Not a fan of sweet breakfasts? Start your day with this wholesome savoury buckwheat porridge! A breakfast bowl with nutty buckwheat, caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms and topped with a fried egg will power you through the day!
Looking for more buckwheat breakfast recipes, try Buckwheat Pancakes!
Buckwheat is my comfort food. It’s the taste of childhood. Memories of sitting in a tiny, sun-filled kitchen and slurping on a warm and fluffy buckwheat kasha drowned in cold milk are one of my earliest. I still remember the contrast of temperatures, which made it somehow more exciting for a five-year-old me!
I’ve now given my love of buckwheat to the rest of my family. It makes regular appearances at our house for any meal of the day.
We value the nutty flavour and the way it brings something special to any meal. This breakfast bowl is a great example because buckwheat matches so well with eggs and mushrooms.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is a nutritional powerhouse and deserves to be a staple in everybody’s pantry. If you are not familiar with this super food here are just a few facts:
- Buckwheat is not a grain
- Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free
- It is high in essential nutrients
- Buckwheat contains resistant fibre, which helps with lowering blood sugar and weight loss
The list can go on and on. The bottom line is buckwheat is very nutritious but it is also tasty!
Varieties of buckwheat
Buckwheat comes in three main forms-groats (raw and roasted), the latter you can see in the photos above, then there is buckwheat flour and noodles. They all contain nutritional benefits but groats more than the others. Makes sense…whole food and all.
The most common use of buckwheat in North America is in the flour form. It’s gaining popularity for it’s unique earthy taste and the fact that despite the name it is not related to wheat or any other grain and is gluten-free.
The main places that sell buckwheat are health food stores, Eastern European stores and Amazon. The buckwheat you see in photos here comes from an Eastern European store.
It is roasted and therefore darker in colour. Apart from a deeper colour, roasting groats also gives them a richer, more complex taste and a firmer texture. It also significantly cuts down on the cooking time.
In my opinion, it’s really worth tracking down an Eastern European store and get your buckwheat there or order online if there are none in your area.
Buckwheat recipes
When I was little I used love buckwheat porridge aka “kasha” with milk but now I prefer a more savoury version. And that is why I created this savoury buckwheat breakfast bowl. Caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms and topped with a fried egg. Pure bliss.
By the way, buckwheat is not only for breakfast. It is great as a side dish instead of rice or potatoes, as a stuffing, my mum used to stuff a roast chicken with mushrooms and buckwheat, or as a main. I often mix some buckwheat with ground beef or pork, in a fried rice style and serve it for dinner.
One of the greatest qualities of buckwheat is its’ versatility. The groats could be ground up and made into pancakes, waffles, cakes, or even bread!
For lunch toss it with some fresh veggies in a salad or sit down to a plate of savoury buckwheat with caramelised onions and sautéed mushrooms for dinner.
The only two things you need to know are what type of buckwheat is suitable for these recipes and how to cook it. If you are looking for other ways to eat this amazing superfood check out my Honey and Buckwheat Soda Bread for some inspiration.
More breakfast recipes
- Classic American Pancakes
- Breakfast Bagel Sandwich
- Millet Porridge with Honey Glazed Plums
- Russian Crepes Blini
Savoury Buckwheat Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups /340 g toasted buckwheat groats
- 4 cups /950ml water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion large
- 8-10 chestnut mushrooms
- 2-3 sprigs flat leaf parsley leaves only
- 1 egg per person
- Pepper to taste
- Salt a pinch
Instructions
- Rinse your buckwheat groats and transfer it a medium pot, add water and salt and cook for 15 minutes until the groats are soft and the water is evaporated. Take it off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let it stand for additional 10-15 minutes
- Meanwhile slice the onions and mushrooms. Put a large frying pan on high-medium heat and when it’s hot add butter, onions and a pinch of salt. Salt will draw moisture out of the onions which will help with caramelising process. Fry them slowly, stirring once in a while and not letting them burn. Once your onions look wilted and darker in colour, add mushrooms and chopped parsley and sauté them for 5 minutes adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Now add the buckwheat and mix everything together, cook for 2 more minutes to bring all the ingredients to the same temperature and allow for the flavours to meld, taste for seasoning.
- In a separate frying pan, fry the eggs and top each portion with an egg.
