This savory oatmeal bowl is a quick-prep, easy meal for ANY time of the day!
Savory oatmeal
You know what they say about oats… it’s one amazing ingredient that is a true powerhouse! Oats make for a lot of flavor-packed breakfast recipes in our household. Even brunch and lunch too. We have tried all the different types of Quaker Oats out there, and my favorite is the old-fashioned while Mr K prefers the quick one minute oats (maybe because he’s a little lazy!) So if you love oats, what would you say about savory oatmeal? 🙂 Would you turn your nose up at the mere thought of it? 🙂 Well, if you’re the skeptical sort, I’m here to change your mind today! This Savory Oatmeal with Orange Chili Pork is without a doubt one of my favorite recipes for a hearty, invigorating brunch or lunch idea, and I know you’re going to love it too.
Savory breakfast ideas
You see, savory breakfasts aren’t a new thing for us because my husband and I both grew up eating savory breakfasts, and anything with a hint of sweetness before 5pm was a precious and rare thing for us as kids. Sri Lankan breakfast recipes (and most other places in South Asia) on most days consist of rice (or rice pancakes or rice porridge or noodles) and a savory side dish like a curry. This curried potato hash, pol roti (coconut roti), curried beef buns, roti canai (roti paratha), breakfast fried rice etc., are popular options. Since introducing oats to our breakfast, we have tried adding fruits, fruit syrups, brown sugar, almond butter, nuts etc. to our oats to make it more flavorful and exciting every day. We still LOVE eating oats in any form we can get to eat it – We have even made smoothies with oats. And then one day, I made a version of this savory oatmeal bowl and things have never been the same since! 🙂 This savory oatmeal bowl is inspired by Asian flavors. The oats are cooked in chicken stock, lemongrass and coconut milk for a wonderfully flavorful and creamy dish. The pork is cooked till it’s browned and a little crisp and then tossed in an orange and chili sauce that complement the creamy oatmeal so damn well! The crispy fried egg is optional, but oh so recommended! 🙂
Why I love this savory oatmeal recipe
This is a quick prep meal that’ll go well for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner! You can even skip the pork and make it strictly breakfast with lemongrass oatmeal and the fried egg OR add other wholesome ingredients to change it up. Either way, this is one of our favorite easy breakfast recipes. We love adding spinach or kale, or breakfast sausages to our savory oatmeal too. Like I said, this is a great canvass to try different options, so go ahead, get creative and make it your own! 🙂 Hard to think of a more delicious and hearty way to start your day!
Recipe video
The sweet and spicy orange chili sauce is something that I highly recommend because it goes so well with anything really. It’s super fast and easy to make, and works as a marinade for different kinds of meat. Savory oatmeal isn’t a new concept of course, but not many people seem to be sold by the idea yet. 🙂 But with those beautiful Asian flavors of lemongrass and coconut, and the orange chili sauce coated pork, the fried egg, and maybe some spring onions and a drizzle of honey mixed through with the creamy oatmeal, there’s a little bit for everyone here, and when you’re looking ahead at a cold, long day, this will hit the spot just right! If you liked this recipe don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address below or on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
