Savory Oatmeal with Spinach and Mushrooms
[I made this cozy Savory Oatmeal with Spinach and Mushrooms for Earth Fare!]
How do you guys feel about vegetables for breakfast?
Up until about 6 years ago, I ate something sweet for breakfast about 95% of the time.
In the younger years, it was pop-tarts, cereal, eggo waffles, or muffins. When I got a little more health conscious, it was oatmeal with brown sugar, yogurt with fruit and honey, or (a more grown up, but still sweet) cereal.
When I started having health issues, I made a connection between the sweet foods I was eating and the symptoms I was dealing with.
(Basically all of my symptoms got worse when I ate sugar or even high sugar fruits.)
That really required that I forget the idea of what breakfast was supposed to look like, which was hard because I craved sweet things in the morning. But I made it a point to start eating a lot more savory breakfasts.
It definitely took some getting used to, but now I eat a savory breakfast most days (and love it!) It’s usually leftovers from the night before, soup, and sometimes—a savory oatmeal bowl.
A lot of sugar first thing in the morning can really throw off our blood sugar levels, and leave us cranky and hungry. Which isn’t something a good breakfast should do!
Savory oatmeal is a great way to transition to the other side and add more vegetables to breakfast.
In my mind, oats are like the savory breakfast gateway.
Since oatmeal has a pretty neutral flavor, it can easily swing both ways. For a savory version, oats get cooked in broth and seasoned (in this case) with parmesan.
And because spinach and mushrooms are one of my favorite veggie combinations, that’s what I went with here. But really this kind of breakfast is ideal for using up leftover veggies, so anything you have on hand will work.
If you really want to be a veggie over-achiever, you can grate some zucchini right into your oats. π
For a punch of protein (and just to convince us we’re eating breakfast) this savory oatmeal bowl gets topped off with a luscious soft boiled egg.
You can easily boil the eggs ahead of time so that you have one on hand just when you need it. I boil a dozen or so on Sunday and use them throughout the week.
To get a soft yolk, you’ll want to boil the eggs for 6-8 minutes and then quickly cool them down by dumping into an ice bath or running under cold water for a few minutes. (this one was a 7 minute egg)
The yolk mixes up with the oats and makes for the most amazing texture and rich flavor.
It’s simple, but seriously delicious. And you know you’ll be doing your body a favor by starting your day off with a few extra veggies.
Trust me, this savory oatmeal bowl is something you’ll definitely look forward to waking up to!
Savory Oatmeal with Spinach and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- Β½ cup old fashioned oats
- Β½ cup organic broth (chicken or veggie)
- Β½ cup water
- 1 portobello mushroom cap, cleaned and sliced
- Handful of baby spinach
- 1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 soft boiled egg*
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Dash of garlic powder (optional)
- Chopped chives (optional)
Instructions
- Add oats, broth, and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes over, stirring occasionally.
- While oats cook, add sliced mushrooms to a pan with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. SautΓ© for several minutes until mushrooms are tender. Remove and reserve.
- Add handful of spinach to the same pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional dash of garlic powder. SautΓ© just until spinach begins to wilt.
- Stir grated parmesan cheese into the oatmeal and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl.
- Top oatmeal with mushrooms, spinach, and a sliced soft boiled egg. Top with chives and more black pepper.
Notes
To make soft boiled eggs ahead of time, bring a pot of water to a boil and add eggs, boiling for 7 minutes and immediately transferring to a bowl with ice water. For a less runny yolk, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. The eggs can be stored in the refrigerator to have on hand throughout the week.
4 responses to “Savory Oatmeal with Spinach and Mushrooms”
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okkkk this looks delicious. can’t wait to try!
xx krissy
http://www.champagneinchurch.com
Thanks lady! I’m all about a savory breakfast ππ
I tried this for breakfast this morning and it was delicious! I didn’t have spinach so I used some fresh arugula I had on hand and fresh thyme and chives. Yummy! I couldn’t imagine what “savory” oatmeal would taste like, but I’m a huge fan now. Thank you Allyson!
Pam
Yay! I loved that you used arugula. The beauty of this is you can just add in whatever veggies you have on hand! π