Vegan Porridge (the most soft, fluffy oatmeal there is)

reading time: ca. 1 min



- 1 classic recipe + 15 variations - 

Preparation time: 15 mins
Main ingredients: oats, non-dairy milk, banana
difficulty level: easy
serves: 1
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and delicious "even so"

Porridge. 
Most people find it boring and bland but i promise it's not if you cook it right. 

As a kid i never really liked porridge, just because it was slimy and looked gross and i was only fed on it when i was sick. So lots of negative connotations here. But thanks to my mom i discovered a way to make it (a) digestible for me, and (b) very light, soft and fluffy! And the secret ingredient for that is: cooked banana.

Trust me, it might look a bit grey and lumpy sometimes, but it tastes absolutely amazing!

Ingredients

1 cup oats
2 cups non-dairy milk (soy, almond, oat...) - i'm using soy milk, but almond milk would make it creamier
1 ripe banana
sweetener of choice, e.g. maple syrup or coconut blossom sugar (optional)

Optional and additional condiments:
- cinnamon
- cacao powder
- nut slices (almonds, walnuts...)
- seeds (chia, poppy, flax...)
- dried fruit (raisins, dates, cranberries...)
- ginger
- cardamom
- nutmeg
- orange or lemon peel
- vanilla
- brown sugar or coconut sugar
- shredded coconut
- saffron
- fruit slices
- apple sauce
- chocolate chunks
...

*use gluten-free oats if gluten is an issue.
 

Instructions

Mash your banana. In a small pot, heat up the mashed banana, oats and soy milk. Stir frequently. When it starts to bubble and comes to the boil, reduce the heat to minimum or switch it off completely. Let it simmer and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes. You should keep the lid closed as to retain the heat, but keep checking on the oats every now and then

When it's done, the consistency of your porridge should be creamy and thick. Fill into your favourite bowl and sweeten and garnish to your liking (i love maple syrup, some more cinnamon, banana slices and fresh raspberries - or some crushed nuts, poppy seeds and a bit of nut butter).

Enjoy!


NOTES: 
- the proportion of milk and oats depends on your preference. I like mine to be smooth and thick, but not too heavy on the stomach, but feel free to add more or less oats than me.
- use Chai tea infused milk to make it extra yummy! (just put 1 bag of Chai tea in the milk or water as it boils and take out before adding the oats)
- add (vanilla) soy yogurt to the soy milk to make it more creamy.




Other porridge variations

Tropical taste: use coconut milk instead of soy/nut milk to make it more creamy and add a tropical hint. Pineapple cubes, chopped mango and shredded coconut or coconut yogurt would go great with that! 
Chocolate orange: add 1 tbsp cacao + a splash of orange juice in place of milk. 
After Eight: add 1 tbsp cacao + 1 TINY drop of peppermint (it goes a long way, trust me!) or some chopped fresh mint leaves. 
Banana bread: add half a mashed banana, handful of date chunks, 1/2 tsp vanilla and tsp cinnamon 
Carrot cake (pictured): add half a grated carrot, 1/2 tsp vanilla and tsp cinnamon. 
Apple pie: add half a grated apple, 1/2 tsp vanilla and tsp cinnamon. 
Green Protein (pictured): add 1 tsp of wheatgrass or barley powder. 
Blueberry muffin: add 1/2 tsp vanilla + handful blueberries (they explode in the microwave!) 
Chocolate cake (pictured): add 1-2 tbsp cacao powder + 1 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar. Serve with a little extra milk and banana slices. 
Wintry walnuts: add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence, the zest of 1/2 small orange and + 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Serve with roasted flaked almonds and some raisins. 
Chocolate cherry: add 2 tsp cacao powder + 1 tsp cherry preserves. Serve with 1/4 cup fresh pitted cherries. 
Peaches and cream: use almond milk instead of soy milk/water, add 1/2 cup chopped peaches + 1-2 tsp maple syrup or vanilla. Serve with more freshly chopped peaches + 1 tbsp soy yogurt or coconut cream. 
Berry nice (pictured): add 1/3 cup berry or cherry juice and + 1/2 cup frozen berries (blueberry, raspberry or any combination) midway through cooking. Top with more berries and a dollop of vegan yogurt before serving. 
Pumpkin pie: add 1 cup diced and steamed pumpkin, along with 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp brown sugar and + a handful of sultanas. 
Creamy chia: in the last minute of cooking, add 1/4 cup chia seeds + 1 /2 tsp vanilla. Serve with fresh fruit on top


Green Protein Porridge 
(using barley grass powder)
click for the recipe

Pink Berry Porridge
(using black currant juice, topped with raspberries)


Coconut Porridge 
(using shredded coconut, coconut milk & coconut almond butter on top)


Chocolate Porridge
(using carob powder, topped with some Ombar chocolate)
 


Carrot Cake Porridge
(using shredded carrot and apples, see note above)


Chocolate Porridge
(using cacao powder, topped with dark chocolate and one of my rum truffles)

I hope this gives you some inspiration how to spice up your oatmeal game. Porridge doesn't have to be bland and boring - it can be as flavourful as you want!

Have a happy day :)




Maisy

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