This recipe was inspired by an article I read in Everyday Food, which suggested adding fresh pear to your oatmeal since they’re now in season. Wow! What a treat!
Of course, if you’re a real foodie, you know how beneficial it is to soak your oatmeal prior to cooking and enjoying it. So my version employs the centuries-old practice of soaking grains for maximum nutrition.
P.S. This is just one delicious way we like to spice up our morning oatmeal. For more ideas, check out my special recipe section devoted to Wholesome Oatmeal Recipes & Breakfast Porridges. Enjoy!
How to Soak Oats for Delicious, Nutritious Oatmeal:
Step One: Soak your gluten-free oats overnight, following the recipe instructions below. If you’re new to “soaking,” please check out the note “How to Soak Grains for Optimal Nutrition.”
If you’re gluten-free and can tolerate oats, I recommend using certified GF rolled oats and combining them with ground buckwheat groats for your soak, as outlined in the recipe notes below.
Step Two: Tired of sour-tasting soaked oatmeal? Gently rinsing soaked oats not only helps them to be less “pasty” in texture, but also helps to reduce any sour flavor that may develop as a result of the soaking process. In fact, by using apple cider vinegar instead of a dairy acid medium (such as kefir or yogurt) and by making sure to gently rinse your soaked oats, your family will be able to enjoy completely “sour-free” soaked oatmeal!
Step Three: Cook the oats to your desired consistency and ENJOY – so simple and SO delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup organic GF Rolled Oats (not quick-cook)
- 2 tbsp ground buckwheat groats (*see note below)
- 1 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (or fresh-squeezed lemon juice)
- Pinch of Celtic sea salt
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 1 ripe organic pear, cored and cut into bite-size chunks
- Unsweetened almond milk or raw whole milk
- Raw honey
Instructions
- Place above ingredients into a ceramic (or glass) mixing bowl or jar.
- Add enough warm filtered water to completely cover the mixture by an inch or two. Mix well to combine.
- Cover and place it in a warm area of your kitchen for 12-24 hours.
- Once soaking time is completed, drain oat mixture in a fine-mesh strainer and thoroughly rinse.
- Add drained oat mixture to a medium saucepan. Add water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir frequently and continue to simmer, until oatmeal is cooked to desired consistency (about 3-4 minutes).
- Divide oatmeal evenly among 2-3 bowls. Top with pear chunks, a splash of milk and drizzle of honey. Yum!
Notes
*If you’re gluten-free and can tolerate oats, I recommend using certified GF Rolled Oats and combining them with ground buckwheat groats for your soak. Buckwheat is actually a fruit, not a grain, and is completely gluten-free. It's often sold as buckwheat "cereal" (because it's slightly ground).
If you are not gluten-free, you can substitute the buckwheat groats with rolled rye flakes, rye flour or spelt flour for your soak.