Berry and Nut Muesli Breakfast Bowl

Some mornings the best breakfast is the one you can assemble half awake. This muesli bowl is that kind of food. Rolled oats and chopped nuts make the base, a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt goes on top, and a swirl of nut butter and a scatter of berries finish it off. It takes about five minutes, and there is nothing to cook.

Rolled oats are simply whole oat groats that have been steamed and flattened, which is why they soften in a bowl without any heat. That is handy here, because the oats get a little chewy as they sit in the yoghurt and juices. If you prefer them softer, stir the yoghurt through the oats a minute before you eat, or let the bowl rest for ten minutes while you find your spoon.

Chia seeds are the quiet thickener in this bowl. Once they touch liquid they swell and turn gelatinous, so if you have a little yoghurt sliding around the edge, they will soak it up as you eat. Give the chia a good stir into the oats first so they do not clump in one spot.

For the nut butter, look for one with nothing but nuts in the jar. Almond, peanut and cashew all work well, and each brings a slightly different flavour. A thin layer of stirred nut butter melts a little into the warm berries if you are using them fresh from the fridge, so it is worth dotting it on top rather than stirring it in.

If you want to make this a bit more substantial, a boiled egg on the side or a few slices of avocado fill it out nicely. For a fuller start to the day, pair it with a cup of tea and a plate of Soft Scrambled Eggs with Avocado Smash. If you are cooking for more people, Overnight Apple and Strawberry Oats make a good batch to set in the fridge the night before.

Leftovers are not really a thing with this one, since the oats keep softening and the berries release their juice. Make it fresh. But if you buy a big tub of yoghurt, keep the oats and chia in a jar on the bench so the breakfast is ready to go the next morning.

Frozen berries work fine too. Let them thaw in a sieve over a bowl so the juice does not run into the oats, and save that juice for a splash in your tea or over the yoghurt.