I had been taking my oatmeal for granted. I'd slipped into cruise control, eating my morning oats the same way, day after day: topped with some seasonal fruit, toasted nuts or a spoonful of nut butter, and sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup. Miraculously, it never bored me. Maybe that's why oatmeal endures.
But towards the end of January, as I was reflecting on my fizzled-out resolutions and bracing for the cruelest month, I decided to issue myself a challenge: For February, I’d make oatmeal every day, each time serving it differently. It wouldn’t be complicated—just a bowl of oatmeal, but served with some unexpected toppings that I’d aim to keep simple, guided by my pantry and the types of ingredients you can find at, say, Trader Joe’s.
I hashtagged my project #28daysofoatmeal and hosted it on Instagram. The first post: my tried-and-true steel-cut oatmeal recipe, where the oats are sautéed in a little butter and then cooked in a combination of milk and water. This method works for all oats—rolled, Old Fashioned, even mixed grains—and for the liquid you can use non-dairy milk or all water. I made a batch at the beginning of each week and reheated a bowl each morning on the stovetop or in the microwave, thinning it with a little water as necessary.
But while the oatmeal base was almost always the same, the toppings were always different. I went savory. I added protein. I piled on fruit in every form. Oatmeal, I learned, is a blank canvas. Here's how I painted it.
Savory and with a sauce
I’ve dabbled with savory oatmeal before, but here was my opportunity to dive in. I found that savory oatmeal presents a terrific opportunity for balanced, nutritious breakfasts—especially because it’s an excellent vessel for vegetables. I stirred wilted greens into the grains, topped them with chunks of roasted vegetables (my dinner leftovers, repurposed), garnished the oatmeal with microgreens and herbs. Protein came into the equation, too, in the form of runny-yolked eggs, or even some pan-fried tofu. I even tried cooking the oats in stock (a tip from chef Tyler Kord), which I heartily recommend. But the best part of savory oatmeal? Ditching the drizzle of maple syrup for a generous pour of olive oil, a splash of soy sauce, a spoonful of plain yogurt, or a few shakes of hot sauce.
Sweet and seasonal
It's not easy to stay seasonal in February when you live in the Northeast. But I did my best. There was a lot of citrus—grapefruit and mandarins and cara cara oranges—and I also leaned into dried, frozen, and freeze-dried fruit. I sliced dried mango into matchsticks, made a quick compote of frozen blackberries, roasted apples, crumbled up freeze-dried raspberries. I paired these fruits with toasted nuts (pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds) and finished the bowls with a little honey, a sprinkle of brown sugar, or some maple syrup (which for one bowl I infused with garam masala, to give it a sweet-savory profile). I often added a dollop of yogurt as well, for the cool creaminess and richness.
Not a bowl of oats—an Oat Bowl
You know about grain and noodle bowls and how to make them? Great. Now, think of your oatmeal the same way. (Oats are a grain, after all!) Consider taking some liberties with the oats: stir miso paste into them, or cook them in that vegetable stock lingering in your fridge (obviously these treatments are for savory oatmeal). An egg, some cubed tofu, or any not-too-heavily-spiced leftovers can function as the protein. For the “body vegetables”—those that bring all the wonderful textural contrast—go with leftover roasted sweet potato or squash (which you can even mash up and stir into the oats), or cooked greens like broccoli rabe and wilted spinach. Finally, add some accents to give some personality and help bridge the flavor gaps: a crumble of feta, a drizzle of tahini or pomegranate molasses, a shower of sliced scallions, some frizzled onions or shallots, a sprinkle of za’atar, a judicious pour of orange blossom water. These brought my oatmeal to life. Lastly, for every bowl of oatmeal, sweet or savory, I always finish with a little flaky salt.
The Big Batch for Work
I’m up early and usually rushing out the door to the gym on weekdays, and while occasionally there was time to make the bowl and snap a picture of it, I’d often scrape the whole thing into a tupperware to eat later at my office. This always worked, but what I preferred was bringing in a tub of cooked steel-cut oats on Monday to leave in the work fridge, and then bring all the little components in, packed up separately. Then I’d compose my oatmeal at my desk—first reheating the oatmeal in the microwave, then arranging all the toppings I’d brought on top. Precious? Maybe. A nice way to start a day at work? Definitely.