Easy for the Busy: 4 simple, quick and tasty buckwheat recipes for busy persons

Buckwheat, with its gluten-free composition and rich reserves of minerals and fibre, stands out as an amazing grain option for culinary exploration. Research confirms that buckwheat has remarkable health benefits, including enhancing heart health, supporting weight loss, and assisting in diabetes management, making it an attractive option for health-conscious individuals (1). And yes, it is perfect for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance due to its fibre content, as well as anyone seeking diabetic-friendly dietary options (2). 

Even if you’re not facing health complications, buckwheat will still capture your attention with its quick and easy cooking process. However, we understand that sometimes it might be hard to think of new recipes, that’s why we have taken the initiative to showcase diverse ways of cooking, incorporating and eating buckwheat, ensuring it retains its healthfulness and flavour. 

Therefore, allow us to present 4 quick, effortless and delightful buckwheat recipes, offering traditional, basic and common go-to options designed to reduce your time spent in the kitchen while satisfying your nutritional demands simultaneously.

An Eastern European legend - the classic combination of buckwheat and carrot-onion stir-fry

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 1 cup Grecha Buckwheat Original

• 1 diced onion

• 1 grated or thinly sliced carrot

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1½ cups water

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients. No rinsing is required for the Grecha Buckwheat Original.

2. Sauté the onion and carrot in a frying pan with vegetable oil until desired tenderness (about 2 minutes).

3. Add the Grecha Buckwheat Original to the pan, spread evenly, and lightly salt. 

4. Pour in cold water, cover, and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the buckwheat is cooked and water is absorbed.

5. Once cooked, mix thoroughly and season with ground black pepper if desired.

6. Serve as a side dish with stewed vegetables, salads, sauces or meat if you prefer.

A symphony of flavours for breakfast - the creamy buckwheat delight

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• ½ cup Grecha Buckwheat Original

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup water

• Sugar, to taste, option to use any favourite sweetener

• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the milk, Grecha Buckwheat Original, and water in a 1:1:1 ratio (for a cup of buckwheat you will need a cup of milk and a cup of water).

2. Pour the water into a small pan or pot with a thick bottom and bring to boil.

3. When the water boils, pour the Grecha Buckwheat Original into it and reduce the heat to minimum. Cover loosely and wait until the liquid evaporates completely. 

4. Now pour a cup of room temperature milk into the pot. To make the porridge sweet, add sugar (or a sweetener of taste) along with the milk.

5. Cook the buckwheat in milk, stirring, for 10 minutes. 

6. Then remove from heat, cover tightly, and leave for another 10-15 minutes to infuse. 

7. Add (vegan) butter, honey, or jam to the porridge just before serving.

Buckwheat Spring Salad

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 1 cup Grecha Buckwheat Original 

• 2 cups water

• 1 large tomato

• ½ cup olives of choice

• 1 small red onion

• 1 handful parsley 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• ½ tsp salt

• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds

• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Add the Grecha Buckwheat Original, water and a pinch of salt to a pot and bring to boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes until water is absorbed. The buckwheat should be fluffy and doubled in size. Let it cool down a bit.

2. Chopp all the vegetables into small pieces and add to a bowl.

3. Add the cooked buckwheat and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and salt. 

4. Mix everything and serve it.

Overnight soaked buckwheat pancakes

Ingredients (for 4-5 servings):

• 1 cup Grecha Original Buckwheat groats

• 1 cup non-dairy milk

• 3 eggs

• 2 tbsp melted (vegan) butter

• 2 tbsp of honey (optional)

• 1 tbsp vanilla

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp of salt

Instructions:

1. Put the buckwheat groats in the milk and let it soak for 6-12 hours. For a faster alternative, you could opt to grind the dry groats using a coffee grinder or blender.

2. After soaking, put the composition in a blender and grind until smooth. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients and continue grinding until thoroughly mixed.

4. Cook the pancakes on a preheated pan. Make sure to pour a small amount of composition and flip them carefully.

5. Serve with your favourite sweet or savoury toppings!

If you’re up for a culinary challenge and ready to elevate your cooking game, you can try our partnership-inspired recipe created by Robin van Ekris from Robinsfoodcreations.

1. Martínez-Villaluenga, C., Peñas, E., & Hernández-Ledesma, B. (2020). Pseudocereal grains: Nutritional value, health benefits and current applications for the development of gluten-free foods. Food and Chemical Toxicology, March 2020.

2. Caeiro, C., Pragosa, C., Cruz, M. C., Pereira, C. D., & Pereira, S. G. (2021). The Role of Pseudocereals in Celiac Disease: Reducing Nutritional Deficiencies to Improve Well-Being and Health.