Scottish Savory Steel-Cut Oats with Poached Egg, Kale & Toasted Seeds
Creamy savory steel-cut oats topped with a runny poached egg, wilted kale and toasted seeds for a high-protein winter breakfast.
Best for Slow-release energy and cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan with real staying power
This is porridge the way it started in Scotland: made with pinhead oats, cooked with a good crust of salt and no sugar in sight. I build it into a proper savory bowl with wilted kale, sharp cheddar and a slick of toasted seeds, then crown it with a soft-poached egg so the yolk becomes the sauce. It eats like a warming winter supper but sets you up for a working morning, all beta-glucan fiber and slow-burning protein.
Ingredients
- 120 g steel-cut oats
- 600 ml water
- 4 g fine sea salt , plus more for the poaching water
- 100 g kale , stems removed, leaves torn
- 20 g Pumpkin seeds
- 15 g Sunflower seeds
- 40 g sharp cheddar cheese , finely grated
- 2 large eggs , fresh, for poaching
- 10 ml olive oil
- 15 ml White wine vinegar , for the poaching water
- 2 scallions , thinly sliced
- 1 g black pepper , to taste (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the steel-cut oats and salt. Drop to a low simmer and cook, stirring every few minutes so they don't catch, until thick, creamy and tender with a little bite — about 25 minutes. Add a splash more hot water if it stiffens before the oats are soft.
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2
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly popping, 3 to 4 minutes, then tip onto a plate. In the same skillet, warm the olive oil, add the torn kale with a pinch of salt and cook, tossing, until wilted and glossy, about 3 minutes.
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3
Poach the eggs: bring a wide pan of water to a bare simmer, add the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Crack each egg into a small cup and slip into the water, cooking gently until the whites are set but the yolks stay runny, 3 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and rest on paper towel.
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4
Stir the grated cheddar and wilted kale through the hot oats and check the seasoning. Divide between two warm bowls, top each with a poached egg, and finish with the toasted seeds, sliced scallions and plenty of black pepper. Break the yolk to let it run through as you eat.