Emma’s vegan courgette porridge recipe

Okay so if you are vegan, non-vegan, partially vegan or if you just want a tasty porridge recipe then this porridge recipe is for you. With this courgette porridge recipe I hope I can change the mind of anyone who thinks that vegan food is boring.

Now have you ever added a vegetable to your porridge? If you have, hopefully you found the controversial experience amazing.  If not, do not worry. This may be your chance to delve into the non-basic porridge world. I have added one third to a half a courgette to these oats.

Courgettes hold a lot of moisture, so they make your porridge expand a little in volume. Because they are grated, they cook super-fast, so you do not have to worry about raw courgette oats, which I would not recommend that to anyone.

I know a lot of people struggle to eat their 5-a-day, so this recipe can be really useful for adding some diverse vegetables to your diet. I sometimes add a carrot too which is in my other porridge recipe. Adding cacao powder, and then topping this with some soya yoghurt and berries, adds a rich depth of flavour.

I make my oat mixture the night before and allow them to sit overnight. This not only helps with digestion, but it allows time for the ingredients to mix. It also saves time; it means that when you want to eat, all you need to do is pop them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and stir in between.

If you’re feeling fancy, whip out a pan on the hob, place the oats on high, heat the oats and stir until they boil and then reduce the heat down. Keep stirring and when you are happy with the consistency, pour into your bowl. I am a thick oats kind of gal but if you like yours more watery/ less thick, add some more milk/or water to thin the mixture.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup oats
• 1 cup oat/ soy/ almond/ cashew/ coconut/ hemp milk
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1/3-1/2 courgette grated
• 1-2 teaspoon cacao powder – Aldi stock a super cheap one

Method

1. Place the oats, milk, courgette and chia seeds into your jar/container.
2. Stir these ingredients together.
3. Now add in the cacao powder and stir again.
4. Place into the fridge and leave for 2-3 hours or overnight.
5. In the morning open and pour the mixture into your saucepan or bowl and heat as directed above (2-3 minutes in microwave, 4-5 mins on the hop).
6. Top with: Soy/coconut yoghurt, cinnamon and frozen fruit.

Tip: I always thought you could not eat frozen fruit straight from the packet but because the porridge is warm once you stir them in the dissolve and they are incredible bursts of juicy goodness.