Savory oats breakfast bowls have become my favorite way to start the day. Forget the brown sugar and cinnamon, I'm talking eggs, sauteed vegetables, and all the savory toppings that actually keep you full. I like to target a good balance of protein, fat, and fiber on my plate first thing in the morning, and these bowls check all those boxes.
What makes these breakfast bowls so great is that you can switch things up endlessly. Try different eggs, vegetables, fresh toppings, and seasonings, so it never gets boring. Eggs are my go-to protein for breakfast, and I love that you can prepare them so many ways. Hard or soft-boiled, over-easy, jammy, omelette, or even as egg salad, each one gives you a completely different bowl. Especially in colder months when warm food just hits different.
This is more of a formula than a strict recipe, so feel free to mix and match based on what you have and what sounds good to you.
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Why I Use Steel Cut Oats
I have tried a variety of grains and other bases in this breakfast bowl, such as rolled oats and buckwheat. They aren't bad options, but steel-cut oats work best here. Steel cut oats are less processed than other oat varieties, retain more nutrients, and are high in fiber. Their low glycemic index helps keep blood sugar levels steady, making this a satisfying meal that keeps you full longer. The texture holds up better, too, when you're adding other ingredients and toppings like a jammy egg and sauteed veggies. Not only is the combo delicious, but the steel-cut oats stay creamy with a bit of bite instead of getting mushy.
How to Build Your Breakfast Bowl
Start with your base: I prefer to cook my steel-cut oats in water to keep them simple and versatile. You can always add milk later if you want. Milk works well for sweeter bowls with fruit, but water with a little salt is ideal for savory bases. Some people cook theirs in broth or stir in a spoonful of miso at the end for umami flavor, but I like to keep the base simple and enhance the flavor with toppings.
Add cooked veggies: While the oats are cooking, saute the vegetables. Try mushrooms and kale, bok choy, spinach, onions, broccoli, or snap peas.
Layer in fresh ingredients: Spoon the oats into your bowl, add the sauteed veggies, then top with avocado, cucumber, radishes, bell pepper, snap peas, or microgreens. You can even try adding fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi.
Add your protein: Top with your egg, prepared anyway you like: soft-boiled, jammy, or sunny-side up. I especially enjoy a runny yolk on top. Breaking that yolk into the oats is the best part. You can add extra protein, such as bacon, Canadian bacon, lox, sardines, hot-smoked fish, or a spoonful of hummus, to keep it vegetarian.
Finishing touches: Sprinkle a little spice on your avocado or egg. Aleppo pepper, sumac, za'atar, everything but the bagel seasoning, or chili flakes all work well.
Recipe Tips
Keep it gluten-free: Oats are naturally gluten-free, but most are processed in facilities that also handle wheat. If you have celiac disease, wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity, look for oats specifically labeled gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.
Keep it dairy-free: Use olive oil instead of butter when sautéing vegetables, and stick with water or broth when cooking oats instead of milk.
Quicker method: You can also make steel-cut oats in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. You can set it up ahead of time, and they cook faster with less hands-on time.
Meal prep: Cook a larger batch of steel-cut oats at the beginning of the week, and store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Topping Combos
The Classic: Sauteed mushrooms and kale, avocado with everything but the bagel seasoning, and soft-boiled egg.
Fresh and Bright: Snap peas, cucumber, radishes, jammy egg, and sesame seeds.
Extra Protein: Sauteed onions and broccoli, side of bacon, sunny side up egg, and chili flakes.
Umami Bomb: Miso stirred into the oats, sauteed mushrooms, marinated red onion, kimchi or krout, lox, microgreens, and a jammy egg.
Whichever way you choose, you'll end up with a well-balanced, diverse bowl that checks all the breakfast boxes. The combinations are endless, so play around with what you love. Tell me what your favorite combo is in the comments!
Breakfast Recipes
Try these other breakfast recipes:
Gluten Free Recipes
Here are some other gluten-free recipes:
Savory Oats Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
For the Oats
- ½ cup steel cut oats
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- small piece of butter, optional
Toppings
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 3-4 mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup kale , chopped
- 2 eggs
- ½ avocado
- Aleppo pepper or za'atar or everything but the bagel spice, optional
Instructions
Cook the oats:
- In a small pot, bring water and oats to a boil. Season with salt, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until creamy and most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. If desired, stir in a small pat of butter at the end.
Cook vegetables and assemble the bowl:
- While the oats are cooking, heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden. Add chopped kale and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Season with salt.
- You can crack the eggs into the pan or prepare them any other way you like.
- Assemble the bowl by spooning the cooked oats first. Top with sauteed mushrooms, kale, sliced avocado, and the eggs. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning.
Notes
- You can swap for any vegetables you prefer, such as broccoli, snap peas, spinach, or onions.
- You can prepare the oats ahead of time or in an Instant Pot.
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