From seasonal fruit salads to yoghurt and granola, breakfast in summertime is a colourful affair. And while I love sunny morning breakfasts, there’s something about the comfort of a hot bowl of porridge that can’t quite be recreated in the warmer months. And that’s why, from time to time, I need bircher muesli. As porridge’s cooler summer cousin it’s comforting, yet still light and refreshing, and is easy to make.
This recipe is based on an article by Claire Thomson that appeared on The Guardian. My version uses a bit less yoghurt than Claire’s (you can do this by taste, stirring in heavy spoonfulls until it looks, and tastes, about right). And I add sultanas at the same time as the apple juice; they soak up the juice becoming wonderfully plump and juicy.
However, this is a recipe that can certainly be adapted in a thousand more ways, adding cinnamon and stewed apple for an autumnal hit, or blackberries for a taste of August. And instead of grated apple and sultanas, a heap of summer strawberries or raspberries would make for a lovely addition as well.
I tend to use this recipe when I want to make a batch to take with me to work during the week, leaving out the yoghurt and grated apple until just before serving. And the great thing about it is that I can usually make it with ingredients I already have in my fridge and cupboards.
To ensure your blissful bircher is ready for breakfast time in the morning, I find it works best to soak the oats and sultanas overnight. But if you have more willpower than me, and can handle the wait, 2 to 3 hours will work as well. This recipe makes around 4 servings.
Blissful Breakfast Bircher
Ingredients (Serves 4)
200g Rolled Oats
400g Apple Juice (good quality)
1 Large Apple
75g Plain Yoghurt (or Goats Yoghurt)
75g Sultanas
Tip the oats and sultanas into a bowl and pour over the apple juice, giving the mixture a quick stir. As this is a simple recipe, the quality of the ingredients really shines out, and so it’s worth investing in a good quality or organic apple juice, as concentrate will make the muesli too sickly sweet.
Cover the bowl and leave to soak in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Remove the mixture from the fridge just before serving and spoon in the yoghurt (I like goats yoghurt as its tartness plays nicely against the sweetness of the sultanas and apple, but cows or sheeps yoghurt is delicious too). Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Serve with the apple grated on top, and enjoy with the Sunday papers.
All Things Nice 