Go Back
–+ servings
Side angle of bowl of savory oatmeal with Chinese chili crisp and sautéed greens.
Print Recipe

Savory Oatmeal with Chili Crisp

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 4 (1 cup / 240g per serving)
Calories: 367kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (960 mL) filtered water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons white miso
  • 1 ⅓ cups (240g) steel-cut oats
  • 3 tablespoons (15g) nutritional yeast
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (see Note 1)
  • 1 medium head (~ 8 oz / 227g) Swiss chard (see Note 2)
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias (reserve dark green tops for garnish)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) Chinese chili crisp (see Note 3)

Optional Protein Toppers (pick one)

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add in the miso, whisking to dissolve.
  • Add the oats and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, or until oats are tender but still have a bite and are chewy. If the water gets low during cooking, add a bit more.
  • Take off the heat and cover for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Then stir in the nutritional yeast and soy sauce.
  • While the oats cook, prep and cook the chard: Strip out the center ribs from the chard, either using your fingers in a pinching motion or using a sharp knife.
    a. Slice the ribs thinly, then wash and dry; keep separate from the leaves.
    b. Tear the leaves into about 2” (5 cm) pieces, then wash and dry; keep separate from the ribs.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chard stems and scallions (whites/light greens). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add in the chard leaves and season with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently (tongs are helpful) for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves are a bit softer but the stems are still a bit crunchy.
  • Assemble: Divide hot oatmeal between four bowls. Stir 1 ½ teaspoons of chili crisp into each bowl, then top each bowl with the chard and garnish with scallion greens and any optional protein topper. Taste and add more chili crisp as desired.
    NOTE: If the oatmeal has thickened too much before serving, loosen it with a little bit of water
  • If keeping leftovers, store the oats and greens separately; add a splash of water to thin out leftover porridge when reheating.

Notes

  1. To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce and be sure to use gluten-free certified steel cut oats.
  2. This yields about 4 tightly packed cups (120g) of chard leaves and about ⅔ cup (80g) of sliced stems. You can also use lacinato kale.
  3. For store-bought chili crisp,  I love Lao Gan Ma and Mama Teav’s. I also like Momofuk and  Fly By Jing. If you have my cookbook Big Vegan Flavor, my homemade Chinese Chili Crisp on page 187 will certainly take this recipe over the top!