Traditional Soaked Oatmeal Recipe
A good breakfast is a wonderful way to start the day, but I don’t always feel like preparing and cooking a big meal first thing. This is where traditionally soaked overnight oatmeal is a perfect recipe, because you prep it the night before, then it is quick and easy to cook in minutes in the morning to have a hot breakfast on the table.
Oats are very healthy for us, as they are a good source of fiber, protein, phosphorus, thiamine, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Oatmeal has long been a beloved morning meal, but did you know that up until the WWII era, oats were always soaked overnight before cooking?
The rise of quick instant foods has led to people just adding hot water to dried oats and eating immediately. In recent years, the trend of cold-soaked oats has caught on, but they are soaked overnight in the fridge with a liquid and then eaten without cooking. Both of these methods do not unlock the maximum amount of nutrition and digestibility that is available to us through a bowl of soaked and simmered traditional oatmeal.
Soaking the oats overnight with the addition of an acid, in the form of liquid whey, yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar, which lightly ferments the oats and helps to break down starches, reduce phytates, and increase the bioavailability of nutrients and minerals. This makes the oats more digestible and nutritious, as well as creamy and delicious.
I usually add a splash of apple cider vinegar to my oats while soaking, but sometimes also use the liquid that forms on the top of containers of yogurt, which I just pour off into my pot. The pot of oats is left overnight on the counter at room temperature until you are ready to prepare it the next day.
Traditionally soaked overnight oats are preferred by my family because they taste better when softer, creamier, and silkier. Plus, the addition of pastured butter and coconut oil also eases digestion and adds healthy fats which give sustained energy to the brain and body.
It also saves time in the morning and is a wholesome and nutritious breakfast - especially if you load your bowl with superfood toppings, like dried fruits, nuts, and seeds which are full of minerals and vitamins. I love adding goji berries - which are a great source of minerals and antioxidants as well as melatonin, and raisins, which are also rich in essential minerals, including potassium, iron, magnesium, and boron.
Traditional Soaked Oatmeal Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 c. organic rolled oats
6 c. filtered or spring water
1 Tbs. liquid whey, buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar
1 T. coconut oil
4 Tbs. pastured butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
Organic maple syrup to taste
Optional toppings: organic raisins, goji berries, bananas, nuts, hemp seeds, etc.
Directions
Put the oats in a covered pot with 4 c. room temperature water.
Add the tablespoon of liquid whey, buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the oats and water and stir.
Soak the oats overnight covered on the counter and they will be ready by morning. They can soak up to 24 hours on the counter and will be fine.
Strain the oats and add 2 c. fresh water.
Put the pot on the stove on medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add coconut oil and cinnamon and stir.
Divide into bowls, add a Tbs. of butter to each bowl, top with maple syrup to taste, and your favorite toppings.
Enjoy!
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There are many ways to enjoy your traditionally soaked overnight oatmeal!
Feel free to experiment with flavors and toppings, such as adding organic dark chocolate chips and a spoonful of peanut butter for a rich decadent oatmeal.
Or you can grate an apple and add it to the oats while cooking for an apple pie flavored oatmeal.
There are endless possibilities!
Many blessings,
