Real talk: oats are cool.

The humble oat has been the breakout star of simple social media recipes over the past few years, with classic porridge with fun toppings, overnight oats and baked oats more akin to cakes than breakfast taking over #FoodTok.

While savoury oats definitely aren't new - just look to traditional Chinese dishes like congee, Japanese okayu or Korean juk - Google searches for the breakfast trend have increased by 80% over the past year. On social media, recipes tagged with #SavouryOatmeal have had over 400K views on TikTok, so it's safe to say savoury porridge should very much be on your trend hit list in 2023.

While berries, nut butter and yoghurt might have been de rigueur before now, the internet is switching sweet toppings for savoury ones and it's all very exciting. It's like a breakfast hybrid: eggs and avo, bacon and maple syrup, but instead of a slab of buttered toast you've got a bowl of warming porridge. But how do you create the perfect bowl of savoury porridge? Well, that's where we're here to help with five easy tips on living your best savoury oatmeal life.

Create a savoury base with stock

As with all good porridge, the first thing you need to think about is the base. If you're making sweet porridge, it's likely you'll use milk or water to cook your oats. You can still use milk or water for your savoury oats if you like (just don't use any sweetened dairy milk alternatives like sweetened almond milk), but if you want to add an extra level of flavour then a little chicken or vegetable stock works wonders. Simply dissolve your stock cube in around 250-350ml of boiling water (depending on how soupy you like your oats) and use as you would water or milk.

Top with all the eggs

One of the best ways to make savoury porridge sing is with an egg. Anything with a runny yolk works well as it mixes into the oats, making them super creamy and indulgent. You could poach eggs to have with porridge cooked in stock and topped with lime-dressed avo, sriracha sauce and toasted sesame seeds, soft boil an egg to slice open and serve with soy and chilli oil drenched oats with chopped spring onions, or even fry an egg until crispy alongside garlicky mushrooms and fresh parsley for a mushrooms-on-toast themed bowl.

Switch fruit for vegetables

This might seem obvious, but the key to nailing your savoury porridge is switching out those raspberries and blueberries for your favourite veg instead. Think stirring in spinach, chopped cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs before topping with a poached egg and smoked salmon, or topping with pre-roasted miso marinated sweet potatoes and kale with a spoonful of pickled ginger and fresh chillies.

Add in some spices

If you've ever been to Dishoom (or India, for that matter) you'll know that the same spices you use in your Friday night curry taste absolutely *fire* in breakfast dishes. Simmer your oats with a pinch of turmeric and some garam masala and top with fried paneer and spinach and a fried egg for a saag paneer inspired breakfast. Or, go for kedgeree vibes by adding curry powder, turmeric, fresh coriander, smoked fish and soft boiled eggs with jammy yolks.

Use up leftovers

One of the best things about savoury oats is that you can use the leftovers from your dinner for breakfast! Leftover roasted veg from your Sunday roast taste great chopped up on top of bubble and squeak-themed oats with a fried egg and fresh herbs, and leftover soy-based dipping sauces from your Chinese-inspired feast taste brilliant too.