RECIPE : green savoury buckwheat porridge with garlicky mushrooms & miso drizzle

i love that autumn is here. the early days of autumn might just be my favourite time of the year.
and not to mention the food. gone are the days of fresh strawberries and potato salads. here to stay are porridges, stews and soups. hot oat milk drinks, and steamy rice bowls. i am ready for you autumn !

i haven’t had kasha (toasted buckwheat) porridge since early this spring, so it was a dear reunion at lunchtime today.
but this isn’t just any buckwheat porridge – it’s a savoury garlicky one with white miso drizzle, funnel chanterelle mushrooms and more spinach than what’s reasonable, even for a vegan.
easy as can be, simple clean flavours, and gooey hot texture. and gluten-free too, for all you allergics out there.

if you want a recipe for a sweet and fruity buckwheat porridge – check this out !

green savoury buckwheat porridge with garlicky mushrooms
serves 1
100 ml / 0.8 cup whole buckwheat
250 ml / 1 cup greens, i used frozen spinach (if using fresh, add more spinach and use less water to compensate)
about 300 ml / 1.25 cups water
1 scallion, chopped
100 ml / 0.8 cup funnel chanterelles or any other mushroom you prefer (soaked if dried)
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and white pepper, to taste
a wedge of lemon

miso drizzle
1.5 tbsp white miso paste
1.5 tbsp water

– boil a pot of water.
– heat a pan to medium high heat. add the whole buckwheat and toast for a few minutes until lightly browned (skip this step if you’re using pre-toasted buckwheat).
– pour the boiling water over the buckwheat, discard the hot water and rinse the buckwheat in a sieve in cold water. this is to remove the fagopyrin, a toxin naturally occurring in buckwheat. it’s what colours the water red when rinsing the buckwheat.
– in a blender or food processor, blend the spinach (or whatever type of greens you want to use – broccoli, green peas, kale etc) with the water and most of the scallion, leaving some of the green parts to be used as garnish.
– place the buckwheat back in the pan and add the spinach mix, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. let simmer for about 15 mins or until the water has been absorbed and the buckwheat is tender but chewy.
– sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes in garlic, a tiny bit of salt (the miso drizzle will add a very salty taste later) and as much white pepper as you dare.
– mix the white miso with water with a spoon or fork until smooth.
– place the porridge in a bowl, top with mushrooms, the rest of the scallion, lemon and drizzle with the miso. i like mine salty so i used all the miso, but it’s probably a good idea to start with less and add more as needed.
– don’t forget a squeeze of lemon – and you’ll be in porridge heaven.

can’t get enough of porridge ?
except for the sweet buckwheat porridge i mentioned earlier, here are a few others of my porridge recipes you can check out :