Healthy in a Hurry: 6 Ways to Use Leftover Cooked Grains

Making

big batches of grains and refrigerating or freezing the leftovers

1. Add them to soups. Chewy whole grains add a new textural dimension and extra nutrition to any type of soup or stew. Beyond chicken and rice, try barley in split pea soup or farro in a hearty minestrone.

2. Toss them in salads. You can either use cooked grains as the basis for a hearty grain salad, or add grains to a vegetable- or bean-based salad, like this chickpea, barley and zucchini ribbon salad.

3. Bulk up frittatas. For a stick-to-your-ribs frittata, add a handful of cooked grains along with whatever vegetables or meat you are using.

4. Use them in stir-frys. You can either make a version of fried rice with any cooked grains you have on hand, or add a smaller amount of grains to a vegetable-heavy stir-fry. Either way, you’ll have a tasty one-dish meal.

5. Turn them into porridge. Add extra water to already-cooked grains and simmer until soft for a comforting porridge that is good topped with brown sugar for breakfast or cooked vegetables and a poached egg for dinner.

6. Transform them into pancakes. Bind the grains together with a little egg and flour, and crisp them up on the griddle for wholesome pancakes that can be eaten alone or topped with vegetables or a sauce. Gourmet has a great recipe for quinoa cakes topped with eggplant-tomato ragu (pictured above).

How do you use leftover cooked grains?

Related:

5 New Ways to Use Up This Week’s Leftovers

(Image: Romulo Yanes/Gourmet)