Barley porridge with blueberries is a tasty and wholesome breakfast topped with nutrient rich berries, walnuts, dates and a drizzle of honey. This is sure to give you a healthy and happy start to take on the challenges of the day!!
What Is Talbina?
This barley porridge is inspired by Talbina, a whole grain porridge of middle eastern origin that is prepared with ground barley, milk and honey. In the recipe here I have further added roasted blueberries, walnuts and dates.
Pro Tips
- I find it easiest to just grind the barley and store it in a container. Whenever I need to make some porridge I just scoop out some ground barley.
- When cooking the barley porridge, I first like to cook it with a little bit of water to make a thick paste and then add the milk and cook it further. I feel this helps cook the porridge better.
- If you want to speed up the cooking time you can mix in some water or milk and pre-soak it.
- You could even soak the ground barley overnight in milk and cook it quickly to make your overnight porridge.
- Using a slow cooker to make the porridge would also be a great idea. It will result in a really creamy texture, kind of like rice pudding.
Is Barley Good for Health?
Barley has several nutritional benefits. It is rich in Beta Glucan, the same fiber that is in oats. Beta Glucan is well known for its cholesterol lowering effect. It is very beneficial for intestinal health. It provides bulk for regularity and facilitates the production of short chain fatty acids that maintain a healthy colon.
When consumed regularly as part of a healthy diet, it can be protective against heart ailments, cancers, diabetes and such. Barley has been shown to promote better blood sugar control and insulin response.
And I cannot say enough about the antioxidant rich blueberries and walnuts, that are an excellent source of omega-s fatty acids, phytonutrients, antioxidants and known for anti-inflammatory potential.
Is Barley Porridge Good for Weight Loss?
This porridge is so satiating and filling. Therefore it can be effectively included in a weight loss regimen, keeping honey to a minimum. Actually the blueberries, milk and small amount of dates are all sweet enough.
Barley porridge is a great alternative to oatmeal and works very well as a hearty breakfast. For more nutrition information about barley check out this post on Persian Creamy Barley Soup.
More Healthy and Tasty Breakfast Ideas:
- Moroccan Eggs in Tomato Sauce
- Rustic German Apple Pancake
- Mushroom Spinach Rep Pepper Kuku (Persian Frittata)
- Best Egg Paratha (Omelette Stuffed Paratha)
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Barley Porridge with Blueberries
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pearl barley coarsely ground
- ½ cup water or milk
- 1 cup milk reduced fat
- 1 tablespoon walnuts chopped
- 1 tablespoon dates chopped
- 2 tablespoon blueberries or more (oven roasted)
- Honey to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Process barley in nut grinder until it is slightly coarse.
- In a sauce pan, dissolve barley in water and mix it well. Cook the mixture just briefly.
- Add 1 cup of milk and cook it on medium just like cooking steel cut oats. More milk may be added for the desired consistency.
- Meanwhile roast the blueberries in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish at 400°F for about 8-10 minutes, until the blueberries just start to release their juices.
- Sprinkle the walnuts and dates. Spoon over the blueberries with its juices.
- Drizzle with honey to taste.
Notes
VARIATIONS
- Dairy Free Barley Porridge: Make porridge with almond milk, hazelnut milk, cashew milk, soymilk etc.
- Vegan Barley Porridge: Use nut milks listed above or soy milk and skip honey.
- High Protein Barley Porridge: Top the porridge with a scoop of ricotta cheese, and/or hemp seeds.
- Rich and Creamy Barley Porridge: Top it with a dash of heavy cream or nut butters.
- Other Toppings for Barley Porridge: fruit compote, fresh fruit, roasted nuts, ground cinnamon, baked apples or pears, maple syrup, brown sugar etc.
- For more tips and serving suggestions check out the blog post above.
- NUTRITION FACTS
Nutrition
This post was first published on 4th January, 2016 and has been updated.
Emma Thomas
Loved this recipe! The roasted blueberries were divine! I also roasted my nut butter which massively changes the flavor and gives an extra richness to the porridge. I didn't actually blend the barley as it was pre-cooked, but warming it up in plant milk with the dates gave it a lovely creamy, sweet flavour similar to rice pudding. Fabby breakfast!
Roxana Begum
Thanks Emma for your lovely feedback.
Lydia Douglas
The first two times I tried by others not for me. Did yours was good. Had barley flour I had done. So I used it. Started off a rue but at the end OMG texture reminded me of Cream of Wheat. Now I can have for breakfast. I took my blood count before it happened. and didn't spike like crazy. I had spent hours and hours looking. Thank you so much for your receipe/video.
Heather
I have been looking for an alternative to porridge because I really don't like it at all but I want a healthy breakfast. I love this barley porridge! The only things I did differently was, dry roast the barley grains in the oven before grinding them and cook entirely in water not milk. IMHO all grains taste better after dry roasting. I am going to try this in a slow cooker next. Thanks!
Roxana Begum
Thank you Heather for sharing this great tip. I like roasting rolled oats too. Porridge in slow cooker turns so creamy.
STEPHANIE COOPER
Really good! My 11th month old loves it and my 6 year old requested it for breakfast after tasting it. I didn't add the toppings as in the recipe, however it is still good. Thank you
Adrianne
Hello I have an entire bag of ground barley and would love to try this recipe. How would you recommend to make this with a slow cooker?
Roxana Begum
I havent tried in slow cooker but couple hours on high or 3 hours or more on low setting may work.
Allison Mattina
Wow, this sounds like the perfect breakfast. Blueberries are SO good for you, especially when you start the day with them!
Roxana Begum
Yes, I agree Allison. I love a blueberry morning :)
Rebecca
I've never tried making porridge before, but it's become a thing on restaurant menus and I'd love to try my own at home! This one looks delicious!
Roxana Begum
Oh I never knew its now on restaurant menus. Thanks Rebecca.
Maria
This is actually a really great idea. I use barley mostly in savory recipes and often add it to soups because I like how it helps to thicken them a bit. I've never thought to make a barley porridge for breakfast. I think I would like the texture of the ground barley porridge very much. And these blueberries are everything!
Roxana Begum
I am a huge barley fan too. Love it in savory recipes, soups, thickening etc....and write about it in all my barley recipes. I like cooking the ground barley very soft like a rice pudding.
Stephanie
This sounds like the perfect yummy way to start your day. Loving the blueberry & date combination in this!
Roxana Begum
Thanks. Yes it feels so satisfying too.
Emily
Love porridge, I used to eat it every morning, this recipe sounds delicious!
Roxana Begum
I love it to :) Thanks Emily