High Protein Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Sesame Tofu, Spinach and Miso
Creamy soy milk oats with ginger, spinach and white miso, topped with crispy sesame-crusted tofu and green onion. A savory, filling vegan breakfast in 30 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Serves
- 2
High Protein Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Sesame Tofu, Spinach and Miso is a vegan breakfast recipe made with firm tofu, soy sauce, cornstarch. It takes 28 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes resting, serves 2, and each serving has 511 calories, 30 g of protein and 9 g of fiber.
Cooking the oats in soy milk and water makes them creamy without turning them sweet, and the soy milk adds protein. The miso goes in after the pot comes off the heat so it keeps its flavor. The tofu is coated in cornstarch and sesame seeds and pan-fried until crisp, which gives each spoonful something crunchy against the soft oats.
Ingredients
Crispy Sesame Tofu
- 7 oz198 gfirm tofu, pressed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce
- 2 tsp5.4 gcornstarch
- 1 tbsp9 gsesame seeds
- 1 tbsp14 gneutral oil
Miso Oats
- 1 cup81 gold-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup243 gunsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup237 gwater
- 1 clove3 ggarlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp2 gfresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cups60 gbaby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1½ tbsp26 gwhite (shiro) miso
- 1 tsp4.5 gtoasted sesame oil
To Serve
- 2 30 ggreen onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp3 gtoasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)
- 1 tsp6.3 gsriracha or chili crisp (optional)
Kit: nonstick skillet, small saucepan, kitchen towel, microplane or fine grater
Tips
- Don't let the oats boil once the miso is in. High heat dulls its flavor.
- Leave the tofu alone for the first few minutes in the pan so a crust forms before you turn it.
- Oats thicken as they sit, so keep them a little looser than you want them in the bowl.
Swap ideas
- Tamari instead of soy sauce
- Makes the dish gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats and a gluten-free miso.
- Kale instead of spinach
- More chew and an earthier flavor; add it with the oats so it has time to soften.
- Shelled edamame instead of half the tofu
- Faster, since there's nothing to press, and gives sweet pops of bean. Warm them in the oats for the last 2 minutes.
- Red miso instead of white
- Deeper, saltier and funkier. Start with 1 tbsp and add more to taste.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
511kcal per serving
Everything else · 2 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 3.3 g 16%
- Sugars
- 6.2 g
- Sodium
- 1020 mg 44%
- Potassium
- 832 mg 18%
- Calcium
- 949 mg 73%
- Iron
- 7 mg 39%
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg 13%
- Vitamin B12
- 1.04 µg 43%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Cornstarch, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried, Oil, canola, Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Soymilk, original and vanilla, with added calcium, vitamins A and D, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Garlic, raw, Ginger root, raw, Spinach, raw, Miso, Oil, sesame, salad or cooking, Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw
Method
Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press it under a heavy pan for 10 minutes to squeeze out excess water, then cut it into 3/4-inch cubes.
Toss the tofu cubes with the soy sauce until it soaks in. Sprinkle over the cornstarch and 1 tbsp sesame seeds, then toss gently until every cube is lightly coated.
Heat the neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook, turning every few minutes, until golden and crisp on most sides, 10–12 minutes. Lower the heat if the sesame seeds start to darken too fast.
While the tofu cooks, combine the oats, soy milk, water, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the oats are soft and creamy, 5–6 minutes.
Stir the spinach into the oats and cook just until wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Add a splash of water if the oats have become too thick.
Take the pan off the heat. Loosen the miso with a spoonful of the hot oats in a small bowl so it dissolves without lumps, then stir it back into the pot along with the sesame oil. Taste and add a little more miso if you want it saltier.
Divide the oats between two bowls and top with the crispy tofu, green onions, extra sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha or chili crisp, if using. Serve right away while the tofu is still crisp.
Storage: Refrigerate the oats and tofu in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat the oats with a splash of soy milk or water, and re-crisp the tofu in a dry skillet or air fryer for 3–4 minutes.
Questions
- How much protein is in high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso?
- Each of the 2 servings has 30 g of protein, 9 g of fiber and 511 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, so 28 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso ahead?
- Refrigerate the oats and tofu in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat the oats with a splash of soy milk or water, and re-crisp the tofu in a dry skillet or air fryer for 3–4 minutes.
- What can I substitute in high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso?
- Tamari instead of soy sauce — makes the dish gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats and a gluten-free miso.. Kale instead of spinach — more chew and an earthier flavor; add it with the oats so it has time to soften.. Shelled edamame instead of half the tofu — faster, since there's nothing to press, and gives sweet pops of bean. warm them in the oats for the last 2 minutes.. Red miso instead of white — deeper, saltier and funkier. start with 1 tbsp and add more to taste..
- Does high protein savory oatmeal with crispy sesame tofu, spinach and miso contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 26, 2026 ·Japanese-inspired
