Easy foolproof recipe to perfectly cook buckwheat every time. Whether you’re cooking this healthy superfood to serve for breakfast as porridge (kasha), or as a side to serve with your protein for lunch or dinner, I’m sharing with you everything you need to know from buying buckwheat to cooking it perfectly every time.
Buckwheat is a delicious and gluten-free superfood (despite the “wheat” in its name). It’s very popular in Russia, and Slavic countries, and it’s very easy to cook!
Cooking buckwheat requires just 20 minutes from start to finish. If you choose to have it for breakfast, it’s one of the healthiest breakfast choices that you can add to your menu. Buckwheat is naturally vegan, loaded with fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
For more healthy porridge recipes, check out my creamy cornmeal porridge and this delicious quinoa porridge!
Benefits of Buckwheat
- It contains no gluten, therefore it’s great for gluten-sensitive diets (buckwheat is a seed, not a grain).
- It has high-quality protein containing all 9 essential amino acids.
- Buckwheat is rich in iron and antioxidants.
- Filled with many minerals and vitamins like zinc, copper, and niacin.
- Keeps you full for longer.
- Buckwheat’s dietary fiber can reduce blood cholesterol levels.
- Prevents colon cancer.
- Helps reduce blood sugar levels.
- Aids liver function.
- Helps with weight loss.
What is Buckwheat Porridge
If you’re following me on Instagram, then you probably know that I love making buckwheat porridge for breakfast. I have it at least 4 times a week!
Coming from a Russian background, I ate buckwheat porridge very often. In Russian, the porridge is called Grechnivaya Kasha.
To make porridge, roasted buckwheat is rinsed and cooked in a saucepan with water under a lid until the water is fully evaporated and absorbed, and the buckwheat is softened (just like rice!). Then it’s mixed with milk, and some sort of sweetener. Jazz it up with your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, seeds, nuts, and nut butters. It’s so simple!
What I love about buckwheat porridge is that it keeps you full for long, so if you still haven’t tried the porridge yet, give it a try and start incorporating this superfood into your diet.
Good to know
1 cup of cooked buckwheat (170 grams) contains only 155 calories while being a great source of potassium, iron, fibre, protein, manganese, magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B6.
If you are looking for another way to incorporate buckwheat in a meal that you can have for lunch or dinner, either serve cooked buckwheat as a side dish (just add a knob of butter and a sprinkle of salt). Or you make this simple and flavorful Buckwheat Soup.
How to Cook Buckwheat
Buckwheat kasha is very easy to make. The best ratio is 3:1 of water to buckwheat groats.
- Measure out a cup of roasted buckwheat groats and rinse them under running water, I use a fine mesh strainer but you can also do this in a saucepan.
- Add the rinsed buckwheat groats to a small saucepan, and cover with 3 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil uncovered, then cover with a lid and lower the heat to a low simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and leave it uncovered for 5 more minutes.
- If you’re serving this as a breakfast porridge, divide between bowls, add milk, maple syrup or honey, and fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds.
- If you’re having this as a savory side, while still warm add a piece of butter, and salt and mix that in. Serve just like you’d serve rice with a protein, and veg.
Tip!
If you’re making savory buckwheat, I don’t recommend adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process, as this might add an unpleasant taste to the buckwheat. So be sure to add the salt after the buckwheat is fully cooked.
Overnight Raw Buckwheat Porridge
You probably have heard of an overnight buckwheat porridge or raw buckwheat porridge, it’s one of my favorite ways to make kasha ahead for busy mornings. This is how you make it:
- The ratio is again 3:1 water to buckwheat groats.
- Take a bowl, add water, and buckwheat groats and let it soak for the night in the fridge. In the morning the buckwheat groats will look and taste as if they were cooked into a porridge. Add milk, top with fruits and your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Creamy Buckwheat Porridge
If you prefer a little bit of creaminess in your buckwheat porridge, just substitute the cooking water with milk of your choice. Full fat milk or plant-based milk, and cook the buckwheat groats.
Sometimes I like to do half buckwheat half oats and cook it in milk. The porridge will turn out very creamy and it’s basically the best of both worlds, creamy oats, and delicious buckwheat!
Tip!
Add some cocoa powder to the buckwheat oat milk combination, and get an indulgent chocolatey porridge to enjoy in the morning!
Buckwheat is so easy to cook, it’s cheap and very nutritious. It can be eaten savory with a knob of butter, pickles on the side, vegetables, mushrooms, and protein. Or enjoy it sweet as a porridge with milk, fruit, nuts, seeds, you name it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Buckwheat Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted buckwheat groats
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (non-dairy for vegans) optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
If making milk porridge:
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon sweetener of choice optional
- fruit optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan bring water to boil. Add uncooked buckwheat groats. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes (or until water is absorbed). Turn off heat, add the salt and let it sit for 10 more minutes.
- Top with butter and serve warm in a savory dish, or as a porridge with milk and toppings.
Notes:
- The ratio of buckwheat to water is 3:1
- Always wash the buckwheat groats before cooking, rinse under running water until the water runs clear.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Barbara says
How long will this last in the fridge once cooked x
Diana says
I’d say around 3-4 days is safe.
Allan Miller says
THE BEST…cannot wait 2 prep. MY breakfast cooked groats using these fine recipes!! Thanks!! :))
Diana says
I’m thrilled to hear you’re excited to try the buckwheat recipe! I hope your breakfast turns out amazing. Feel free to share your thoughts on the recipe once you try it!
Michael Davidson says
I think this will with my diabetes im looking forward to purchase a pack when I get back from holidays. My wife introduced me to it cooked with mince beef onions pepers sweat corn mushrooms Black pepper it was so nice I could have eaten the whole pot
Thank
Michael Davidson
Kat says
Oh my – this is so delicious! A few months ago, I did food allergy testing and found out that wheat, oats, and rice are all things that are inflammatory in my body. My nutritionist mentioned I could have buckwheat, but I didn’t try it until now. I made it as a porridge with almond milk and mixed in some ground flax, a few drops of monk fruit sweetener , a few Lillys chocolate chips, and some frozen berries at the end. This is a game changer for me. thank you so much! I have been missing oatmeal or warm breakfast because eggs are also on my list, so many breakfast foods are not available to me. I’m so tired of cottage cheese and yogurt! I only made a half a recipe in case I didn’t like it. That was a mistake!