Savoury Oats with Silken Tofu & Shiitake Mushrooms

Winter can be a wonderful time to move away from predominantly cold and raw foods and embrace warm, grounding meals that are nourishing and supportive of digestion.

In Ayurveda, winter is traditionally associated with a stronger Agni — our digestive fire — as the body draws heat inward to maintain warmth. But certain habits can still dampen this inner fire. During the colder months, Ayurveda encourages us to favour warm, cooked foods, nourishing meals and warming spices to support digestion and keep Agni burning steadily.

Think warming soups and stews, cooked vegetables, whole grains, well-cooked legumes, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. Warm the body. Nourish the gut. Support your digestive fire.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (Red Tractor) or steel-cut oats — more chew and texture, these take longer to cook but are less processed
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 150g organic silken tofu — extra protein source
• 1–2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2cm knob of ginger, grated
• 1 heaped tsp miso
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 zucchini, chopped, or grated pumpkin
• A handful of shiitake mushrooms, sliced (fresh, or dried and soaked in hot water to soften)
• ½ bunch bok choy, chopped and added at the last minute
• 1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• Bean sprouts, for crunch
• A drizzle of tamari, to serve
• Fresh coriander and/or chilli flakes, to garnish

Method

1. 1Sauté the garlic, ginger and turmeric in 1 teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil for 1 minute.
2. 2Add the oats and miso to 500ml of water in a small–medium pot and bring to a simmer. Add more water if needed.
3. 3Add the zucchini and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Cook until everything is tender.
4. 4Add the bok choy and stir through.
5. 5Top with bean sprouts, coriander and chilli.
6. 6Drizzle with tamari and sesame oil.

Why it’s good for you

Oats contain beta-glucans, known to help lower cholesterol, and are a complex carbohydrate that supports satiety and sustained energy. However, oats aren't a complete high-protein food on their own — a standard 40g serve has around 5–6g of protein. To boost the protein here, I've added tofu, which is high in calcium and phytoestrogens especially suited to perimenopausal women, along with chia seeds, rich in omega-3s.

Shiitake mushrooms contain beta-glucans — unique fungal polysaccharides that have been studied for their potential immunomodulatory properties. Others, including maitake, turkey tail and reishi, are medicinal and culinary mushrooms increasingly used as part of supportive cancer care.

Vitamin D: UV-exposed shiitake can contain meaningful amounts of vitamin D2, although ordinary mushrooms may contain little.