Spiced Porridge with Poached Rhubarb

Spiced porridge with poached rhubarb is the preferred breakfast in our house during winter. The kids love to drizzle cream and maple syrup over the top. I’m quite partial to mixed berries and coconut with mine. Did you know that rolled oats are a very nutritious whole-grain? They’re low in sugar (unlike many commercial cereals), and a great source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

The poached rhubarb is quick and easy to make, and it’s delicious with many things – yoghurt, custard or ice-cream. For the spiced porridge, I prefer traditional rolled oats to the quick cook variety, and they don’t take long to cook. Prepare your oats the night before if you like, to save time. It will also give you a slightly creamier porridge.

Print Recipe

Spiced Porridge with Poached Rhubarb

Spiced porridge with poached rhubarb is the perfect winter breakfast to keep you going throughout the day.

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

• 500 g rhubarb (approx 10 stems), washed and trimmed into 3 cm pieces
• 50 g raw sugar
• 1 orange, juiced or 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 star anise or 1/2 tsp ground star anise
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

• For the rhubarb, simply mix together the rhubarb pieces with the sugar, orange juice and star anise into a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cover the saucepan and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook the rhubarb for 5 minutes until the pieces are soft, or cook for longer if you prefer the rhubarb to collapse entirely.
• Serve the rhubarb immediately with the porridge, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• For the porridge, stir 2 1/2 cups of water into the rolled oats, together with the vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes over a medim heat, stirring frequntly. Serve immediately with the topping of your choice.

Notes

Make the rhubarb ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you need it. Add other fruit if you like: it's a good way to use up over-ripe pears or soft apples. No extra sugar is necessary. If you're not a fan of star anise, add a cinnamon stick instead, or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste.
The rolled oats can be left to soak in water with the spices overnight to save time in the morning if you like.