Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (2024)

(updated May 3, 2023) // by Phoebe Lapine // 12 comments

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Earlier this fall I started doing some recipe development for Roland Foods. My mom and I have been longtime fans of their strong Dijon mustard – something that’s hard to find outside of France, and often leads to a suitcase full of jars every time one of us returns from Europe. Though I probably would accept payment in the form of hot, sinus-clearing mustard, they were plenty of other perks to the job. One of them was getting to play around with specialty grains I’ve never worked with before – things like Einkorn wheat, turanicum, and farro. Of course, I couldn’t really taste more than a small nibble of these gluteny things. So my favorite part of the project was the amaranth recipes.

I grew up eating a lot of quinoa and millet, but for whatever reason, amaranth didn’t quite get as much attention in my mom’s gluten-free pantry. It’s slightly smaller and finer than its other seedy step sisters, which makes for a nice crunchy coating for chicken or fish, without having to grind it into flour. This was one of the recipes I experimented with. But the more popular use for amaranth is as a porridge, either savory or sweet.

I’ve never been much of a warm breakfast cereal person. But my dad is the oatmeal king. It’s one of the two things he’ll make for himself (the other is a smoothie). And he takes endless pride in his fruit and oat combinations. I’ve often woken up to my house guest or boyfriend being force-fed dad’s fiber-rich oatmeal at the dining room table. My mom and I have never been the most consensual oatmeal eaters (even pre-gluten free), so a captive audience for his breakfast creations is something to be seized with gusto.

Breakfast is of course a relative term when you suffer from insomnia and Ambien eating. My dad’s oatmeal is usually prepared anywhere between the hours of 2 and 10am. And it’s a sure sign of a bad night’s sleep when I wake up at 7am and see a dirty oatmeal pot in the sink, though it’s better than finding an entire box of my gluten-free cookies laying empty on the counter.

For someone who doesn’t like breakfast porridge, I’ve sure made a lot of it over the last few months. My blueberry oatmeal is a favorite of my weekly client. And in addition to this amaranth breakfast porridge, I also developed 10 oatmeal recipes for Food & Wine’s website this fall. My mom certainly takes the gluten-free cake when it comes to most of my recipe inspiration, especially at breakfast. But whenever I’m standing alone over the stove, watching my oatmeal slowly simmer away in milk, I always think of my dad.

It’s his 65th birthday tomorrow and we’ll be celebrating many years of life, love, and 4am oatmeal. Perhaps as a gift this year, I’ll agree to one day letting him feed me some.

xo
Phoebe

Amaranth Breakfast Porridge with Blueberry Compote

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Phoebe Lapine

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries about 2 cups
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup amaranth
  • 2 cups milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, zest and two tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberry skins have popped and the mixture has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, combine the amaranth and milk in a medium lidded saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the grains are tender and thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup.

  • Serve the amaranth pudding in bowls and top with the blueberry compote and walnuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g

Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (8)If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!

Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (9)

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Comments

  1. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (10)Liz @ Virtually Homemade says

    This looks so yummy and healthy! I’ve never cooked with amaranth but definitely want to give it a try.

    Reply

  2. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (11)amanda says

    ohhhh this looks really good. i’ve been experimenting some with other grains and it really is so fun to discover how delicious so many of them are!

    Reply

  3. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (12)Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says

    This is definitely comfort breakfast in a bowl Phoebe – love that blueberry compote!

    Reply

  4. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (13)Frankie says

    Amaranth is good for cookies too!

    Reply

    • Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (14)Phoebe Lapine says

      recipe?

      Reply

  5. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (15)Jake Steijn says

    I like the compote, useful so many ways beyond this recipe!

    Reply

    • Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (16)Phoebe Lapine says

      Definitely! Also great on French Toast 🙂

      Reply

  6. Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (17)Adelina says

    Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (18)
    Hi there! I was really exited when I found this recipe, since I really wanted to try out new grain. I was following your recipe exactly but after simmering for 40 min it seemed not to be cooked ( I had to add extra milk as well) Does maybe amaranth needs to be soaked before cooking?

    Reply

Amaranth Recipes - Breakfast Porridge with Bluebery Compote (2024)

FAQs

Should you soak amaranth before cooking? ›

Soaking: If you have the time, consider soaking the amaranth overnight before cooking. "Soaking the grains makes their nutrients easier to digest and shortens the cooking time," says Ziata. Simply combine amaranth and water in a large bowl, completely submerging the grains.

Does amaranth taste like oats? ›

Amaranth should be very neutral flavored, maybe a little nutty, similar to quinoa or oats, which really don't have a strong flavor.

How do you reheat amaranth? ›

Eat while still warm, or cool and store in an airtight container for up to a week. To reheat, place in a hot oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Amaranth is easy to cook. All you need is a pit, water and heat.

Is amaranth better than oatmeal? ›

Amaranth is an ancient grain with a slightly sweet, nutty taste that works well in place of oatmeal. In addition to being gluten-free, amaranth is a good source of several key nutrients, including protein, fiber, iron, and manganese ( 1 ).

Does amaranth need to be washed? ›

Step 1: Rinse: Place amaranth in a strainer and rinse well in warm filtered water. Step 2: Soak: When possible soak amaranth overnight to improve digestion and increase the absorption of nutrients.

Is amaranth a laxative? ›

Fiber content in amaranth is quite high and is 3 times higher than wheat. Therefore, regular consumption of amaranth can help improve the quality of the digestive system and help prevent constipation.

Is amaranth inflammatory? ›

Amaranth: An Ancient Grain With Impressive Health Benefits. Amaranth has many micronutrients and anti-inflammatory properties. It may help lower cholesterol, aid weight loss, and is gluten-free.

Can you eat amaranth as a cereal? ›

If you mix in anywhere from a half cup to one cup of soy milk, the amaranth takes on the consistency of cream of wheat. And it's delicious. The flavor is nutty and earthy and the texture is a bit more interesting than oatmeal. Here's a very simple method for cooking amaranth and turning it into cereal.

What liquid is best for porridge? ›

For the liquid, you can opt for cow's milk, almond milk or any other dairy-free alternative. Check out our healthy oat recipes, warming porridge recipes and energy-boosting breakfast recipes.

What is the healthiest porridge? ›

Steel-cuts and rolled oats have a lower glycemic index than quick oats, potentially making them the best choices for blood sugar control.

How to make porridge taste better? ›

When in doubt, add nut butters for creaminess, sweetness, and plenty of good protein. We like crunchy peanut butter for added texture, almond butter, cashew butter, and even tahini. Throw a chopped banana and a smudge of vanilla paste into stovetop oats for creamy, delicious, banana bread oatmeal.

Can you overcook amaranth? ›

Amaranth seeds may seem stickier than other grains after being cooked. Make sure you do not mistake this texture for not being fully cooked yet, as overcooking these seeds will cause them to be chewy and even more sticker.

What is the best way to eat amaranth? ›

The amaranth seed can be used whole or ground into flour. It cooks up like rice with 1 ½ cup of water per ½ cup dry amaranth. It tastes wonderful cooked with in a flavorful liquid like tomato juice. Cooked amaranth can be used in soups, stews, chili or in place of rice in most recipes.

Can amaranth be eaten like rice? ›

To cook amaranth seeds, boil them just like rice or quinoa. The tiny granules stick together to form a porridge-like consistency. Some package instructions call for about two parts water for every one part grain, but you might need to increase the water to three parts.

Can you cook amaranth without soaking? ›

Instant Pot Amaranth (Fast, Creamy, No Soaking!) With an Instant Pot and less than 30 minutes, you can make perfectly cooked amaranth every time!

What is the best way to cook amaranth? ›

With an earthy, nutty flavor, amaranth is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner and every snack in between. For a pilaf, bring 1 ½ cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add amaranth, reduce heat and simmer, cover until liquid is absorbed, which will be about 20 minutes.

How do you reduce phytic acid in amaranth? ›

results indicated that soaking amaranth grain in water decreased the phytate level significantly ( Table 2).

How to make amaranth more digestible? ›

As in many other plant-based food products, applying heat treatment to the amaranth grains seems to provide an overall improvement in digestibility of the nutrients they contain (Kauffman and Weber, 1990, Tovar et al., 1994).

References

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