This Savory Oatmeal with Avocado and Poached Egg transforms your usual, sweet oatmeal routine into something umami-packed, new, and delicious!

When I’m not stuffing my head with Dutch audio courses (with the hopes of learning via osmosis), I’m listening to podcasts. Podcasts that tell a story (Radiolab), podcasts that teach (Food Blogger Pro), and most recently, podcasts that just talk about food (Food 52’s Burnt Toast). And in an episode of Burnt Toast, they talk about a special area on Food 52 reserved for “Genius Recipes”.
These aren’t necessarily the best recipes of your life, but rather, recipes that change the way you look at cooking. A cauliflower soup with only 3 ingredients that relies on the pectin in cauliflower for thickening. Chocolate mouse from just chocolate + water, the list goes on.
And a lot of times, these recipes don’t come from seasoned, Michelin Star chefs. They come from chefs who never learned culinary boundaries. Raw food lovers who discovered that raw sweet potatoes aren’t poisonous (as the food world had believed), but instead fan-freakin-tastic. Because if you never learn boundaries, you’ll eventually find yourself in the great unknown, the place where earth-shattering discoveries are made.
That’s definitely not to say this savory oatmeal recipe is genius or earth-shattering by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s different. It’s oats and parmesan and avocado and egg, a simple, satisfying breakfast. I hope that this approach to ingredients and recipes will inspire you to cook in ways out of your comfort zone, because oatmeal doesn’t have to be sweet, and the cooking boundaries that fence you in should come down. Because that’s where something truly delicious happens.
Here’s what you’ll do
Step 1: Cook the oats
We’ll used rolled oats here, but feel free to go with instant or steel cut (they’re all the same ingredient, oats, just processed differently). Cook according to the instructions on the package if going those routes. Rather than cooking the oats with any sugar, we’ll just use a pinch of salt – these are savory oats after all!
Step 2: Cook the egg(s)
I went with a poached egg for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite egg style here. Fried or soft boiled would both work great!
Step 3: Top it like it’s hot
Top it with sliced avocado, a heap of shredded parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and ground black pepper. You can also through on your favorite herbs, hot sauce, or any other savory ingredients hiding away in your fridge
Looking for more ways to enjoy oats?
- Slow Cooker Butternut Steel Cut Oats
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Coffee and Oat Smoothie
- How to Make Overnight Oats
- Quinoa Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup water 236 mL
- ½ cup rolled oats 60 g
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg more if you're hungrier!
- ½ avocado pitted, peeled, and sliced
- 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese 15 g
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 5 g
- pinch of ground pepper
Instructions
- Oats: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add oats and a pinch of salt, cover, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for 5 minutes. After cooking, remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
- Eggs: To poach egg, bring another pot of water to a simmer, then reduce heat so there are no bubbles but water is still hot. Crack your egg into a small bowl, then gently transfer the egg into the hot water. Poach for about 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon*. (Not a fan of poached eggs? Flat fried and soft boiled also work!)
- Serve: Spoon oatmeal into a serving bowl. Top with poached egg, sliced avocado, parmesan, parsley, and pepper. Serve warm.
Tips & Tricks
- *Need help poaching an egg? My boy Jamie Oliver has a great tutorial on a few different easy methods here.
- This does not store well, so it’s best to enjoy it right after cooking.
Mama says
I’ve had this a couple times for breakfast and it is delicious! Your sister even liked it when I made it for her 🙂
Saber says
Amazing!!!!! Eating it right now. Had to comment on how delicious it is. Thank you!!!
Sarah says
Ah, so happy to hear, Saber!! 😀
Hungyman says
very nice
Allison says
I actually switched the water for 1/2 chicken broth 1/2 water and it was AMAZING!!!
lisa says
Have made this with both rolled oats and steel cut oats. Feels good in my tummy, and love the creamy combination! Got it from the 21-day vegetarian menu.
Dawn says
Lol…I make this all the time…I thought I was the only one that made weird things like this…I love it!!