Oven-Baked 3-Grain Porridge with Blueberry Soup

It was a beautiful weekend here in Sydney, so sunny and warm! I got most of the things done on my to do-list, including this oven-baked porridge which I've been craving for a while. The recipe is based on my old favourite, pearl barley porridge, but this one has a lot 'grainier' texture and nuttier flavour. Sweet blueberry soup was a perfect companion and I was happy as ever to devour a bowl of this whilst enjoying the sun on our balcony.

Bring on the new week!

Oven-Baked 3-Grain Porridge

(serves 4)

70g oat groats

70g rye groats

70g brown rice

700-800ml unsweetened oat milk

a pinch of salt 

olive oil for the baking dish

1. Start by soaking the grains for at least a couple of hours. When ready to bake, drain the grains.

2. Preheat oven to 150C and brush an oven dish (21cm x 15cm) with some oil.

3. Combine all grains and add to the dish. Pour milk on top (enough to reach a couple of centimetres from the top) and season with salt. 

4. Bake for a couple of hours or until the milk has soaked in and the grains have softened. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Blueberry Soup

250g fresh or frozen blueberries

800ml water

2 tablespoons raw vanilla sugar

2 teaspoons granulated stevia

2 tablespoons potato starch

100ml water, extra 

1. Combine blueberries, sugar, stevia and most of the water in a pan. Bring to boil, then add rest of the water and take the pan off the heat.

2. Whisk potato starch in cold water and add to the blueberry soup while whisking continuously. Leave to cool before serving.

Baked Pearl Barley Porridge

I am starting to realise that some of my all-time favourite recipes, the ones that I take for granted and make over and over again, are the ones that I haven't actually shared here on the blog before. Just recently there were the spelt horns, the whipped cranberry porridge, and the apple tart, to name a few - and now this - baked pearl barley porridge. This is a dish I've been making very frequently for well over 10 years, the whole time I've been living on my own and before that it was a treat my mum would make for us as a light meal. 

I couldn't think of a more comforting dish on a rainy winter's day. You could serve this with sweet berry soup, rhubarb soup or just fresh berries. We are spoilt here in Australia to have fresh strawberries available in the midst of winter ;-)

Baked Pearl Barley Porridge

(serves 2)

90g pearl barley

750ml milk (low-fat is fine)

1 teaspoon salt

butter, for greasing

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease a shallow-ish oven proof dish (capacity of over 1 litre). Pour in the barley, salt and milk. 

3. Bake (without stirring) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the top is golden and all the liquid has soaked up. Cool slightly before serving.