Vegan Overnight Three-Grain Breakfast Porridge

Why This Recipe Works

For this hearty three-grain porridge, we chose a blend of quinoa, millet, and amaranth and mixed in a generous amount of blueberries for sweet, fruity bursts in every bite. We found that equal parts quinoa and millet (½ cup each), along with ¼ cup of amaranth, gave us a harmonious balance of textures and flavors. Millet, with its mellow corn flavor and fine, starchy texture was balanced by the nutty, earthy flavors of quinoa, while the amaranth added bold anise flavor and an intriguing caviar-like texture. Since each of these grains absorbs liquid differently, our challenge was to figure out how to cook them together perfectly. After testing numerous ratios of liquid to grains and various simmering times, we pinpointed the perfect compromise of 30 minutes of cooking and 6 cups of liquid to 1¼ cups of grains. The high amount of liquid encouraged the grains to swell and some to burst and release their starches, creating a creamy porridge. However, the lengthy 30-minute simmering time was off-putting for what was meant to be a quick breakfast. The solution was stirring the grains into boiling water the night before so the grains hydrated and softened overnight. In the morning, all we had to do was add oat milk and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes.