• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Vegan Blueberry

Easy, delicious, satisfying, family-friendly vegan recipes

  • All recipes
  • Vegan kitchen essentials
  • About
  • Buy me a coffee
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All recipes
  • Vegan kitchen essentials
  • About
  • Buy me a coffee
  • Subscribe
  • Follow on social media:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes

    Vegan Savory Oatmeal

    Published on April 23, 2021 by Kate, Updated on May 16, 2022 - Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinnable image of vegan gluten free savory oatmeal bowl.

    This vegan Savory Oatmeal can be enjoyed any time of day - as a savory breakfast, for lunch, or dinner. Just 15 minutes to make, gluten-free, and super nutritious and filling!

    Fork holding savory oatmeal.

    A friend of mine asked me if I've ever tried savory oatmeal, and I'm going to be honest, I couldn't even understand why someone would want to try that... I mean, we have all kinds of delicious sweet breakfast oatmeal options, such as vegan oatmeal with almond butter and fruit, or mango oatmeal... why mess with oatmeal?

    But then I realized there is something super satisfying about a savory breakfast, especially when you know you're loading up on healthy veggies and plant protein for your first meal of the day.

    So savory oatmeal is now on regular rotation for us, and I am so excited to share my recipe with you! I hope you give it a try! Just keep an open mind! It definitely tastes different than regular sweet oatmeal. Think of it as a risotto type of texture and flavor. 🙂

    Ingredients to make savory vegan oatmeal.

    More savory breakfast recipes: Savory Vegan Mung Bean Pancakes

    Ingredients

    This recipe makes 2 portions, but feel free to scale up or down as needed.

    For the savory oatmeal:

    • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free, if needed. I prefer old fashioned over the quick-cooking oats because of texture)
    • 2 cups water (or use an unsweetened plain plant milk, if you want it creamier)
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • ⅛ teaspoon each salt & pepper (or more, to taste)

    (Note: ⅛ teaspoon is pretty much a generous pinch, I don't always measure that out!)

    For the tofu scramble:

    • ½ lb firm tofu
    • 1 green onion, diced
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color, but this stuff is so good for you so I always add it!)
    • ⅛ teaspoon each salt & pepper (or more, to taste - you can use black salt for a nice "eggy" taste)
    • Oil for cooking

    You can also try other seasonings for the tofu scramble, such as my vegan chicken seasoning, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or some smoked paprika.

    For the veggies:

    • 6 cups fresh baby spinach (or as much as you want, this stuff really cooks down!)
    • ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
    • Olive oil for cooking, salt, pepper (or try adding garlic powder and onion powder)

    Bowl of savory oatmeal with tofu scramble and veggies.

    Related recipe: How to Make Oat Milk

    Other toppings for savory oatmeal

    I load up my oatmeal bowls with scrambled tofu, sauteed spinach and tomatoes because those are the fastest toppings ever, and they're super nutritious. However, any of these would be AMAZING on top of savory oatmeal:

    • Sauteed mushrooms and onions
    • Sliced avocado
    • Vegan bacon bits
    • Egglant bacon (soy-free!)
    • Everything bagel seasoning (I love this stuff!!!)
    • Caramelized onions
    • Crumbled vegan sausage
    • Pulled jackfruit
    • Shredded vegan pepper jack or cubed vegan feta
    • Fresh microgreens
    • Toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds
    • Vegan chicken strips
    • Hot sauce or salsa

    Related recipe: Banana Oat Cookies

    Instructions

    This dish cooks up really fast, so it's kind of hard to multitask. Unless you're a kitchen ninja, I recommend starting to cook the oatmeal first and letting it sit, since it will thicken and stay hot for a while, and then cook the toppings once you have the oatmeal going.

    Step 1 - cook the oatmeal: In a medium saucepan, combine the oats with water, and cook over medium heat, or until the oatmeal thickens but there's a tiny bit of liquid remaining.

    Cooking savory oatmeal in a saucepan.

    Stir in the seasonings (from the nutritional yeast to the salt and pepper), stir, and set aside. Give it a taste (careful! It's hot!) and adjust the seasonings or add more liquid, if needed.

    Adding savory seasonings to oatmeal.

    Step 2 - make the tofu scramble: Break apart the tofu into 1-2 inch chunks. Preheat a large skillet, add some oil to the skillet, and saute the tofu chunks for 2-3 minutes, breaking them up a little more as you cook. Add the seasonings and stir together until well combined. Remove from the skillet.

    Adding seasonings to tofu to make tofu scramble.

    Step 3 - prepare the veggie toppings: Add a little olive oil to the same skillet where you cooked the tofu. Add the baby spinach and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts down. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to your oatmeal bowl, and add the halved tomatoes. Turn the heat up and cook the tomatoes over medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until the tomatoes soften and start to blister. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to your oatmeal bowl.

    Sauteed spinach and tomatoes in a skillet.

    Step 4 - assemble the oatmeal bowls: Divide the cooked oatmeal between two bowls (stir in a bit of water, if it thickened too much), top with half the tofu and half the veggies. Add any of the other toppings (I LOVE Everything Bagel Seasoning and salsa!!), and enjoy!!

    Closeup of a pan of savory oatmeal.

    Related recipe: Mushroom Oat Burgers

    Tips for cooking oatmeal and oatmeal meal prep

    Water to oatmeal ratio:

    The general ratio I use for cooking oatmeal is 1 cup old fashioned oats to 2 cups water. This results in a pretty thick oatmeal, which is how I like it. If you like your oatmeal a little thinner, add a little more water. If it ends up being too much, just cook it a little longer until the water is absorbed. Or let it sit out a little longer before eating, since oatmeal thickens as it cools.

    Meal prep tips:

    This recipe works just okay for meal prep - it's not ideal for me. This is because cooked oatmeal thickens as it sits in the fridge overnight, so I always want to stir in extra water and reheat it in a saucepan until the water is thoroughly incorporated. Not ideal for taking it to work, and I might as well make it fresh every time, ya know? But if you want to prepare this as breakfast for the week, give it a try! Maybe just add a little more liquid to the oatmeal so that it doesn't thicken too much as it cooks.

    Steel cut oats:

    Steel cut oats are a little healthier than old fashioned oats because they're not as processed, so if you have an Instant Pot (or the patience to cook steel cut oats on the stove top), cooking up a batch of savory steel cut oats in the Instant Pot is a great option for this recipe! Just cook the oats in water, and stir in all the seasonings after the oats are cooked. 

    If you make these oatmeal bowls, please take a picture and tag me on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK. I love seeing your creations!

    Other vegan breakfast ideas to try:

    • Vegan sheet pan pancakes
    • Vegan spiced zucchini muffins
    • Vegan buttermilk pancakes
    • Vegan gluten-free waffles
    • Banana nut muffins
    • Chocolate chia pudding
    • Chocolate strawberry vegan scones
    • Vegan buckwheat porridge

    If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

    Recipe

    Loaded vegan oatmeal with tofu scramble in a bowl.

    Vegan Savory Oatmeal

    Enjoy this savory oatmeal any time of day - breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Ready in 15 minutes, loaded with nutritious toppings, delicious, super easy to make, and gluten-free!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print recipe Leave a comment
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 288kcal
    Author: Kate
    $3

    Ingredients

    For the oatmeal:

    • 1 cup old-fashioned oats , (use gluten-free, if needed)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste

    For the tofu scramble:

    • ½ lb firm tofu
    • 1 green onion (scallion), chopped
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
    • oil for cooking

    For the veggies:

    • 6 cups fresh baby spinach, tightly packed
    • ½ cup grape tomatoes
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    Special equipment

    • Medium saucepan
    • Large skillet

    Instructions

    Prepare the oatmeal:

    • In a medium saucepan, combine the oats with water, and cook over medium heat, or until the oatmeal thickens but there's a tiny bit of liquid remaining.  
    • Stir in the seasonings (from the nutritional yeast to the salt and pepper), stir, and set aside. Give it a taste (careful! It's hot!) and adjust the seasonings or add more liquid, if needed,

    Prepare the tofu scramble:

    • Break apart the tofu into 1-2 inch chunks. Preheat a large skillet, add some oil to the skillet, and sauté the tofu chunks for 2-3 minutes, breaking them up a little more as you cook. Add the seasonings and stir together until well combined. Remove from the skillet.

    Prepare the veggie toppings:

    • Add a little olive oil to the same skillet where you cooked the tofu. Add the baby spinach and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts down. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to your oatmeal bowl, and add the halved tomatoes. Turn the heat up and cook the tomatoes over medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until the tomatoes soften and start to blister. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to your oatmeal bowl.

    Assemble the oatmeal bowls:

    • Divide the cooked oatmeal between two bowls (stir in a bit of water, if it thickened too much), top with half the tofu and half the veggies. Add any of the other toppings (I LOVE Everything Bagel Seasoning and salsa!!), and enjoy!!

    Notes

    → This recipe makes pretty thick oatmeal, which is how I like it! Use more water if you like thinner oatmeal, or if you plan on enjoying leftovers the next day, since the oatmeal thickens overnight.
    → Try these other toppings:
    • Salsa
    • Caramelized onions
    • Crumbled vegan sausage
    • Pulled jackfruit
    • Hot sauce
    • Sliced avocado
    • Chopped scallions, fresh cilantro or parsley
    • Everything bagel seasoning (I love this stuff!!!)
    • Shredded vegan pepper jack or cubed vegan feta
    • Vegan bacon bits
    • Vegan Parmesan
    • Fresh microgreens
    • Toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds
    • Vegan chicken strips
    • Sautéed mushrooms and onions

    Nutrition

    Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 4mg

     

    More Vegan Breakfast Recipes

    • Collage of recipe pictures with text: 25 vegan air fryer recipes
      25 Vegan Air Fryer Recipes
    • Crispy soy-free eggplant bacon on a baking pan
      Eggplant Bacon (Soy-Free and Vegan!)
    • Vegan blueberry muffins on a plate.
      Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Plate of savory vegan pancakes with a dollop of vegan sour cream.
      Vegan Savory Pancakes (Mung Bean Scallion Pancakes)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

    Questions? Feedback? I love to hear from you! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Pinnable image of vegan gluten free savory oatmeal bowl.
    Image of Vegan Blueberry recipe creator.

    Welcome to Vegan Blueberry! Here you'll find veganized versions of your favorite comfort food, amazing vegan desserts, and the best vegan cheese recipes on the internet.

    More about Vegan Blueberry →

    "Buy me a coffee" button.

    Reader favorites:

    • Stack of vegan glazed meatballs on a plate.
      Vegan Garlic Ginger Glazed Meatballs
    • Vegan butter bean stew in a saucepan
      Butter Bean Stew
    • Butterbean hummus in a bowl
      Butter Bean Hummus
    • Vegan mocha mug cake with powdered sugar sprinkled on top
      Vegan Mocha Mug Cake

    Footer

    logo collage

    Find Out What's Cookin'

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Who's behind Vegan Blueberry?

    Hi! I'm Kate. Welcome to Vegan Blueberry, where you'll find easy, delicious vegan recipes that are family-friendly and super satisfying! Read more

    My Favorites:

    Stack of vegan glazed meatballs on a plate.
    Vegan butter bean stew in a saucepan
    Butterbean hummus in a bowl

    See the Vegan Blueberry Web Stories

    Footer

    Pinnable image of vegan gluten free savory oatmeal bowl.

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Vegan Blueberry

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure and privacy policy.

    Copyright © 2025 · MAMA IS WORKING LLC, VEGAN BLUEBERRY | Privacy Policy

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.