Faced with breakfast or lunchtime with nothing prepared but not quite enough hunger to commit to takeout?

Miso, among other sodium-packed soup bases, lasts a long time. As do oats. Between these staples, a protein source such as eggs or canned fish, and some scraps-worth of veggies, I have the building blocks for a nutrient-conscious meal to tide me over and make waiting for my next feast more bearable.

Consider the following conditions that would call for miso oatmeal, based on my lived experience, and all the possible combinations thereof that may arise in a given day:

1. Breakfast/lunch is approaching and I’ve got a kitchen before me that’s devoid of anything ready to eat.
2. Craving something savory; though body is not ready for a full-on MSG attack, would entertain a light flirtation with the glutamate persuasion.
3. Riding a “healthy” mood that a soup or salad cannot satisfy.
4. A sandwich that’s gone in a bite or two won’t do–I’d like a little extra time to digest and, dare I repeat, savor. Plus I’m prejudiced against remotely “healthy” sandwiches for their predilection towards blandness.
5. My mind’s run amok, so might we keep the post-mealtime mess at a minimum?

…Enter this quick and easy miso oatmeal concept! If you still hold reservations about savory oatmeal, there’s hope for you yet. May you find comfort in the fact that I was in your shoes for most all of my life, until I found myself hungry one afternoon with more miso paste than I knew what to do with.

Miso Oatmeal “Recipe”

Pro-tip: Want a surefire way to earn bestfriendhood from yourself? OK, I know that coming around to savory oats already demanded a giant mental leap from you, but what if I told you they’d also taste stellar as overnight oats, enjoyed cold or room-temp?: Just imagine parking at the trail on a misty morning, turning to your cup holder and cracking open that jar of layered goodness to release the scent of crunchy cool cucumber before mixing it into the miso madness underneath!

For the base:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats (Steel-cut oats are also a great option; mind different cooking times, and use the stove!, if you go this route.)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon aka miso paste, or to taste (For something less funky, try shiro miso or awase, a blend of red and white.)

For the toppings, in order of importance:

• several shakes of furikake to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped takuan (sweet pickled daikon), or to taste
• Soft-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced*
• 1/2 Persian cucumber, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped kimchi, or to taste
• Sesame oil to taste

*Happily substituted with your favorite oily tinned fish.

Place oats and salt in a microwave-safe bowl with water to cover. Cook, checking occasionally, until oatmeal is softened to your liking, 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Loosen the miso paste with a splash of hot water before blending into the cooked oats. We don’t introduce the miso till after the oats have cooked so as not to boil away the probiotics present in the miso because we want to retain any gut-beneficial properties!

To dress your miso oatmeal, sprinkle on generous shakings of your preferred furikake. Takuan adds firm, crunchy bites of sweetness with a hint of acidity, while cucumber counters the richness of the miso and plays natural accompaniment to the seaweed in the furikake.

Enjoy hot, room-temperature, or even cold if made overnight-oats style (which brings out a superior sweetness in the miso, believe it or not).