5-Grain Porridge with Blueberry, Peach and Cardamom

Porridge is one of the most underrated foods. It has a good chew and a variety of textures, and you can just jam-pack it with amazing flavors. 

Let’s talk porridge vs. oatmeal: the relationship between porridge and oatmeal is just like the relationship between rectangles and squares. All oatmeal is porridge, but not all porridge is oatmeal. So basically, this 5-grain porridge is like oatmeal's cool and cultured older sibling. 

I’ve been searching and searching for a porridge recipe that really delivers with creaminess, texture and flavor, but just haven’t been able to find one. So, I created my own! And it definitely delivers. 

This porridge is creamy, flavorful and packed with my 5 favorite grain friends. If you’re in an area that grows different grains than the ones I've used, feel free to substitute and experiment. You may have to adjust the cooking time and water amount slightly if you do this. 

Tell me what you think of the recipe in the comments and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Serves: 6 people

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Basics

• ¼ cup pearled barley

• ¼ cup farro

• ¼ cup steel cut oats

• ¼ cup polenta (coarse corn grits)

• ¼ cup buckwheat groats

• ¼ cup rolled oats

• 4 cups water

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 5 cardamom pods, seeded and ground (if your cardamom is really high-quality, only use 3-4)

Toppings

• 1 cup blueberries

• 2 medium peaches

• ½ cup water

• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste

• Other add-ins: almonds, sunflower seeds, nut butter, jam…the world is your oyster!

Steps

1. Bring your 4 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. While that’s heating, give your barley pearls, farro and steel cut oats a whirl in a coffee grinder to make them a little less thicc. Your goal is not to create a powder. You just need to crack the grains so they take a little less time to cook. A food processor would also do the job well.

3. Combine all your grains and dump them into the boiling water. Give them a quick stir and then let the water come back to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to low. Add your salt and ground cardamom and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until it’s thick and the water has been absorbed.

4. Meanwhile, prepare your blueberries and peaches. Peel the peaches and cut them into wedges about ¼ inch thick. Place your peaches, blueberries and water into a pot over medium heat and let simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the juices start to thicken.

5. After your porridge is cooked to your liking, add the milk and stir. Serve up your porridge in deep bowls, topped with syrup, peaches and blueberries and all your other topping favs.

Sustainability tips

1. Grains: For this recipe, I tried to use locally grown grains. Sometimes the packaging will say where the grains were grown, but if not, you can look this up online or email the company and ask. If you’d rather be sustainable in other ways, buying organic or Fair Trade grains would be great as well.

2. Peaches and Blueberries: Summatime produce is the best produce. Make this dish when the fruits are in season and try to go with locally grown. This will ensure your produce doesn’t release as many GHG’s during travel.

3. Maple Syrup: Try to go for locally produced syrup. Read all about it in my liquid sugars sustainability profile!