Berry and Ricotta Breakfast Bowl with Toasted Almonds
Lemony whipped ricotta under warm burst blueberries and fresh June strawberries, finished with butter-toasted almonds and hemp seeds.
Why you'll love Berry and Ricotta Breakfast Bowl with Toasted Almonds
June is when the berries all arrive at once. Strawberries are at their sweetest at the farm stand, and the first blueberries of the summer are coming in beside them. This bowl puts both on a thick layer of whole-milk ricotta: the blueberries warmed in a skillet until they burst into a glossy sauce, and the strawberries left raw and cool, so you get two kinds of berry in every spoonful.
Whisking is what turns ricotta into breakfast. Straight from the tub it is soft but slightly grainy, and a minute of hard whisking with a spoonful of cream, lemon zest, and vanilla breaks the small curds down and works in a little air, so it eats like a light, spoonable cream. The warm blueberries sink into it at the edges, and the almonds, toasted in butter with a pinch of cinnamon, bring crunch on top.
Ricotta brings the protein and the almonds, butter, and hemp seeds bring the fat, which is what lets a bowl with this much fruit hold you through a busy morning. It takes under 20 minutes, and every part can be made the night before.
Quick overview: This Berry and Ricotta Breakfast Bowl with Toasted Almonds takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 18 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 3/4 cup ricotta with berries and almonds. You'll need a skillet.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole-milk ricotta (about 1 1/2 lb)
- 2 tbsp heavy cream Label: cream, with no gums or carrageenan
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- a few small fresh mint leaves, to finish
Instructions
- Whip the ricotta: In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta with the cream, lemon zest, vanilla seeds, and half the salt hard for about 1 minute, until it turns smooth, glossy, and a little lighter. Whisking breaks up the small curds and beats in some air, which is what gives the ricotta its soft, creamy texture. Leave it on the counter while the rest cooks, so it is cool rather than cold when the warm berries land.
- Toast the almonds: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add the almonds, the rest of the salt, and a pinch of the cinnamon, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until the almonds are golden and smell toasty. Tip them onto a plate right away, since sliced almonds go from golden to scorched in under a minute. They crisp as they cool.
- Burst the blueberries: Return the skillet to medium heat with the butter still clinging to it. Add the blueberries, lemon juice, the rest of the cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring and pressing some of the berries against the pan with the back of a spoon, until about half have split and the juices turn glossy and thick enough to coat the spoon. Blueberry skins carry their own pectin, so the juice thickens on its own as it reduces.
- Build the bowls: Spoon the ricotta into four bowls and swoop a well into each with the back of the spoon. Fill the wells with the warm blueberries and their juices, then scatter the strawberries, toasted almonds, hemp seeds, and mint over the top. Serve right away, while the blueberries are warm and the almonds are crisp.
Storage and leftovers
Each part keeps on its own. The whipped ricotta keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cooked blueberries keep for up to 5 days and are good cold or warmed for a minute in a skillet. The toasted almonds keep in a jar at room temperature for up to a week.
Hull and cut the strawberries the morning you eat them, since cut berries soften and weep within a day. Ricotta turns watery and grainy once frozen, so keep this bowl in the refrigerator.
Variations
- Cherries: Late in June, pit 1 1/2 cups of sweet cherries and cook them in place of the blueberries for 5 to 6 minutes, until they soften and release their juice.
- Orange and cardamom: Use orange zest in place of the lemon in the ricotta and a pinch of ground cardamom in place of the cinnamon.
- Pistachio crunch: Toast 1/2 cup of shelled pistachios in place of the almonds, for 3 minutes, and chop them roughly.
- Raspberry swirl: Mash 1 cup of raspberries with a fork and swirl them through the ricotta before it goes into the bowls.
Notes and tips
- Choose the ricotta: Look for whole-milk ricotta made from milk, an acid or cultures, and salt. Brands with gums tend to taste pasty and whisk up less smoothly.
- Drain wet ricotta: If a puddle of whey sits on top when you open the tub, pour it off before whisking so the bowl stays thick.
- Keep strawberries out of the cold: Strawberries taste sweeter at room temperature. Take them out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before you cut them.
- Make it a work-morning breakfast: Whip the ricotta, toast the almonds, and cook the blueberries the night before. In the morning it is a 2-minute bowl.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Whole-milk ricotta is the protein in this bowl, with real fat alongside it, and its soft curds make it easy on the stomach first thing in the morning.
- Blueberries and strawberries bring fiber, vitamin C, and the deep red and blue pigments that give them their color. Both are on the Low-Glycemic Fruits list, and here they come paired with protein and fat.
- Almonds toasted in butter and hemp seeds add crunch and more fat, which slows how quickly the fruit's natural sugar reaches your blood and keeps your energy even through the morning.
- Lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon give the ricotta a gentle sweetness of its own, so the bowl tastes like a treat with only fruit in it.
- As you eat, notice the warm, jammy blueberries against the cool ricotta, and check in around lunchtime: a bowl built on protein and fat like this should carry you at least 3 to 4 hours, with steady energy and no pull toward something sweet midmorning.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Berry and Ricotta Breakfast Bowl with Toasted Almonds? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
Does it need a sweetener?
Ripe June berries are sweet enough for most people. If yours are tart early in the season, stir 1 teaspoon of allulose into the blueberries as they cook.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes. Add them to the skillet straight from the freezer and cook them 1 to 2 minutes longer, until they burst and the juices thicken.
Can I use cottage cheese in place of ricotta?
Yes. Use whole-milk cottage cheese and whisk it the same way, or press it through a sieve first for a smoother texture. It is a little saltier than ricotta, so skip the salt in the ricotta step.
How long does ricotta keep once opened?
Use an opened tub within the date on the package or about 5 days, whichever comes first, and keep it cold. Whipped with the cream and lemon, it keeps for up to 3 days.
You might also like
Start with the free guide
The RESET360 starter guide walks you through the plate, the daily rhythm, and your first week, sent straight to your inbox.