It’s funny how oats have been pigeonholed for use in mostly sweet dishes in the U.S. We tend to eat oats sweetened at breakfast, or as part of delicious crumbly desserts, but oats do just as well with savory flavors as do any other grain. This Savory Oatmeal is a delicious and hearty meal any time of day, and there are so many options for toppings and add-ins, so you can make it work with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This might just end up being your new favorite easy budget meal!
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“I’ve been making this for over 3 years on various occasions, and every time it’s a slam dunk! Especially when I can’t afford takeout and their ever-increasing prices. This is very simple and filling breakfast that is cheap and doesn’t sacrifice on flavor!”
David
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious savory oatmeal recipe:
- Oats: You can technically make savory oats with any kind of oats, but the recipe below is written for old-fashioned rolled oats, which cook fairly quickly (about 5 minutes). I find that old-fashioned rolled oats are a nice balance between texture and convenience. Steel-cut oats take much longer to cook, and you’ll need more liquid. Quick oats cook faster but don’t provide very much texture.
- Fresh Ginger & Garlic: These aromatics add a ton of flavor to the oatmeal. Fresh ginger gives it a warm, spicy kick, while garlic adds savory depth.
- Mushrooms & Spinach: I really like the meaty flavor of mushrooms and the earthy, slightly bitter flavor of spinach, but there are so many options to choose from! You can add bell peppers, zucchini, or any other veggie you like.
- Butter: For sautéing the ginger and garlic.
- Vegetable Broth: Instead of milk or water, I cook the oats in vegetable broth. I use Better Than Bouillon, which is already perfectly salty and flavorful. If you’re using a different kind of broth or stock, be sure to adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: I add a little toasted sesame oil at the end for a serious boost in flavor.
How to Flavor Savory Oatmeal
Oats on their own have a very bland flavor, and I think that’s why they often get a bad rap. Here are some tips for making sure your savory oatmeal is full of flavor:
- Cook them in a really flavorful broth. I like to use Better Than Bouillon because it tends to have a nice vibrant flavor. Plus it comes in several flavors and options.
- Use aromatics. A little bit of fresh garlic or ginger goes a long way! Green onion or shallots are also great.
- Add your favorite seasoning blend. You could experiment with your favorite seasonings like Everything Bagel Seasoning, taco seasoning, jerk seasoning, burger seasoning, furikake, or onion salt.
- Top with your favorite sauce. Try adding a little chili garlic paste, sriracha, or gochujang!
Savory Oatmeal Topping Ideas
In addition to ingredients that can be added into your oatmeal, you can add all sorts of delicious toppings, too! Here are some oatmeal topping ideas:
- Grape tomatoes
- Sliced avocado
- Oven-cooked bacon bits
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Caramelized onions
- Green onion
- Breakfast sausage
- Parmesan
- French fried onions
- Sprouts
- Soft boiled, or hard boiled egg
Make it Vegan
You can make the savory oatmeal recipe below vegan by swapping out the butter for your favorite cooking oil. Coconut oil would be very nice here because it has a rich mouthfeel, similar to butter.
Can I Make it Ahead?
Yes, just like overnight oats, savory oatmeal is great for making ahead! You can change the number of servings in the recipe card below and the ingredients will auto adjust for you. After cooking, divide your savory oatmeal into single-serving portions and refrigerate.
Storage & Reheating
If making this recipe ahead, you can store it as recommended above in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. If the oatmeal is too thick, just add a splash of water.
Savory Oatmeal
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.05)
- 4 mushrooms ($0.62)
- 1 tsp butter ($0.04)
- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.13)
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.20)
- 1/2 cup spinach ($0.19)
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.05)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the mushrooms.
- Add the butter, garlic, and ginger to a small saucepot. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or until the mushrooms have wilted a bit.
- Add the vegetable broth to the saucepot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil.
- When the broth reaches a boil, add the rolled oats and stir to combine. Allow it to return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Let the oats simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- While the oats are simmering, roughly chop the spinach. Stir the spinach into the thickened oats, along with the toasted sesame oil.
- Taste and add salt to your liking, if needed, then top it off with your favorite toppings. Serve hot!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Savory Oatmeal – Step by Step Photos
Mince one clove of garlic, grate about ½ tsp of fresh ginger, and slice 3-4 mushrooms. Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon butter to a small saucepot. Sauté the garlic and ginger in the butter over medium heat for about one minute.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes more, or just until the mushrooms have softened.
Add one cup vegetable broth to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the broth up to a boil.
When the broth reaches a boil, add ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats.
Allow the broth to come back up to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the oats simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
While the oats are simmering, roughly chop a handful of spinach. Stir the chopped spinach and ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil into the oats.
Give it a taste and add salt, if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
It’s also really good with an egg on top!
I added miso and red pepper flakes to this and it was great! Thank you for being my first savory oatmeal recipe!
I just found your site through a search for ‘savory oatmeal’ and made this recipe. It is amazing and so easily modified! I never knew I would like oatmeal this way, and I love it! It’s on my breakfast rotation now and I’ll be trying more of your recipes soon!
I’ve been making this for over 3 years on various occasions, and every time it’s a slam dunk! Especially when I can’t afford takeout and their ever-increasing prices. This is very simple and filling breakfast that is cheap and doesn’t sacrifice on flavor!
Surprisingly (if you don’t look at others ratings) satisfying and SIMPLE ❤️. I will be adding this to both my weekend brunch rotation and camping/hiking menu. Cracked an egg into the almost finished oats, put the lid on for 7 or 8 mins and ended up with a poached egg to boot. A real winner!!
Well, I HAVE to leave a comment. Stubbled accross this recipe a year ago and never made it until today. What was I waiting for ??? I honestly wasn’t expecting anything great, savory oatmeal sounded kinda bland but the comments conviced me and OMG the result was amazing ! The texture and taste is difficult to describe, it’s just very good and soft, like a puree of overcooked pasta but in a good way lol. Added shredded cheese and it was super melty ! Will definitely make it again.
Fantastic! Cooked 4 servings per instructions simmering 5 min. Used Chicken stock. Oatmeal absorbed liquid after standing a few minutes. Fluffed up like a basmati rice dish. Retained nice texture. Perfect alone or with topping. Reheats well.
Very happy to have found this recipe! My doctor tells me my cholesteral numbers are a little bit higher, but I refuse to eat bad food Lol! I’m not much of a ‘sweet’ person, more savory, and I had bought a bag of 1 minute oats. I tried it the traditional sweet way, and meh. I really was hoping this recipe would work with my 1 minute oats and it did! I sauteed a little garlic in a little sesame oil, added ground ginger and chicken broth. Added chopped spinach with the oats, and added my egg directly in to poach! Some sesame seeds and chili-garlic sauce on top, and my stomach is very happy!
Hi, the recipe is great, but why is the sodium contact is so high?
The only place the sodium would be coming from is the vegetable stock, so if that’s too high for you you can always use low-sodium broth! (It’s also possible that the nutrition calculator is over-estimating a bit)
Sooooooo good! My new favorite. The savory thing is my jam so this was perfect. I’ve made it twice now, once with mushrooms and once without (didn’t have any) and it is definitely better with the mushrooms.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Would it be better if your mom made it for you?😄
Of course it would!! Haha 😂
This was fantastic! I didn’t have mushrooms so I just left them out and I used chicken broth because that’s all I had on hand. Fried egg on top. Was perfect! Thank you for another great recipe that I can add to my rotation and customize to suit what I have in the fridge!
Hi Beth,
I am a huge fan of your site, and your recipes. This was my first time trying savoury oatmeal and I loved it!
Just wondering what a good substitute would be for mushrooms (no one else in my family likes them)?
Thanks again
Anything you like would be fine! I find that a little soy sauce or parmesan cheese (or both!) can mimic the umami flavor of mushrooms, but you can really sub with any vegetable you like or omit!
WOW. This was my first time making savoury oats and I can 100% say that it’ll be my go to breakfast from now on. I used some frozen veggies and also added a little soy sauce. So warm and filling. The eggs were a nice touch as well.
I have your book,so i assume these are some pretty good receipes,but just too damn many ads.At least run the ads to the sides or between rceipes.
This is shockingly delicious
I’ve been trying to get into oatmeal and have hated it every other way
This is also the best it’s ever been cooked – maybe the microwave is my issue
This is my favorite breakfast. I’ve made the recipe no less than 10 times. I usually cook a pot of steel cut oats in no-chikn better than bouillion while prepping the rest of your recipe The sub in for a super hearty breakfast all week. Each morning I heat the leftover savory oats and top with a basted egg and a half teaspoon of Laoganma or Momofuko Chili Crunch. SOOOOO delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!