Warning: vsprintf(): Too few arguments in /home/customer/www/breakfast-bowls.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mediavine-create/lib/creations/class-creations-views-colors.php on line 97

Coconut barley porridge with poached apples

|

This is a fantastic tummy-warming barley porridge breakfast recipe that you can easily do anytime because it uses ingredients that are available year-round. You can make it creamier, sweeter or more savory depending to your taste and you can prepare the barley and poached apples the night before so in the morning you just need to assemble.

If you have never tried barley before, it is between rice and pasta al dente in terms of texture, slightly chewy and very nutty, and is a very versatile alternative to plain rice of oatmeal.

Go straight to RECIPE | ABOUT BARLEY | BENEFITS | WHY I LIKE THIS RECIPE | VARIATIONS | MAKE IT <250KCAL

 

 

About barley and its origins

Barley is a little known grain more common in a brewery than in a kitchen. We know that its origins are unclear but it has been around for a long time, as it is grown across the world, from South Korea to Africa. We also know that it is very good for you, and this is why I love to use it as the base for my breakfast bowls. 

Barley has a lot of fiber, it is low in fat and has a wonderful nutty flavor I love. In Asia, it is also used to make a drink called barley water which is the result of boiling it with water and adding sugar and lemon to taste. Barley water is very popular across Southeast Asia and China and sold in convenience stores, supermarkets and restaurants. 

If you have never bought barley before, you will realise that you can find two types of barley in the shops: hulled or pearled.

You can easily distinguish the two because pearl barley is, you guessed it, pearly, more rounded and polished while the hulled is rougher and more opaque because it still has the bran layer. In Asia, you will most likely find the pearled version. 

I like both types of barley but the hulled one takes longer to cook (up to 10-15 min longer) though it is healthier for you: it is less processed and it contains a higher percentage fiber and protein. Pearl barley is more refined in taste, much prettier and easier to find where I live. 
 

 

The benefits of barley and this recipe

I said that barley is great for you, but why exactly?

A serving of barley porridge has close to your entire daily recommended amount of fiber covered, making it a great way to kick start the day.

It is very low in sugar and fat, so it goes great with any toppings, and can pair with creamier ingredients like coconut cream or jams. The high fiber content also means you will feel fuller for longer.

The downside?

Over 70% of barley’s content is made of carbs (must like most grains) so try to balance this large carb breakfast intake with more veggies, protein and good fats during the rest of the day.
 

 

What I love about barley porridge

Besides its clear health benefits, what I love the most about barley porridge is its nutty crunchy texture which is a great alternative to the baby food-like oatmeal porridge which I also love, but can feel a bit too pasty at times. 

Barley’s consistency also makes it a great candidate for a savory breakfast. Although this is a sweet recipe, there are infinite ways to top barley porridge with savory ingredients, from cured meats to vegetables or even fish. Think about any rice recipe and then replace the rice with barley, result! 

I particularly love barley porridge mixed with a runny poached egg, some mushrooms, parsley, garlic and spinach, yum! 

If all of the above did not convince you yet, how about this. Barley needs cooking, unlike other breakfast bowls made with instant oats, fruits, smoothies or chia, but it keeps for long. Prepare it in bulk on Sunday, pack in individual mason jars and add toppings in the morning to have a delicious and healthy breakfast bowl go. Once cooked, barley porridge can keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
 

 

coconut barley porridge with poached apple
Yield: 1 bowl

Coconut barley porridge with poached apple

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

This cooked pearl barley porridge will satisfy all your tropical cravings while using ingredients you can find all year round so you can take your taste buds on an exotic escape without leaving the house.

If you decide to use hulled barley (it is better for you after all) add 10min longer to cooking and bear in mind the recipe will be a bit nuttier and chewier.

Ingredients

Barley porridge

  • 20gr Pearl barley
  • 170ml Unsweetened coconut milk
  • 150ml Water

Poached apples

  • 1/4 Apple sliced
  • Tbsp of Cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 Lemon juice
  • Lemon grind
  • Tbsp Coconut sugar
  • 150ml Water

Toppings

  • Dollop of coconut cream
  • 3 Physalis (optional)
  • 6 Crushed almonds
  • 1 tsp Sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. SOAK: Soak the barley in a mason jar with 70ml of coconut milk overnight. This will soften it and help it cook faster in the morning. If you like the nutty texture, you could also eat the barley raw without cooking and jump to step 3.
  2. COOK: In the morning, empty the soaked barley in a cooking pot and add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for at least 20min. Keep an eye on the porridge and mix from time to time. If you prefer a mushier more porridge-like texture, add 50ml water more and let it cook 10min longer.
  3. POACHED APPLES: While the porridge cooks, prep the poached apple by slicing a quarter of an apple and placing it in a pot with 150ml of water, the juice of half a lemon, the sugar, cinnamon and lemon grind and bring to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 15-20min depending on how soft you like the apple to be. Keep an eye on the amount of liquid and add more water if it becomes too dry.
  4. PREP: Remove the porridge from the stove and pour into a serving bowl then add the remaining 100ml of coconut milk and mix.
  5. ASSEMBLE: Top the porridge with the poached apple, the crushed almonds and a dollop of coconut cream. Decorate with sesame seeds and physalis.

Notes

Physalis are not a commonly found fruit and when they are available they can be quite pricey for what is essentially a decorative ingredient. Swap for blueberries, raspberries, or even just a dollop of jam. Kumquats also work great for this recipe.

Make it creamier: You could cook the porridge entirely with coconut milk instead of water or go one step further and add coconut cream towards the end.

Note: The lemon grind is mostly added for flavor but I like to eat it so I also add it to the barley porridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1 bowl

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 64mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 10gSugar: 29gProtein: 4g

Values may vary depending on ingredients and brands used.

Have you tried this recipe at home?  We would LOVE to see your yum creations! Tag @BreakfastBowlRecipes and use the hashtag #MyBreakfastBowl so we can share the love ♥

 

 

Possible variations to this barley porridge recipe

Because of its consistency, you can change almost every element of this barley porridge and have a different recipe everyday.

  • This recipe is vegan and uses coconut milk and cream because I like the tropical touch it gives to the barley, but you can use any kind of milk. I always use unsweetened coconut (or nut) milk because I prefer to keep my recipes low in sugar, especially artificial, and prefer to add other sweeteners to my taste, but if you prefer the sweetened version just bear in mind that you might not need the coconut sugar and that the calories in the recipe will be much higher.
  • Use cow milk for an extra dose of protein and calcium, or cook the barley with plain water for a more neutral flavor.
  • You may add coconut cream or Greek yogurt to the cooked barley porridge instead of plain coconut milk if you like it creamier. Bear in mind adding yogurt will cool down the porridge.
  • You can replace the physalis with any other berry that is available or keep the recipe to the same sour-ish idea with kumquats.
  • Use toasted almonds instead of raw almonds for a crunchier consistency and color.
  • Instead of poaches apples, you can also add a dollop of jam for a super quick barley porridge, or any fresh fruits you have. Soft fruits like mango and banana go great with the barley.

 

 

How to make this recipe with 250 kcal

There is a very easy way to remove 50kcal from this recipe: omit the coconut cream. I like the creaminess and sweetness it adds, but that comes with high calories too. You can simply omit it and stick to 250kcal. Alternatively, you can also reduce the amount of barley by 10gr to achieve the same objective.

Previous

Overnight banana chia pudding

Chocolate banana chia pudding with blueberries

Next

42 thoughts on “Coconut barley porridge with poached apples”

  1. Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

  2. Generally I do not learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to check out and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thank you, very great post.

  3. I was excited to uncover this site. I wanted
    to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!!
    I definitely liked every bit of it and I have you book-marked to check out new stuff on your web site.

  4. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
    Look advanced to far added agreeable from you!
    By the way, how can we communicate?

  5. Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It if truth be told was once a amusement account it.
    Look complex to more brought agreeable from you!
    However, how can we be in contact?

  6. I think that everything published made a great deal of sense.
    However, consider this, suppose you were to create a killer headline?
    I am not saying your content is not good., but suppose you
    added a title that makes people want more? I mean Coconut barley porridge with poached apples – Breakfast bowls
    is kinda plain. You could peek at Yahoo’s home page
    and see how they write news headlines to grab people to open the
    links. You might add a related video or a picture
    or two to grab people excited about what you’ve got to say.
    In my opinion, it might make your website a little
    bit more interesting.

  7. My brother suggested I may like this blog. He was totally
    right. This post actually made my day. You cann’t imagine just how so much time I had spent for this info!
    Thanks!

  8. Hi! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering
    which blog platform are you using for this site? I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve
    had problems with hackers and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform.

    I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of
    a good platform.

  9. I’m no longer positive where you’re getting your information,
    but good topic. I must spend a while learning more or working out more.
    Thank you for fantastic information I used to be on the lookout for this information for my mission.

  10. Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you actually know what you’re talking approximately!
    Bookmarked. Kindly additionally visit my site =). We will have a link change agreement among us

  11. Hey! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after checking through
    some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
    Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

  12. My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.

    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform.
    I have heard good things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?

    Any help would be really appreciated!

  13. Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I
    stumbleupon everyday. It’s always helpful to read
    through articles from other writers and use something from other websites.

  14. I will right away take hold of your rss as I can not find your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service.
    Do you’ve any? Please let me recognize so that I could
    subscribe. Thanks.

  15. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.

    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.

    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two pictures.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  16. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could
    a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or
    2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  17. Great blog here! Additionally your website rather a lot up very fast!

    What web host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink to your
    host? I want my site loaded up as quickly as yours
    lol

  18. Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I have read
    stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this blog.

  19. I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought
    this post was great.
    I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to
    a famous blogger if you aren’t already
    Cheers!

Comments are closed.

Skip to Recipe