Vegan Savory Oats

Disclaimer: This recipe for vegan savory oats is sponsored by Produce Made Simple :)
Thanks for reading and supporting my blog because sponsored posts like these make it possible for me to do what I do <3

If you’ve been around here before you know I have a weird relationship with oats. I appreciate oats and what they do for my body: they’re satiating, have quite a bit of fibre and surprisingly a good amount of protein in there too. Don’t get me wrong, I wish I could eat a fruity bowl of oats every day for breakfast but that sweetness in the morning is just not for me. Give me a warming bowl of these savory oats any day—creamy, lightly curry spiced, with a bit of extra heft and protein with red lentils and plenty of greens to brighten up the bowl. But the secret star to these oats are tomatoes: both cooked and fresh.

Cooking tomatoes  at the beginning of this little bowl means that you are able to caramelize some of the natural sweetness of these tomatoes to give a bit of extra depth of flavour that you didn’t know you needed in the morning. I heard once upon a time that cooking tomatoes means you’re able to absorb some of the nutrients in them better, but I’m not a dietitian nor a nutritionist so I don’t know if there’s any validity to that. What I do know is that cooked tomatoes add a bit of umami to this dish, which is just what a warm bowl of oats need.

But don’t worry, you’ll get a lovely dose of lycopene (that’s what gives tomatoes that gorgeous red colour) with some diced fresh tomatoes on top. Do yourself a favour and remember to store your tomatoes on the counter and not in the fridge, because storing them in the fridge gives them a mealy texture and nobody wants that. If you can, keep them on the vine as long as you can, and don’t wash them until you need to use them. I’m all about helping you experience vegetables (or in this case, technically, fruit) the best way possible ;)

You can substitute shallots or regular white onion in this recipe, but I find green onions to be the least pungent of the aromatics for the first meal of the morning. You can also add garlic if you want, but not everyone has the luxury of working from home like me and doesn’t have to worry about garlic breath. Luckily the garlic powder in this recipe gives some garlic flavour without too much of that garlic breath. Deglazing those delicious, deep flavours off the bottom of the pan with a splash of vegetable broth is a must, but if you prefer to use granulated broth like I do, a little water to dissolve and lift that caramelization works just fine.

You’ll need to cook the red lentils a bit at first, for about 10 minutes to get things going at first. If you prefer your lentils to have a bit of bite and structure to them (as opposed to having them simply melt into the oats), you can add salt while cooking the lentils to maintain their shape a little better. Otherwise season towards the end, to taste.

Add in some rolled oats (or instant if that’s the texture you prefer), cook until they’re wonderfully unctuous and thick and your breakfast is on its way,

This is totally optional, but if you have any on hand, stuff in a few good handfuls of greens. Lately my favourite greens to add to this dish is some fresh baby spinach and some roughly chopped cilantro. I’ve been storing my cilantro in a glass in the jar, covered with a plastic bag—which extends the shelf-life for a good week or two. Plenty of time for me to get off my lazy butt and remember to use up those gorgeous sprigs of herby goodness. Stir those greens in just until they wilt and serve for a hearty breakfast.

I’ve never really been that much of a morning person. I appreciate that I can be very productive in the mornings, but I’d much rather lounge in bed if I can. But with a bowl of these vegan savory oats simmering on the stove, I can be convinced to get my day started. Big hearty bowls like these also keep me fueled for when I go deep into a six-hour editing spree while listening to some lo-fi jams.

Print Recipe

Vegan Savory Oats

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 -4 servings

Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

• 1 tsp 5 mL vegetable oil
• 1 sprig green onions whites and onions diced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 tsp 5 mL garlic powder
• 1 tsp 5 mL onion powder
• ¼ tsp 1 mL ground cumin
• ¼ tsp 1 mL ground coriander
• ¼ tsp 1 mL black pepper
• ½ tsp 2.5 mL turmeric
• ¼ tsp 1 mL cayenne powder
• ½ tsp 2.5 mL kosher salt
• 4 cups 1 L vegetable broth
• ½ cup 125 mL red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup 250 mL rolled oats
• 2 cups 500 mL of baby spinach, rinsed and drained
• 1 sprig of fresh cilantro chopped with stems (about ¼ cup)

Garnish:

• Diced fresh tomato
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Cracked black pepper

Instructions

• In a small pot over medium low heat, saute diced green onion with vegetable until whites are slightly translucent (about 1 min). Add the diced tomato and saute for 1-2 minutes. You’ll begin to see the tomatoes caramelize slightly.
• Add all the spices and stir to cook until fragrant. Once you start to see the spices start to brown slightly, deglaze with a splash of vegetable broth to lift the flavour off the bottom of the pot, and then add the lentils + 2 cups (or half of the vegetable broth).
• Bring to a medium heat to a steady simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
  Add the rolled oats, adding the rest of the vegetable broth in increments until you get your desired consistency. For thicker oats, you’ll use about 3 ½ cup broth, for thinner porridge you’ll use all 4 cups.
• Once oats have absorbed most of the liquid and is cooked through, stir in the spinach and cilantro to wilt.
• Serve with extra fresh diced tomato, chopped cilantro and black pepper.

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