Swap Rice For Oat Groats For A Nutty, Nutritious Twist

There's hardly a cuisine or country on Earth that doesn't view rice as a staple. From African jollof rice and Southern jambalaya to South Asian biryani and the universally ambiguous beans and rice, the grain is one food that brings the world together. Still, despite our collective reliance on the ingredient, there is a more nutritious swap that will give any rice-based dish a nutty twist: oat groats.

Rice is the most eaten ingredient globally, but it never hurts to switch it up every now and then. In fact, your body will thank you if you do. Depending on the variety, 1 cup of cooked rice contains 34 to 52 grams of carbohydrates while the same serving of oats groats has 26 grams of carbohydrates. This type of oat is also  full of nutrients, including fiber, protein, and iron. 

Knowing this, it's easy to view groats as just a healthy alternative, but their flavor will actually elevate your usual rice-based recipes. Oat groats are nutty and chewy, offering a more robust taste than white rice. Their hearty texture has been likened to brown rice, and they have a mild sweetness to them that can easily work with any flavor. When cooking them, use a 3:1 ratio of water and groats to yield a fluffier, more rice-like texture.

Oat groats cook similarly to rice, so unless a dish calls for a very specific kind of the grain — like the sushi rice in sushi — you should be able to make the swap. Their earthy flavor tastes delicious when paired with both bolder ingredients and mellower items, so you can use them in anything from beef bulgogi rice bowls to vegan cucumber and avocado rice pilaf.

Thanks to their hearty structure, oat groats stand up well in soups without the risk of a mushy mess. Making sizzling rice soup usually involves baking the rice so it doesn't soften too much in the broth, but oat groats can go straight into the pot while the soup is simmering. The nutty oat groats are soft enough to complement vegetable-based soups, yet ample enough to work well in hearty stews like beef bourguignon.

Speaking of simmering oat groats in broth, they also make the perfect cauliflower replacement for low-carb risotto. The earthy oats add complexity to the classic dish, complementing earthy mushrooms and nuts or bringing depth to citrus-tinged seafood risotto.