Strawberry rhubarb Chia Pudding
Chia pudding is one of my all time favourite desserts and afternoon snacks!
It’s high in fibre, protein making it a satisfying treat, good for digestion, nourishing our gut microbiome, and high in omega 3 and 9, which are good for the lymphatics, and our skin.
I love that it’s so easy to make, and you cam create many variations depending on what’s in season. This one includes local fresh strawberries and rhubarb which are coming into season out west this month.
Chai seeds are:
An ancient superfood, consumed by cultures for thousands of years. It is said that Mayans would enjoy extra servings of chai seeds preparing to go off to battle.
Rich in fibre, protein, anti-oxidants, as well as minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, supporting good bone health.
Excellent plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a wonderful for the skin and helping reduce inflammation in the body, protect our heart, support our mental health, and promote health blood sugar ranges in our bodies.
Being a lightening food that is cleansing for the gut, it makes a wonderful food to enjoy in the spring time as part of the seasonal energetics of spring to cleanse, lighten up, and detoxify.
Other lymphie loving additions in this recipe include the fresh ginger root in the rhubarb compote. ginger root is anti-inflammatory and known as a lymph and circulation booster. This recipe used maple syrup, a spring sugar from the boreal forest that has lots of trace minerals as well. Tree medicine from our ancient maple tree ancestors. I don’t recommend replacing with honey as you shouldn’t heat honey to a boil, but you could substitute for cane sugar or a dark brown sugar of your choice. I recommend those sugars as they are more natural and still contain trace minerals, which are beneficial for wholistic wellness. Do what’s best for you. You could reduce the amount of sugar in the compote and blend in a fresh banana or some honey or date paste into the strawberry smoothie part of the recipe making if desired.
Explore variations of this and have fun!
Chia seed pudding with strawberry, rhubarb, and dried roses
Servings: 4
Course: breakfast, snack
Cuisine: Gluten-free, vegan
Freezer-friendly? No
How long does it keep? 1-2 days in fridge
Ingredients
2-3 c. Strawberries, fresh, chopped
1/2 c. Rhubarb compote, made previously (see instructions here)
1/2 c. Chia seeds
2-2-1/2 c. Plant-based mylk of your choice (almond, oat, or hemp are nice for spring)
pinch of Himalayan salt
2 tbsp. maple syrup
(optional) Dried rose petals like in the photo, OR fresh seasonal ones like: dandelion, violets, lilac blossoms would be lovely adorning the top for some beautiful seasonality!
INSTRUCTIONS
When it’s spring time, and my rhubarb plant is going wild, i like to make up a large batch of rhubarb compote to have on hand for adding to sauces, serving with whipped cream, pouring over pancakes, or adding to chia pudding, or smoothies. So, if you haven’t made your rhubarb compote, let’s name that now and you will have some left over in the fridge for adding to other meals like suggested above.
The rest of the recipe is a breeze. The chia seeds need time to soak up the mylk, so plan ahead and give yourself time for that. I find at least 30 min. is key to plump and tasty chia seeds pudding. Then you are going to make your strawberry rhubarb topping using fresh strawberries and some of the rhubarb compote.
RHUBARB COMPOTE
4 c. Rhubarb, chopped
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 c. water
3/4-1 c. sugar of choice (maple syrup, dark brown sugar, cane sugar, date paste, or a combination)
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1-2 tbsp. Ginger root, fresh, chopped
Place all ingredients into a large saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-45 min. You want the rhubarb completely broken down so that it’s soft and easy to stir.
Once it’s in sauce form, you can let it cool a bit, and put in a jar to keep in the fridge.
CHIA PUDDING
Measure out chai seeds and place into a medium size bowl
Measure and pour over plant mylk of choice and mix with seeds using a spoon
Add maple syrup to mixture and stir in.
Let stand at room temperature for 30 min-1 hr to give time for the chia seeds to absorb the mylk.
Strawberry/rhubarb topping
Place chopped fresh strawberries along with rhubarb compote (1/2 c.), blend on medium to high depending on how smooth or chunk you would like it. If you want the strawberries chunky or not blended, skip this step.
To create your servings, layer 1/2 c. the chia seed pudding in the bottom or your jars or bowls, then top with strawberry/rhubarb topping and any fresh or dried flowers of your choice and voila! Enjoy!
