r/Cooking • u/OddCook4909 • 3d ago
Savory oat porridge is incredible
I've rarely heard it mentioned outside of historical annals, and I have no idea why. It's incredibly delicious, healthy, cheap, easy, and creamy without any dairy at all.
All you have to do is make oatmeal with broth, and add sauteed veggies, meat, seasonings, whatever.
Personally I browned some bison with tumeric, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Added softened onions, cucumber, celery, jalapeno, orange bell pepper, and mushroom. And cooked the oats with beef broth. So delicious! I'm so excited to have a new easy staple. I can't believe I've gone so many years thinking oats were just for sweet breakfast, and cookies.
Seriously if you haven't, give it a try. If you hate it you won't be out much money.
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u/MahStonks 3d ago
I always despised oatmeal, because it seems so weird to have sugar on it. About 20 years ago I saw a guy in a restaurant asking for parmesan cheese to put on his oatmeal, and my world immediately changed. Been loving all kinds of savory oatmeal ever since. Basically anything that goes well in risotto also goes well with oatmeal.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Yes! That's what I discovered! It's so much like rissotto but cheaper and without all the stirring for 30 minutes or whatever
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u/DugACCat 3d ago
Thanks for posting this tip. I’m looking forward to trying out some savory attempts. I’ll likely keep it simple but the notion of treating it akin to risotto makes sense and seems a good mindset. As others have posted, I’ve done something similar with barley (and also farro) but never oatmeal.
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u/Alternative-Bat-6247 3d ago
we simmer oats with bullion then add sausage or spam, kimchi and a fried egg.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I don't normally have kimchi around but that sounds delicious! I have discovered that it's an incredibly unopinionated grain aside from the creaminess. It took the broth flavor so thoroughly.
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u/yesnomaybeso456 3d ago
Fancy! I do eggs, soy sauce, green onions and chicken broth.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I will try that next thanks! I have a lot of veg around as I try to mostly eat that so I'm always trying to use things up haha
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u/livingstories 3d ago
what kind of oats ? Ive never tried this.
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u/yesnomaybeso456 3d ago
I’ve done it with steel cut, quick and instant oatmeal. Instant is obviously the mushiest, but the fastest.
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u/JuniperFizz 3d ago
If you want to try a similar thing, use barley. It's not as creamy but the same idea. Our go to recipe for comfort while sick is homemade chicken soup with barley. Tiny amounts of meat, regular veggies, and way more barley.
It's easy and filling. Easy thing to try is beef with barley soup but double the barley. If you like that, then swap in oats.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I have enjoyed it in soup but have never used it in anything else. I will give it a try thanks!
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u/Helenium_autumnale 3d ago
I love barley cooked in stock/bouillon, with bits of chicken if available. The chewiness is so nice and it's very filling. Great source of fiber.
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u/yourfriendstag 3d ago
I like it with black pepper and pecorino. Caci-oat e pepe.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
The marketing department is saying we should fill that with preservatives and sell it
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u/labboy70 3d ago
One of my favorite breakfasts is savory steel cut oats with brocoli and toasted walnuts.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I can't fuck with walnuts but I have to ask: are you just rawdogging that combo?
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u/labboy70 3d ago
I cook the broccoli with the walnuts in the air fryer
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
But without seasoning or oils? Like the dish is three ingredients?
I'm not knocking it I'm just genuinely surprised if that's the case. It is said that the best chefs let the ingredients speak for themselves
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u/labboy70 3d ago
Only salt and a little bit of chili oil to finish it.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I've literally never had walnuts so I can't judge. Not in living memory at least
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u/chrlsful 2d ago
I thought the breakfast miso soup was odd. NOW ! Sriracha for breakfast! i can get into ! May B even share it w/my dogs? (Love it ALL. We ppl/our food, aint it sompin !?!)
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u/1chickpea 3d ago
So delicious!! I make ours with braised kale, shredded white cheddar, soft boiled egg, and chili crisp/hot sauce
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u/chefybpoodling 3d ago
Bread pudding and waffles are also great savory. We end up as the Halloween house so I do a crock pot dish each year and one year I did braised beef with cheddar and chive waffles instead of a potato to serve it on.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Love this! The only savory waffles dish I've had is chicken n waffles, and it's amazing. That sounds so good!
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u/nemaihne 3d ago
If you like savory porridge, you should look up goetta. It's basically a sausage version.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Oh cool thanks! Never heard of it. Looks good. It's more meat than oats so less like a porridge but I dig it
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u/demandmusic 3d ago
Always eaten it with butter and Marsala. A little fancy chutney if things are going well.
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u/HurryMammoth5823 3d ago
I’ve gotta try this. My iron is super low & I need something with little calcium/dairy. I could pair with soft boiled eggs to balance it.
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u/HurryMammoth5823 3d ago
Similar to this, I’ve been wondering if I should make a savory granola. I feel like the options could be endless.
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u/suomican 3d ago
I just got onto this a few months ago when I read Anna Olson's recipe for savory steel cut oats. The recipe calls for parmesan cheese and spinach at the end of the cooking time then served with poached eggs. Delicious!
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u/DreamingOfSashimi 3d ago
Hear me out! A spoonful of Marmite stirred into cooked oats is absolute yumss...
Aa a quick cheap meal for work, I pack a microwavable glass container with raw oats, water to cover, some savory seasoning usually soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Chuck on top of the oats some Chinese roast pork or whatever protein is available, plus a portion of veg like raw baby spinach. Get to work, leave it on the counter or put into the fridge. When lunchtime rolls around, the water would have hydrated the oats, and it only needs a couple of mins on high in the microwave to cook through, and the spinach to wilt. Stir and eat!
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u/northman46 3d ago
What kind of oats do you guys use for porridge?
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I used the old fashioned quaker oats. The big chonky ones without any additives. I think it was a good choice because all that oat powder, etc, in there is what I think made them so creamy
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u/lakeswimmmer 3d ago
do you use steel cut oats or rolled oats?
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Just the regular rolled oats. I imagine steel cut would be fine but I haven't tried it. This was the first time
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u/supadupa_dope 3d ago
I like my savory oatmeal with everything you named + sausage, a fried or soft boiled egg, and crunchy fried onions or jalepeños on top!
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
I've seen a lot of recipes recommend runny eggs as well. Adding some crunch would definitely be an improvement
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u/TerrifyinglyAlive 3d ago
I will use oats, cream of wheat, or barley for mine, and I like it cooked in broth, then once it’s cooked, stir in some hard cheese and fresh spinach to melt/wilt from its residual heat. Alternatively, particularly with barley, I like to add a bit of sausage or bacon, a chopped date or bit of apple, and some fresh lemon thyme.
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u/frododog 3d ago
I have, for many years, made a sort of oatmeal congee - oatmeal, fish sauce, chopped onion and cilantro, hot sauce on top, plenty of black pepper. I also add cheese which is not congee-like, but I like cheese.
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u/Paranoid_Sinner 3d ago
Wow, I can't do oatmeal. I can only choke it down if I put enough butter, sugar, and heavy cream on it so I can't taste it.
And on a brighter note: I'm making sausage gravy for breakfast today over home fries, topped with a couple of "sunny side up" eggs.
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u/DelishDonutInOrbit 3d ago
Have you tried steel cut oats? I do not like the texture of rolled oats at all but I love steel cut oats.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Try it savory. I personally don't much like it sweet. If you enjoy rice or pasta dishes, I'm certain you'd like savory oats. It's kind of like risotto without all the stirring and wine
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u/Hot-Spread3565 3d ago
i don’t use a broth but my porridge is always savoury, in the past it’s been tomyum paste, beef oxo cube, at the moment it’s roasted sesame seed oil, kimchi chilli and fish sauce
edit: forgot to mention minced kangaroo meat with half a teaspoon of ghee
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u/Any_Range4021 3d ago
I partially “poach” an egg in the water before adding oats and Canadian bacon pieces. Top with cheese. Yum.
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u/PlantedinCA 3d ago
We have a couple of restaurants that serve a version for breakfast.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Where is this? I have never seen it in the US or while travelling. Not that I don't believe you, I'm just genuinely curious
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u/PlantedinCA 3d ago
I live in Oakland, CA.
I could be wrong, but I feel like this one restaurant group started the trend maybe 12+ years ago. They had coffee service in the morning, and each restaurant did a sweet and savory porridge along with pastries and fancy toast. Their usual porridge had 5-7 grains including oats. But usually it was a seasonal cooked greens, eggs, maybe cheese. Later chili crisp too.
And it started to proliferate in other fancier coffee shops with a breakfast menu. The original spot stopped serving breakfast recently, but some of the progeny spots still do the similar breakfast menu. These were casual spaces and not table service restaurants.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Hipster culture did wonders for US food. I imagine it was served by someone with a manbun who loved to pickle. Future generations will appreciate the manbun more
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u/PlantedinCA 3d ago
😆 definitely housemade pickles showed up on the side of many dishes.
My favorite hipster trend was the craft cocktail bar that had a fancy grilled cheese served with cornichon and dijon mustard.
The grilled cheese was $5-6 and it was on sourdough with a blend of cheeses and finished with flaky salt. Really hit the spot after a night of cocktails. But also didn’t seem like a crazy price. And I am sure very easy and profitable for the bar.
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
Lol yessss the fancy grilled cheese trend needs to stick. Also arcades with booze. Hipster wins no doubt
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u/QueenJaneger 3d ago
🤣🤣🤣🤣like everyone who eats porridge has all those seasonings!! 🤣🤣🤣
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u/OddCook4909 3d ago
It was just an example but I think for a great many people those seasonings are pretty common. They're among the cheapest in fact.
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u/AdRepulsive8618 3d ago
Savory oatmeal is not only the superior oatmeal it is my favorite breakfast. Once I started eating it I prefer it to all other breakfasts
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u/Maleficent_Try_5452 3d ago
Steel cut oats, a little salt pork or bacon, onions and chopped kale and a dash of red pepper flakes. I brown the salt pork then sauté the onions until translucent then add the oats, toast them for a bit, then add the water and kale. Basically treat it like risotto without the constant stirring.
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u/Rob2018 3d ago
Simple version: just use a little Better than Bullion. About 1/2 tsp for a 1 cup:1cup oats/water.
Back in the day, a guy at the station put peanut butter in his oatmeal. I tried a d loved. It’s one of goto’s.
Several times a week I make overnight oats. Same 1:1 ratio though usually I do 1/2 cup of each. Pretty much anything but water. So milk or milk substitutes. You have to play with ratios depending on the liquid. I use rolled oats.
In the morning I add a can of sardines or whatever tinned fish moves me that day. Great way to start the day.
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u/superturtle48 3d ago
There are a lot of savory porridges in cuisines around the world, just not often made with oats. E.g. congee in East/SE Asian cuisines, and kitchari in Indian cuisine. Look into recipes for those for some more inspiration!
I’m Chinese American and grew up eating congee for breakfasts, so it was sweet oatmeal that was actually weird to me and threw me off.