Recipe: Savory Carrot Dill Oatmeal (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free Option)

 

I think my tastes are changing a bit. I keep gravitating more and more toward savory breakfasts, meals I could also eat any time of day. This oatmeal is a successful experiment I conducted on a morning I really just wanted a bowl of savory porridge. But unlike many of my savory porridges, this doesn't require vegan specialty ingredients, and is adaptable to avoid all common allergens.

I went looking for a dill-flavored oatmeal recipe, and I didn't find one, but in the interest of full disclosure, I did take some inspiration from the savory golden oatmeal recipe over at From My Bowl when I came up with this.

Savory Carrot Dill Oatmeal
Serves: 1

1 teaspoon olive oil or vegan butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 minced garlic clove
1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 spring of dill, chopped (reserve a little for garnish)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (substitute oat milk or another plant-based milk if avoiding soy)
1/2 cup quick oats
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tahini (for topping)

Heat oil or vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add onion, bell pepper, and garlic with a dash of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. If they start to brown too much on you, add some broth.

When the onion, garlic, and pepper mixture is softened, add the carrot, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and most of the dill (reserve just a bit for garnish) with a bit more vegetable broth (just enough to help the seasonings distribute). Cook for a few minutes. If your carrots are as finely shredded as I tend to make mine, this shouldn't take long--maybe about 2 minutes--but make sure you don't have crunchy carrots because they aren't going to get much more of a chance to soften.

Add the remaining vegetable broth and soy milk, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. When boiling, turn heat back down to medium and add in your oats and another pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until it reaches your preferred consistency, but be aware that it will thicken somewhat as it stands.

Taste the oatmeal and season with more salt and pepper if needed, then transfer to a bowl. Drizzle tahini on top and garnish with reserved dill.