Vegetarian Congee
A deeply comforting and simple rice porridge, simmered slowly in vegetable broth until thick and creamy. This versatile dish serves as a perfect canvas for savory toppings like shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and scallions.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Per serving
- 345 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, gluten, sesame, and soy. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 1 cupjasmine rice, rinsed
- 2,000 mlvegetable broth
- 30 gdried shiitake mushroom, rehydrated and sliced
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspwhite pepper, ground
base
- 15 gginger, peeled and julienned
garnish
- 2 pcsscallion, thinly sliced
- 5 gginger, peeled and finely julienned
- 2 tbspfried shallot
- 1 tbspsesame oil, toasted
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 4 pcsegg, soft-boiled(optional)
- 10 gcilantro, fresh leaves(optional)
Equipment
fine-mesh sieve · ladle · large pot · cutting board · knife
The method
Step by step
- 1
Place the jasmine rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Thoroughly rinsing the rice removes excess starch, which helps create a cleaner-tasting congee.
- 2
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the rinsed rice and the vegetable broth.
About 1 min
- 3
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from clumping.
About 7 min
- 4
Once boiling, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and the julienned ginger for the base.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: If you soaked dried mushrooms, you can add some of the flavorful soaking liquid to the pot for extra depth.
- 5
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 60-75 minutes.
About 1 hr 15 min
Cook’s note: Stir the congee every 15-20 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- 6
The congee is ready when the rice grains have mostly broken down and the consistency is thick and creamy.
Cook’s note: If the congee becomes too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of hot water or broth to loosen it.
- 7
Turn off the heat and stir in the salt and ground white pepper.
About 1 min
- 8
Ladle the hot congee into serving bowls.
About 2 min
- 9
Top each bowl with sliced scallions, fried shallots, the remaining ginger for garnish, and optional cilantro leaves and soft-boiled egg.
About 2 min
- 10
Drizzle with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil just before serving.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 345.3kcal
- Protein
- 13.4g
- Carbs
- 48.3g
- Fat
- 10.5g
- Fibre
- 1.6g
- Sugar
- 2.6g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover congee in an airtight container in the refrigerator, keeping toppings separate.
Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth to reach the desired consistency.
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