Elevate your breakfasts and desserts with this sweet, tart, aromatic Ginger Lemongrass Poached Rhubarb. This easy-to-make rhubarb recipe is such a treat to have on hand for dressing up yogurt, pancakes, ice cream and more. And the flavorful poaching liquid is delicious in iced tea and cocktails!
Recipe Background and Details
Here I come with another super simple rhubarb recipe. It's no secret I love rhubarb and I'm always looking for ways to use it. Poached rhubarb is pretty common and I wanted to give it a little spin with some bright aromatics. The ginger and lemongrass pair so well with the tart rhubarb and all of the flavors infuse into the cooking liquid making an incredible simple syrup that can be used to flavor iced tea or cocktails.
Be sure to check out some of my other favorite rhubarb recipes like rhubarb upside-down cake, rhubarb crumble scones, and rhubarb muffins.
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Ingredients for Ginger Lemongrass Poached Rhubarb
You just need 4 ingredients and some water to make this super simple recipe.
- fresh rhubarb
- fresh ginger
- lemongrass
- sugar
- water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions - how to poach rhubarb
This poached rhubarb recipe comes together quickly and the flavors continue to infuse as the rhubarb cools in the poaching liquid.
Add ginger, lemongrass, and sugar to a saucepan.
Add water and place over medium-high heat.
Simmer this mixture for about 20 minutes to let the flavors infuse the simple syrup.
Add rhubarb and simmer on low for 5 minutes or until desired softness.
After 5 minutes, remove from heat. The rhubarb will continue to soften and the color will change as you can see in the photos. The color will depend on the rhubarb you are using. Some rhubarb stalks are more pink, some more red, and some are very green.
Serve warm if desired or cool to room temperature before transferring the rhubarb and the liquid to a jar and storing in the refrigerator. If you want a stronger flavor, leave the ginger and lemongrass in the poaching liquid for storage.
Storage
Store the poached rhubarb in a jar with the poaching liquid in the refrigerator for up to one week (though I've had it last longer).
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this poached rhubarb on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes.
- Use it to make rhubarb shortcakes with whipped cream and rhubarb curd or lemon curd.
- Serve it on top of ice cream or frozen yogurt.
- Use the flavorful simple syrup to infuse flavor into iced tea, cocktails (like my rhubarb elderflower refresher), or lemonade (like my raspberry lemonade).
- Mash it up and use it as the filling in this easy rhubarb fool recipe.
FAQ
When poaching rhubarb you want to maintain a very gentle simmer and cook it until it is just tender to avoid it going mushy. I like it quite soft so I cook it for the full 10 minutes. If you prefer it more firm, cook it for less time.
There is no need to peel rhubarb before cooking. Just make sure to remove any leaves as they are inedible and toxic.
Related - dessert recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
- Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
- Sourdough Carrot Cake
- Sourdough Crepes
Pairing - drinks and cocktails
use the simple syrup to flavor drinks and cocktails!
Ginger Lemongrass Poached Rhubarb
Elevate your breakfasts and desserts with this sweet, tart, aromatic Ginger Lemongrass Poached Rhubarb. This easy-to-make rhubarb recipe is such a treat to have on hand for dressing up yogurt, pancakes, ice cream and more. And the flavorful poaching liquid is delicious in iced tea and cocktails!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 pint
Ingredients
8 ounces fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 large slices fresh ginger
1 large stalk of lemongrass, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
Instructions
- Place water, sugar, ginger, and lemongrass in saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes on low.
- Add rhubarb pieces and continue to simmer on low for 5 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed to cover rhubarb. I also like to gently flip the pieces to make sure they cook evenly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- At this point, it is ready for serving if you are serving it warm, otherwise allow to cool before transferring rhubarb and liquid to jar and storing in refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
Be very careful not to overcook the rhubarb. It will continue to soften as it cools.
You can slice this any way you prefer, just keep in mind the smaller it is cut, the shorter the cooking time will be.
Serve this poached rhubarb on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes.
Use it to make rhubarb shortcakes with whipped cream and rhubarb curd or lemon curd.
Use the flavorful simple syrup to infuse flavor into iced tea, cocktails (like my rhubarb elderflower refresher), or lemonade (like my raspberry lemonade).
Serve it on top of ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Mash it up and use it as the filling in this easy rhubarb fool recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: breakfast, dessert, rhubarb recipes
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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