The first time I tasted congee was while we were transiting through Hong Kong airport years ago. My daughter was sick and couldn’t keep anything down, congee was the only food in the airport that seemed mild enough to give her without making her condition worse (no the toppings of course).
Congee is basically a simple overcooked rice in stock and a little salt n pepper. Then garnished with delicious toppings to add tons of flavors. Without the garnishes it can be pretty bland and boring. Anyways for a sick child I thought it was something comforting. Fortunately the congee stayed down and she started to feel better on the flight back to the U.S, thankfully. Trust me you don’t want to have a sick child throwing up on a 11 hour flight.
Back to the congee. Since that time I love to eat this porridge on chilly mornings or as a midday meal specially in the winter months. Everytime time I’m traveling in Asia this is my favorite breakfast because it’s made so well out there. I recognize most places in Asia make it with pork broth so I’m always careful while ordering.
I make this recipe with oats for a wholesome healthier option. It turned out just as good as the traditional rice version and has a nice toothsome texture while still having the soothing comforting effects of eating congee + the cholesterol reducing health benefits.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups water or veggie/ chicken stock or use half-half each
- 1 cup organic Bob’s Redmill quick cooking oats
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper as needed
Topping Suggestions
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- 1 egg (Soft boiled, poached egg) per person or a few pieces of medium firm tofu if vegan
- 4 Sautéed shiitake mushrooms in a little sesame oil, 1 whole mushroom per person
- 2 inch piece ginger, julienned
- Crispy fried garlic or onions (optional)
- Handful of baby spinach steamed or sautéed in sesame oil
- 4 whole green onion finely chopped or chives
- Sesame seeds or roasted peanuts as needed
- Flavorful chili oil as needed
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- Soak the oatmeal in 2 cups of water or broth overnight refrigerated. Next morning add the remaining water or broth, salt and pepper to a sauce pan.Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes , stirring frequently till the porridge starts to thicken to the consistency you like. 20 minutes for thinner, 30 minutes for thicker porridge. The congee will thicken further as it cools.
- Serve with plenty of chopped green onions, sliced ginger, some protein, and other toppings suggested on the list. I like a little of each (all of them) for a delicious authentic Chinese vegetarian congee.
- ** this is also good with cooked chicken if you want to make it for supper or snack. simply add cooked chicken shredded chicken breast
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