How to Soak Grains: Easy, Quick, and Essential

I've been somewhat distressed recently to learn how important it is to soak grains. Evidently this is how our ancestors have been preparing grains for a long time, and for good reason. The phytic acid in grains interferes with absorption of zinc, calcium, and other minerals, the lack of which are behind such common American diseases as osteoporosis and depression, as well as PMS, fatigue, and memory loss. In fact, zinc deficiency is the fifth leading risk factor for disease in the developing world.

So. I have embarked upon a grain-soaking pilgrimage that started when Ken Immer Changed My Kitchen. He showed me how easy it was to soak quinoa, and I have been doing so ever since.

Recently a food therapy client communicated some apprehension about starting this practice, so I came up with a quick step-by-step process to show you just how easy soaking grains can be.

1. Measure out the amount of grain you want to soak: 1, 2, or 3 cups.
2. Put grain in a wide (rather than tall) container, preferably glass but plastic also works, so that grain is spread out as much as possible.
3. Cover with filtered water until the grain is covered by at least 1 inch. You may need to stir the grains around so that they sink.
4. Seal and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Cooking time reduces the longer you soak; after about a week, cooking time is reduced by about half.
5. Whenever you want to cook some grains, measure out the amount, rinse in strainer, and cook normally, with reduced cooking time.

I have also tested this with rye berries and amaranth to great success. (Rye takes 3 hours to cook when unsoaked; after soaking it took approximately 30 minutes!) I'm going to try it with brown rice next, which is especially high in phytic acid. Other grains to try are kamut, millet, barley, bulgur, spelt, and wheat berries.

The Nourished Kitchen also has a lot of information on soaking grains, including this wonderful Soaked Oatmeal recipe that I'm excited to try. Oatmeal always makes me feel yugh after I eat it, so I'll let you know if soaking it makes a difference. She even has information on soaking and sprouting flour, and maintains that fermentation of grains is even more effective at making the nutrients bioavailable. I'll do another post on sprouting and fermenting.

My Favorite Recipe Sites

Over time I've compiled a list of some of my favorite sites to search for recipes when I'm feeling uninspired.


Real Simple Magazine's recipe section is one of the best I've found for easy, inspired meals. You can search by ingredient, I probably use this site the most of all of these, though be sure to stick to the recipes made with whole foods and avoid canned soups, precooked meats, and other highly processed ingredients. They will also send you a recipe each day if you sign up; I just delete the recipes I don't like or have time to get to, but I always have inspiration.

Integrative Nutrition has a recipe resource on their website. Many of these are simple, basic how-to's for those new to the kitchen. There's definitely an Asian flair to some of the recipes, but it's a great introduction to incorporating nourishing sea vegetables and expanding your seasoning repertoire. You can search by food type (grains, greens, proteins) or meal type (breakfast, dessert, etc.).



The Nourished Kitchen is one of my favorite sites simply because it contains beautiful photography. It is the absolute best resource for learning how to lacto-ferment, which is a lost art and absolutely vital to maintaining gut health (and immune health). Every recipe contains whole foods with a focus on seasonal cooking, and there is a wide range to choose from.




Eating Well is a great magazine, and their site is packed with all-natural, simple, gourmet recipes with a seasonal focus. They offer some of the best ethnic food recipes available, so expanding your palate is easy.





Epicurious is an online eating community. If it relates to cooking good food, they've got it, from a seasonal eating menu to a shopping list generator to a food dictionary. It's a great resource for do-it-yourself entertaining, and you can save your most successful recipes in your own recipe box.




Let me know which sites you search when you're looking for recipes! Bon appetit!