Savory Oats from a hotel Omelette Station

The prompt for today’s VeganMoFo19 is all about getting a hearty breakfast before a day of pounding the pavement in a new city. Several months ago I wrote a post on Vegan Dining Out and mentioned one trick I use at hotel breakfast bars, getting savory oats from the omelette station:

They usually always have oatmeal, fruit, peanut butter, and toast [at a hotel Continental breakfast]. But here’s my trick if they have an omelette station…Ask them to saute all the veggies in a pan without oil or pan spray! They’ll usually do it! The veggies are usually onions, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes, perfect for us. While they are cooking up my veggies, I get a big bowl of oatmeal, some salsa and hot sauce and when the veggies are ready, I dump them on my oats, top with sauces, and enjoy a steaming bowl of savory oatmeal—trust me, it’s the bomb!

This really is a great trick for getting a hearty, hot, whole food, plant-based breakfast at a hotel. But you can have savory oats if you’re staying in an apartment with a kitchen or at home too! Most people think sweet when they consider an oatmeal breakfast, but savory oats are a delicious change and great alternative to tofu scramble. I get questions all the time about what vegans can have for breakfast that’s savory, not sweet, hearty, and this is something I always suggest.

Making Savory Oats

Get your oatmeal started. I love steel cut oats, but you can use old-fashioned rolled oats as well. Or, heck, make a different grain altogether, like millet, barley, bulgar, buckwheat groats, etc. Millet, gluten-free oats, and buckwheat groats are great options if you’re looking to eat gluten-free. You could even use cooked cubed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or hash browns.

Chop up any veggies you want. Here are some great ideas:

• Onions (any color)
• Mushrooms (any type)
• Bell peppers (any color)
• Greens (spinach, kale, beet, collards, turnip, arugula, etc.)
• Fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, etc.)
• Tomatoes
• Summer squash (any type)
• Garlic

Start by doing a water or vegetable stock saute of your onions and garlic. Add mushrooms, peppers, and summer squash and saute until they are getting soft. Add in a couple handfuls of greens and stir until they are wilted. Toss in tomatoes and herbs. Season as you’d like.

Serve over the cooked grains with:

• Pico de Galllo
• Salsa
• Hot sauce
• Chopped avocado
• Fresh fruit

This really is a delicious breakfast you can have at home and most restaurants, even if they don’t have an omelette station. No vegan option on the breakfast menu? No problem, they probably have breakfast scrambles or omelettes. Simply order a bowl of steamy hot oatmeal without milk, cream, or brown sugar and ask if they would cook up just the veggies from one of the egg dishes and serve on the side. Request some salsa and hot sauce, a fruit plate, and you’re good to go! There’s no reason to go hungry and you’ll be set for a fabulous day of sightseeing, exploring, or whatever you have planned.