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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. I have memories of sitting in a tiny, sun-filled kitchen and slurping on a warm and fluffy buckwheat kasha drowned in cold milk. 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 adds something different from the normal carb options. 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 as well as being tasty!
Varieties of buckwheat
Buckwheat comes in three main forms-groats, raw and This is an affiliate link.roasted. The latter you can see in the photos above. And then there are buckwheat flour and noodles. They all contain nutritional benefits but groats have a bit more than the others.
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 buckwheat you see in photos here comes from an Eastern European store, although you can also find it in health food stores and online retailers like This is an affiliate link.Amazon.
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.
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.
Serving suggestions
Don’t forget to check the buckwheat to make sure you are happy with the level of seasoning, especially salt.
I’ve made this to be served with a fried egg on top, which turns this in a seriously satisfying breakfast. The amount of buckwheat and number of eggs all depend on how hungry you are in the morning, so adjust accordingly!
Although I love to serve this buckwheat with an egg as a breakfast, it’s also fantastic with fried ground beef or sausages. With a bit of meat it is a family favourite for dinner!
Storage and leftovers
Have a bit extra? Leftovers can be refrigerated in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container for 3-4 days. Just keep eggs off the buckwheat mixture if you expect to have leftovers.
My favourite way to reheat cooked buckwheat is to return it to the frying pan with a little melted butter over medium-high heat. This method helps to return a firmer texture to the buckwheat after they get slightly soggy in the fridge.
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 / 340g 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Julia,
Hi everyone,
Did anyone tried this with buckwheat which is not toasted?
Will it work, Julia? Alternatively, have you tried toasting your buckwheat?
Thanks.
Hi Tanya, yes I have tried making it with untoasted buckwheat years ago. It was the only kind I could find at the time. I failed. It simply doesn’t hold shape and doesn’t have that nutty taste, which comes from toasting. I have not tried toasting my own as I can find it easily now.
Loved this!!! I added some spinach, cottage cheese and nutritional yeast. Because I had no parsley I used dill. What an amazing dish!!
I am so pleased to hear it, Afra!! Happy cooking! 🙂
This is so easy and a full meal . I am looking for quick and healthy lunch recipes and will definitely try this.
Thanks, Geetha!
This looks divine! I just discovered you from your guest post on Natasha’s Kitchen and I’ve been slowly perusing your recipes and jotting down all the ones I want to try. What can I say….buckwheat is MY comfort food, I too remember the warm bowl of kasha with cold milk and a dollop of butter melting on top as one of the most comforting things from my childhood. Thank you for your recipes, I can’t wait to try them. I have ingredients for the sticky Korean chicken, I was in awe of the butter chicken recipe, and your cakes…sigh. I’ll be back ; ) Oh! And I should mention, this recipe is delicious, if only more people understood the glory of buckwheat.
Thank you so much, Inga! What a thoughtful and beautiful comment. I am so happy you discovered me. I still believe buckwheat will become mainstream one day. 🙂
Hi Julia – this looks so good and I’m really looking forward to trying it this winter. I love kasha. Is this from a store in London? I’m in London too, but have trouble finding good roasted buckwheat.
Hi Tina, I get my buckwheat from a Lithuanian/Russian shop near me. I’ve tried other sources but didn’t find them to be as good. So if you can track down any of those in your area, buy without any fear!