Barley Porridge

Tired of your morning oatmeal? Batch cook barley for hearty porridge all week.

A bowl of barley porridge topped with red currants.

Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios

Why It Works

  • Batch cook barley ahead of time, to ensure a quick breakfast in the morning.
  • When ready to enjoy, simmer cooked barley with milk and cinnamon, and add whatever toppings you like.

For something with a name that sounds pretty frumpy (or maybe lumpy? porridge!), I really love the stuff. For years, I've eaten oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast, occasionally subbing in a hot mixed grain cereal that I buy from Whole Foods when I have cash to burn. Apparently, a mixture of rye, quinoa, and flaxseed is worth its weight in gold.

"I recently (finally) realized that oats are not my only stomach and wallet-friendly grain."

I recently (finally) realized that oats are not my only stomach and wallet-friendly grain. I could easily make my own hot barley cereal. The trick? Cook your barley the night before. That's right, I'm now a batch-barley maker, maybe the only one who isn't using it for beer.

The reason that you don't see barley porridge that often is that barley takes longer— much longer— than oats to cook. Let's look at the numbers. Oats: 2 minutes 30 seconds in the microwave. Barley: 40 minutes on the stove, then 15 minutes in the pot with milk. But if I make a batch of barley on Sunday, I can eat the leftovers as barley porridge for the rest of the week. (Not to mention scattering some in salads, soups, etc.)

Here's what you do: combine the cooked barley (I actually leave it a little more al dente in the first stage, cooking it between 30 and 40 minutes instead of 45) with milk in a pan. Add in brown sugar and cinnamon and cook it over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the barley has sucked up the milk.

At this point it's ready to eat as a sweet barley porridge and the extras are up to you. Personally, I add a mixture of chopped nuts and fresh fruit and, for an extra rich texture, a generous drizzle of heavy cream.

September 2013

Recipe Details

Barley Porridge

Cook 20 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked barley (see Notes)

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts

  • Heavy cream

  • Fresh fruit for serving

Directions

  1. Combine barley, milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has almost been all absorbed, about 15 minutes. Divide barley between two bowls. Top with chopped walnuts, a generous drizzle of heavy cream, and chopped fresh fruit if desired.

Notes

To cook barley, combine 1 cup pearled barley with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
336 Calories
12g Fat
53g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 336
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 39mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 114mg 9%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 284mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)