Yogurt with Fruit Compote

Name: Yogurt with Fruit Compote
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb) fruit, berries, rhubarb, plums, apples or pears; fresh or frozen, cut in bite-size pieces; 40 g (3 tbsp) sugar or honey, adjust to the fruit's sweetness; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 pinch fine sea salt; flavoring: 1 vanilla pod, 1 cinnamon stick, or a few strips of orange zest, optional; 600 g (2½ cups) Greek or skyr-style yogurt; 100 g (1 cup) Big-Cluster Granola or toasted nuts; honey, to drizzle, optional

Thick yogurt, a quick seasonal compote and a crunchy finish

Makes: about 500 g compote
Hands-on: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Level: Easy

Cold yogurt with warm, jammy fruit is one of the simplest good breakfasts there is. The compote takes ten minutes, works with almost any fruit, fresh or frozen, and keeps for a week.

Ingredients

Compote

500 gfruit (1 lb)berries, rhubarb, plums, apples or pears; fresh or frozen, cut in bite-size pieces
40 gsugar or honey (3 tbsp)adjust to the fruit's sweetness
1 tbsplemon juice
1 pinchfine sea salt
flavoring: 1 vanilla pod, 1 cinnamon stick, or a few strips of orange zestoptional

To serve

600 gGreek or skyr-style yogurt (2½ cups)
100 gBig-Cluster Granola or toasted nuts (1 cup)
honeyto drizzle, optional

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: milk, tree nuts, gluten, egg, sulphites

Method

Put the fruit, sugar, lemon juice, salt and any flavoring in a saucepan. Hard fruits like apples and pears need 3 tbsp water too.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring now and then, until the fruit softens and releases its juices: berries 5 minutes, rhubarb and plums 6–8 minutes, apples and pears 10–12 minutes. 8 min
Taste, adding a little more sugar or lemon if needed. Remove the whole spices.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes; the compote thickens as it cools. 10 min
Spoon the yogurt into bowls, top with warm or cold compote and scatter with granola.

Why it works

Sugar draws juice out of the fruit through osmosis, and gentle heat breaks down the cell walls so the fruit softens while the juices reduce into a light syrup. Lemon juice brightens the flavor and helps pectin set for a slightly jammy texture. A pinch of salt makes the fruit taste fruitier.

Common mistakes

Overcooking berries: they lose their shape and taste flat. Five minutes is enough.
Adding all the sugar without tasting: fruit varies widely in sweetness.

Variations

Rhubarb and vanilla: In spring, use rhubarb with a split vanilla pod and 60 g sugar.
Spiced apple: In autumn, use apples with cinnamon, a pinch of cardamom and a few raisins.

Make ahead and storage

The compote keeps 1 week in the fridge and 3 months frozen.

Notes

The allergen list reflects granola with nuts and oats; use a nut-free topping if needed. Use plant yogurt for a dairy-free version. Milk comes from the yogurt; gluten, egg, tree nuts and sulphites only from the granola topping.