Savory Oats with Mushrooms and Tofu

I've been growing tired of my usual steel cut oats.  They've been working well as a grab and go breakfast in the morning but it's gotten repetitive even though I change up the fruit and toppings. So I decided to shake things up and try a savory version.

I started out with this recipe from the Washington Post but changed it up a bit to add some more flavor, keep it vegan, and use up things I had in the house.  It was delicious!  This is the first time I've tried savory oatmeal but it won't be the last.

4 Servings

Ingredients

- 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 scallions chopped, green and white parts separated
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated or chopped
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 4 cups vegetable broth (next time I would use half broth and half water)
- Soy Sauce to taste
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Pre-cooked and seasoned Tofu (I used the pre-baked Teriyaki Tofu from Nasoya to make it easier)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the Instant Pot using the saute function.  Add the white part of the scallions, the ginger, garlic, oats and chia seeds.  Let cook until fragrant, about a minute or two.

2.  Add the broth and/or water and set the instant pot to manual, high pressure, for 10 minutes.

3.  Once done, use the natural release for 10 minutes and then manually release the remaining pressure.

4.  While the oats are cooking, saute the mushrooms in the remaining oil.  Add the vinegar and soy sauce after the mushrooms have softened and browned and cook for an additional minute, until the liquid has mostly been absorbed.

5.  Cut the tofu into slices and divide into 4.

6.  Once the oats are done, taste and add soy sauce as needed.  Divide the oats into 4 servings.  Top each serving with a quarter of the mushrooms and tofu and garnish each serving with the green parts of the scallions.

And that's it!  This was so delicious and it really worked well to take to work and re-heat in the microwave for a savory, plant based breakfast during the week.  Like I noted above, it bordered on almost too salty so I think I would reduce the amount of broth and supplement with water next time to control the sodium.

Anyone else tried savory oats?  We usually think of oatmeal as a sweet option and this is a nice way to add some variety. Also, I'm linking up with Deborah and the Meatless Monday Link up.