Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of the day, I’ve got an interesting recipe for you…something a little different than the typical Irish recipes you might have recently seen around the blogosphere.
I feel best when I stay away from sweets in the morning. Savory breakfasts are totally my thing, and I’ve extolled the virtues of savory oatmeal before. This oat and leek broth is a very traditional Irish recipe. I spied it in one of my favorite cookbooks (it also happens to be my only Irish cookbook), and wanted to try it right away because I love recipes with history, and because it’s another sweetener-free way to enjoy nutritious oats.
I was intrigued from my first glance at the recipe by how the oats are cooked in a milky liquid with leeks. I added some organic dandelion greens (amazingly healthy- I bought the ones I used in this recipe at my natural foods store, but soon I’ll be plucking them from my yard) and like the soup very much as is; it’s also great with cubes of leftover corned beef.
This dish is very simple, and delicious in it’s hot, soupy glory when it’s right off the stove.
I refrigerated my leftovers and found that they really thickened up on standing- they are very enjoyable this way, as well, though you can always add more milk or water and heat to thin out the broth.
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Recipe for Irish Oat Broth with Leeks and Dandelion Greens
Ingredients
- *2 cups raw or organic milk
- *1 cup water vegetable, or chicken stock, preferably homemade
- *2 teaspoons butter I used Kerrygold Irish butter
- *4 tablespoons organic thick rolled oats Irish oats, if you like; make sure to use gluten-free oats if on a gluten-free diet
- *1 cup trimmed cleaned and coarsely chopped leeks (white parts only)
- *1 cup finely chopped organic dandelion greens
- *coarse sea salt- to taste
- *cracked black pepper- to taste
Instructions
- 1. Combine milk, water, and butter in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil so the butter melts. Add the oats and stir to combine.
- 2. Add the leeks and the dandelion greens and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, then turn off the heat and allow to stand for 5-10 more minutes.
- 3. Taste the "broth" and season with sea salt. Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh pepper to taste. Add a pat of butter or a splash of raw/organic cream before serving, if desired.