One-Pot Wonders

Overnight Miso Porridge

March  6, 2021
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

Miso might seem like a strange addition to porridge, but it actually makes sense on a lot of levels. For one thing, miso soup is often eaten for breakfast in Japan. For another, letting the miso sit in the oats overnight pre-digests some of their starch, making them taste sweeter. The subtle miso flavor brings oats to a whole new level of comfort food. —linzarella

Test Kitchen Notes

With just the right balance of savory and sweet, linzarella's miso-infused oatmeal is both comfortingly familiar and completely unconventional. The earthy tang of the miso is a surprising complement to the hearty steel cut oats; the flavors are rounded out with a large knob of butter and a spoonful of honey. The technique couldn't be easier: you simmer the oats briefly in water, add the miso and go to bed. In the morning, you just reheat and add the butter and honey. This porridge is somewhat loose -- if you prefer it less so, simmer it for a few minutes longer either before you add the miso, or while you're reheating it. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup steel cut oats
  • 2 cups water
  • 1-2 tablespoons sweet white miso paste
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 handful toasted walnuts, chopped
Directions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the oats and the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. [Editor's note: The longer you simmer the porridge, the thicker it will be. You can also thicken it the next morning when you reheat it.]
  2. When they are cool enough to hold your finger in the pot for 10 seconds, spoon 1/4 cup of oats into a small bowl. Add the miso to the bowl and stir well to combine. Pour the miso-oat mixture back into the saucepan and stir to combine. Leave overnight.
  3. In the morning, heat the oats gently until steaming but not boiling. Stir in honey, butter, and walnuts before serving.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Merrin Ruck
    Merrin Ruck
  • sjgoldman
    sjgoldman
  • deanna1001
    deanna1001
  • marynn
    marynn
  • frydelsu
    frydelsu

24 Reviews

Maura January 18, 2015
Flavor is great, but water to oats ratio is off- it's much more soupy than porridge-y. Would use about half the amount of water listed.
 
liz A. February 28, 2017
you're totally right! we've recently updated the recipe to reflect this ;)
 
Merrin R. January 11, 2015
I have never seen "sweet" white miso. I have seen white miso. Is there a difference. This could be my new breakfast!
 
linzarella January 12, 2015
Hi Merrin, "sweet white miso" is the same thing as "white miso." I hope you like it!
 
i.m. August 25, 2013
Sounds yummy - would it work with buckwheat or another gluten free porridge?
 
linzarella August 25, 2013
yes, I'm sure it would work well with any grain.
 
Ascender May 19, 2013
Brilliant recipe. I've made overnight steel cut oats for ages, but adding the miso is a lovely variant. I suspect that the miso improves digestibility of the oats as well as assimilation of the nutrients.

I also like the care you used to make sure not to pasteurize the miso by adding it when the oats are too warm or over-heating the cereal in the morning. Probiotics are our friends and miso is rich in them.
 
sjgoldman March 11, 2012
I made this a few weeks ago; really delicious (though I had to work with regular oats instead of steel-cut).

Any thoughts on how to add more protein instead of nuts to it? (I tend to function better w/eggs or other protein in the morning, and tons of soy, beyond a little miso or soy sauce, doesn't agree with me.)
 
linzarella March 11, 2012
You could take it in a more savory direction, adding a poached or fried egg, and drizzling on some sesame oil instead of the honey. Or you could add pumpkin seeds, although if you didn't want to add nuts you probably don't want to add seeds either.
 
deanna1001 February 19, 2012
Tried this and love the flavor, but it was really soupy. I simmered it last night for 10 minutes based on the review, but not enough I guess. Will try again and perhaps cook while stirring for more like 15 minutes the night before...
 
linzarella February 19, 2012
Since posting this recipe a while ago, I've changed my technique somewhat, and the result is a lot thicker. The night before, I bring the oats and water to a boil, then cook, uncovered, at a simmer for 10 or 20 minutes. Then I proceed with the recipe as posted. Hope this helps!
 
deanna1001 February 19, 2012
Sounds promising. I'll give it a whirl...thanks.
 
marynn November 6, 2011
My Daylight Standard Time November Sunday morning breakfast. Superb!
 
frydelsu September 11, 2011
Very interesting! I will have to try this for sure.
 
dannyboy February 23, 2010
this... THIS is the kind of hearty and healthy but clever, anti-lame food that makes me tingle.
 
NakedBeet February 21, 2010
I love this combination and I'll definitely have to try this overnight method now.
 
braiseandbutter February 19, 2010
I am COMPLETELY intrigued by this. i love my steel cut oats but have been a bit bored with my formula lately. thanks for this!
 
linzarella February 18, 2010
Mrslarkin, you should definitely try it again with the sweet white miso paste. I once made the mistake of using the darker stuff, and it was definitely not my thing.
 
mrslarkin February 21, 2010
I will! I'm going to look for it tomorrow.
 
mrslarkin February 23, 2010
Okay! I got sweet white miso. So much better! Still an acquired savory taste, but I'll make it again for sure. The flavor of this miso reminds me of Parmigiano. Maybe I'll stick some into my risotto next time!
 
linzarella February 23, 2010
Ooh, risotto! That is such a cool idea. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! Maybe it would be good with little flecks of dried nori and some baby shiitake mushrooms...
 
mrslarkin February 18, 2010
Made this last week. I only had Hearty Brown Rice Miso paste in the house, and it was very potent. Will have to try this again with sweet white miso paste, which I'm guessing is milder?
 
gluttonforlife February 10, 2010
This looks wonderful! It's going to get folded into my morning repertoire...
 
CASJ February 10, 2010
This has so many things I like - can't wait to try it.