This recipe came to be when my roommate (Hi Kristin) brought me a gallon of blueberries from her grandmother’s house. I remembered seeing Lauren’s recipe and knew I wanted to try it, since there’s so much fresh basil around right now. I guess I hadn’t actually read it though, because I was definitely expecting a savory porridge. When I did read the recipe and found out it was more of a sweet flavor profile, I played around with the ingredients and made the savory oatmeal you see below.
You should know that this is something I never used to do: go rogue while following a recipe. I remember the first time I made muffins with my best friend (Hi Shannon). We were using a boxed mix that just called for adding water, but instead she added orange juice, seltzer water, and vanilla. We didn’t know each other very well yet so I let her, all the while thinking, “She’s going to mess these muffins up and I am NOT going to be happy about it.” Of course, the muffins were delicious. And I guess this recipe is proof that, three years later, her inability to leave a recipe alone has finally rubbed off on me.
So, go forth and deviate from recipes. Lauren’s even written a whole post about it! But first try this one…
What you'll need:
- 2-3 cups spinach
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup basil, plus an extra 5 leaves or so for garnish*
- 1 cup of water
- 2/3 cup of sweet corn (white or yellow works!)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- a generous pinch of salt
- handful of blueberries
How to make it:
- If your corn is frozen (mine was), microwave it for a minute to get it defrosted. If your corn is fresh, no need to microwave.
- Blend spinach, basil (don’t forget to save five leaves for garnish!), 1/3 cup of the corn, and water in a blender until smooth.
- Transfer this liquid into a pot and bring to a boil. Add your oats, along with a generous pinch of salt (about twice what you would use in a sweet recipe), and reduce to a simmer.
- While everything cooks, go ahead and chiffonade the remaining basil leaves into ribbons.
- When you’re happy with the consistency of your oats, transfer them to a bowl and top with the rest of your corn, a handful of blueberries, and your basil leaves.
Just an FYI:
*If you don’t like a robust basil flavor, stick to ¼ cup of basil. I love basil so I went for the ½ cup. I don’t think it’s overpowering, but if you’re sensitive to the taste of fresh herbs, scale it back.
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