• Before serving, reheat in the microwave, or eat at room temperature. If it’s dry, add a few more splashes of almond milk.

How to Serve This Chocolate Porridge

• Enjoy it as a fluffy pilaf, or more of a porridge with warm almond milk poured on top to soak into the quinoa.
• Top quinoa porridge with sliced bananas, fresh berries, hemp or chia seeds, chocolate chips, and a dollop of nut butter.

Is This Recipe Vegan?

Yes, if you prepare the porridge with non-dairy milk (such as soy, oat or almond), this porridge is vegan.

Is This Recipe Gluten Free?

Yes, quinoa is naturally gluten free, and this recipe doesn’t call for any other ingredients that might include gluten.

More Vegan Oatmeal for Breakfast

• Strawberry Overnight Oats
• Chocolate Overnight Oats
• Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Basic Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Traditional Bircher Muesli

Click here for a full listing of vegan breakfast recipes.