Polish-Style Buckwheat with Mushrooms
This buckwheat with mushrooms is a delicious and healthy side dish consisting of cooked buckwheat groats, flavourful mushrooms, onion, leek and refreshing parsley. It’s easy to make, versatile and a perfect substitute for potatoes in a variety of Polish and East European-style dishes.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 266kcal
Equipment
- Small pot with lid
- Large non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat
- 1 pound mushrooms
- 1 onion med., finely chopped
- 1 leek sm./med., finely chopped, avoid the tough green part
- 1 garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons oil any
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare buckwheat: Rinse then combine with 1½ cups of water (360ml), add about ¼ teaspoon of salt, cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.TIP: Do not stir the buckwheat while it’s cooking. Once cooked remove it from the heat but keep the lid on so it stays hot.
- Sautee onion and leek: In a large pan melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the onion and leek, season lightly and cook gently for 8-10 minutes or until translucent and softened, stirring often. Do not let the onion and leek brown (to make sure they retain their sweet flavour). Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.
- Prepare mushrooms: Wipe the mushrooms to remove grit and soil. Cut into about 3-4mm slices (if your mushrooms are small) or halve them first then cut into slices, if using larger mushrooms.
- Sautee mushrooms: To the same pan add 1 tablespoon of oil, mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over a medium/high heat for about 10 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the mushrooms start browning, stirring often. Add the soy sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes, stirring all the time. Towards the end of cooking stir in the garlic. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble and serve: Add the buckwheat, onion and leek, parsley and stir thoroughly. Check for seasoning then serve.
Notes
- Use either raw or roasted buckwheat. You don’t need to soak or toast it.
- Prepare the onion, leek and mushrooms while the buckwheat is cooking so you can combine all the ingredients while still hot.
- Serve immediately.
- Leftover mushroom and onion buckwheat kasha can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. You may need to add a drop of water to loosen the consistency when reheating the dish.
- Although freezing is an option the flavour may not be the same upon thawing.