Quinoa with blueberries is the perfect breakfast for me and it’s gluten-free too. Many of my patients have gluten intolerance so I often make up gluten-free recipes for them. Many years ago I made this quinoa with blueberry breakfast recipe. Then I started to eat it myself and before I knew it, I preferred it to any other breakfast.
In fact I never get tired of it and I am still eating it every morning. This breakfast gives me such sustenance that I am fine until lunch time. And I don’t need any snacks between breakfast and lunch.
Wild Icelandic Blueberries and Bilberries
Wild Icelandic Blueberries and Bilberries
There is a tradition in Iceland to pick your own wild blueberries and bilberries and preserve them for winter. As a child I picked berries every autumn so picking became the yearly tradition for me. I always freeze the berries and use them frozen for this quinoa breakfast. If I haven’t picked enough to last me through winter I use goji berries instead.
Blueberries and bilberries are super healthy food. They’re rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. And they’re also very high in vitamins.
Store-bought blueberries are usually sweeter than the wild blueberries or bilberries. You might not need to add any sweetener if you’re using store-bought blueberries.
I highly recommend you buy certified organic blueberries if you can since there are a lot of pesticides on normal blueberries. And those pesticides are definitely not good for your health.
Wild Icelandic Bilberries (I ate them all after taking this photo)
Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries
1. Put the quinoa, water and flax seeds in a bowl to soak over night. If you are using goji berries then include them as well. If you want to skip the soaking, add about 5 minutes to the cooking time.
2. Next morning pour the ingredients into a saucepan and add cinnamon and salt. Simmer on low heat without the lid for about 10-15 minutes.
3. At the end add the blueberries and heat for another half a minute.
4. Pour the porridge into a bowl and add the butter (or olive oil) and honey and stir.
I don’t find it necessary to use any milk with this porridge. But if you do, I recommend a plant-based milk such as oat milk or almond milk.About the Author
Anna Rósa is a medical herbalist and author of the bestselling book Icelandic Herbs and Their Medicinal Uses. She’s the CEO and founder of Anna Rósa Skincare and a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in UK. It’s the oldest herbalist institute in the world, founded in 1894.
I made this today and it was very good, but I don’t understand about the flax seeds. I have read that your body cannot absorb the nutrients in flax seeds unless they are ground. The seed shell is too hard and they are just passed through the system intact.
Hi Brenda, I’m so glad you liked it! The main thing with flax seeds is that they should not be consumed raw as in just added at the end to the porridge, then they will just be passed through the system intact and can cause problems. Grounding them is much better for absorbing nutrients but soaking them (which will release the slimy substance in them) and then cooking them as well will help the body absorb all the nutrients. I’ve always preferred the soaking/cooking method (and countless patients in my clinic have used it) but grounding/cooking is also fine if you prefer that. I hope that helps!