Summer Bircher Muesli

A few weeks ago on a lightning trip down to Melbourne, I visited my friend’s lovely cafe. We sat out under the white umbrellas in the courtyard, and chatted as our respective children sleep angelically (hers) and crawled around the grass (mine). I’d already had breakfast, but I did have a bite of her apple-y, cinnamon-y bircher muesli. It was YUM.

Bircher muesli is easily one of my favourite breakfasts, but for a long time it was only one that I would have in cafes. We used to go to a cafe in Brunswick that served their bircher with cream and pistachios – overly decadent for brekky but oh-so-goooood. Another Brunswick cafe around the corner from our house served their bircher in a tall glass, the muesli and poached fruit arranged in layers, topped with yoghurt and toasted almonds. 

These days, though, we don’t go out for breakfast quite as much as we used to. So I had to start making my own bircher muesli. This time around I wanted something seasonal, and something that would keep me full up until lunch. This summer bircher muesli is right on trend – quinoa, chia seeds, coconut water, coconut yoghurt. It is thick and creamy, and the lemon zest gives it plenty of zing. It may no longer be officially summer anymore, but this bircher muesli was just too delicious not to share.

Enjoy!
Sarah x

Summer Bircher Muesli

Serves 2

Ingredients

½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp shredded coconut
½ tsp cardamom
½ cup blueberries
zest of one small lemon
¾ cup coconut water
½ cup coconut yoghurt
½ tbsp honey (or liquid sweetener of your choice)

To serve
1 peach, sliced
Handful of blueberries
Handful of pomegranate seeds
Handful shelled pistachio nuts
½ cup coconut yoghurt
Honey (or liquid sweetener of your choice), to taste

Method

In a bowl combine the cooked quinoa, oats, chia seeds, sunflowers seeds, coconut and cardmom and mix to combine. Add the blueberries, using the back of your mixing spoon to lightly crush them against the side of the bowl to release their juices. Finely grate the lemon zest and add to the bowl along with the coconut water, coconut yoghurt, and honey. Stir to combine well, cover, and leave in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, divide the bircher mixture into two bowls. Top with the coconut yoghurt, fruit, and pistachio nuts. Drizzle over with the honey (or liquid sweetener of your choice).

Notes: if you’re not vegan, you can easily replace the coconut yoghurt with regular or greek yoghurt (although I do love the coconut-y flavour). Depending on what you have on hand, you can use apple juice instead of coconut water, and top with whatever fruits and nuts you feel in the mood for.