Sweet Potato, Miso & Buckwheat Porridge

This gutsy gluten-free porridge combines fibre- and protein-rich buckwheat with sweet potato to make a delicious, nourishing comfort food for you and your friendly microbes. Sweet potato contains insoluble fibre, helping to keep you regular, as well as pro-vitamin A, important for keeping your gut lining robust. Cinnamon and nutmeg bring a host of anti-inflammatory benefits, but the hero is in the topping. Pomegranate seeds have been shown to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria while inhibiting pathogenic bugs, helping to restore balance in the microbiota.

SERVES 4

150 g (5½ oz/¾ cup) buckwheat groats, washed & drained
splash of unpasteurised apple-cider vinegar
400 g (14 oz/1 medium) sweet potato, peeled & cut into 2 cm (¾ in) cubes
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) drinking coconut, almond or macadamia milk
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) water 3 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus extra for topping 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
stevia, equivalent to 2 teaspoons regular sugar, or to taste

Toppings
250 g (9 oz/1 cup) coconut yoghurt
35 g (1¼ oz/¼ cup) pomegranate seeds 30 g (1 oz/½ cup) coconut flakes
2 tablespoons sunflower kernels manuka honey, for drizzling (optional)

Fill a small bowl up halfway with warm water. Add the buckwheat groats and vinegar and set aside in a warm place to soak for at least 2 (and up to 6) hours. Drain and rinse.

Steam the sweet potato for 10 minutes, or until tender, then mash into a purée (you can do this ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator).

In a large saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water and buckwheat groats. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened and tender.

Add the sweet potato, miso, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract and stevia. Stir continuously and cook for 3–4 more minutes. Add a little extra coconut milk or water to reach your desired porridge consistency.

Serve the porridge topped with coconut yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes and sunflower kernels, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a drizzle of manuka honey, as desired

CARLA’S TIP Buckwheat porridge stores really well in the refrigerator. Divide any leftover porridge between jars and eat it cold or warm for a quick breakfast during the week. Cooling the sweet potato also increases its resistant starch, helping to produce short-chain fatty acids that help fight inflammation.

LOW-FODMAP OPTION Reduce the sweet potato to 300 g (10½ oz), swap the drinking coconut milk for unsweetened UHT coconut almond or macadamia milk, and swap the honey for some pure organic maple syrup.

If this mouth-watering recipe has inspired you to try some more recipes from ‘The Beauty Chef Gut Guide’ you can buy your copy HERE + Free UK delivery

The Beauty Chef Gut Guide is a compelling resource for people who want to improve their gut health, as well as better understand the science underpinning the link between gut and skin health. Beautifully photographed, it features over 90 recipes with weekly meal plan guides in a 28-day program for repairing and reprogramming your gut, to improve your skin and your general wellbeing.

Sample recipes – across breakfast, lunch and dinner – include Baked salmon, tomato and fennel; Coconut crepes; Chicken sage and buckwheat risotto; Lemongrass kaffir lime salmon cakes; Panfried cauliflower gnocchi; Swedish meatballs; and Tamarind fish curry; and Vanilla cardamom chia puddings

About the Author

Carla Oates is the founder and chef behind Australian beauty brand The Beauty Chef, and a pioneer in the wellness space. Named ‘The Skincare Innovator’ by Net-A-Porter magazine, she is author of the James Beard-nominated The Beauty

Chef. She is also the author of the best-selling book Feeding Your Skin and editor of the Wellbeing Beauty Book. A naturalist and gut-health advocate, Carla is the natural beauty columnist for Wellbeing Magazine, and has been researching, writing and teaching on organic beauty and health for more than 15 years. Her range of skincare products are sold internationally