Oatmeal and sweet porridges have never really appealed to me. Am more of a savory than a sweet type of person. I’ve had a savory porridge on my to-do list for quite some time. Most renditions I’ve encountered out and about utilized only one type of grain, two at most. I wanted to experiment with a multigrain version.

The bulk section of a grocery store is a great way to mix and match grains. Today, I used long-grain brown rice, buckwheat groats, red quinoa, amaranth and farro (all from the bulk bins with the exception of the farro, which I had on hand; used this brand). Needless to say, you could certainly play around with other grains if you’d like.

Savory five-grain porridge is an easy one pot dish perfect for this time of year — homey and comforting. I like a long, slow simmer until the grains soften and slowly become thick and porridge-y. This requires a stir from time to time — every time you walk past the pot, give it a stir — but other than that, it’s hands-free cooking. I like that some of the grains retain their bite, adding some nice texture to the porridge.

As for the toppings, that’s entirely up to you. I topped my bowl with sautéed mushrooms, a spicy microgreens mix, chives (or scallions), a soy-cured soft-bowled egg and a spicy shishimi-togarashi peanut chile oil.

What would you top yours with??

I added a tablespoon of red miso and butter at the end and swirled into the porridge for an added umami boost…

This is the shishimi-togarashi peanut chile oil. Shishimi togarashi is a Japanese chile blend that includes red chili pepper, dried orange peel, sesame seeds, Japanese pepper (sanshō), ginger, seaweed (nori), poppy seeds and hemp seeds.

A highly addictive, chile-infused sesame oil along with fresh shallot, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds and peanuts…

Savory Five-Grain Porridge

1/3 cup long grain brown rice
1/3 cup farro, used this brand
1/3 cup buckwheat groats
1/3 cup quinoa, red, white or multi-colored
1/3 cup amaranth
5 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or *porcini mushroom broth, more if needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon miso, white or red

*Note: if you use porcini broth, strain out the rehydrated mushroom from the broth, chop and add to the porridge

Suggested toppings:
Sautéed mushrooms
Spicy microgreens
Shichimi Togarashi chile oil (recipe here)
Soy cured soft-boiled eggs (recipe here); or substitute soft-boiled, poached or fried egg
Chives or scallions

Place the brown rice in a spice grinder and pulse a few times until broken into smaller pieces. Combine the grains in a large pot. Add the stock and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and porridge-y, stirring often, about 40 minutes. You may need to add a little more stock or water if it gets too thick. When the porridge is thick, stir in the butter and miso. Taste, adding more salt if needed. Serve hot with suggested toppings.