Buckwheat with Mushrooms & Carrots ♥ Recipe (2024)

Who else is intrigued by buckwheat, which we often lump in with grains even though it's not a grain? And who else doesn't know what, exactly, to make with buckwheat? Put this hearty recipe on your "what to make with buckwheat" list. It's a whole-grain side dish (or maybe a salad? I keep calling it "Buckwheat Salad" in my head) or even, a vegan main dish, just a simple ingredient list of buckwheat, fresh mushrooms and carrots. Seasonal. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real.

Curiosity guides many of my recipe choices but so do health, budget and taste. It's karma when all four collide! This fall I set off to explore whole grains (even those not technically grains), knowing that I, along with too many of us, know far too little about such an important group of foods. To narrow the field (ha! so to speak ...) I decided to stick with the healthiest whole grains and grasses – barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt and whole wheat. I recognize all of these by name, of course. But my vegetarian days are two states and two decades ago so I haven't cooked five of them, barley, buckwheat, millet, rye and spelt. Would karma prevail?

There are three good ways to experiment with buckwheat.

Buckwheat Flour Buckwheat flour is a nutty-tasting flour and because it's gluten-free, a favorite among those who live with celiac disease. It's the favored flour for blini, the tiny Russian pancakes and in buckwheat crepes in northern France. For anyone new to buckwheat, this is a good place to start. You won't likely find buckwheat flour alongside the all-purpose flour, however. At least in my groceries, it's in a special section with other less common flours, or in the bulk aisle, or in the "natural foods" aisle. (Ever wonder what a grocery store is doing with all that "unnatural food" they sell? Yeah, me too.)

Buckwheat Groats Here, the hulls are removed, leaving what are called the "groats". Buckwheat groats can be purchased raw or roasted. Again, check the bulk aisle, or a special section with products from Bob's Red Mills.

Kasha (or Kashi) Kasha and Kashi are names that buckwheat groats have acquired in the U.S., a confusion, however, since outside the U.S., the term kasha or kashi refers to a hot porridge made from wheat, oats, millet and others. So really, the term "buckwheat kasha" is more accurate than just "kasha".

TASTING BUCKWHEAT GROATS My research led me to believe that buckwheat has a "strong and distinctive flavor" – which I took as code for "buckwheat might be an acquired taste" which implies, of course, we should be prepared to not like it. It's described as "bold" and "nutty" and "toasty" and "earthy" and a "little chewy". But – my goodness, aren't those all good things?! I certainly didn't find anything to object to, not anything even particularly strong or distinctive. Buckwheat is good stuff!