Rice Congee
Slow-simmered rice porridge, finished with scallion, fresh ginger, a swirl of soy, and toasted sesame oil.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 150 g Jasmine rice
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Ginger (optional)
- 2 Scallions (optional)
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice. Cut half the ginger into coins for the pot and the rest into fine matchsticks for serving; thinly slice the scallions.
- Bring the rice and ginger coins to a boil with plenty of water and the salt, then drop to a low simmer.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until silky and broken down, about 45 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and pile on the sliced scallion and ginger matchsticks, then swirl over the soy and drizzle with sesame oil.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Rice Congee
Plain rice congee is a porridge born from restraint and time. Rice and ginger simmer together with plenty of water, not broth—the water is the point here, because it's going to carry every subtle flavor while remaining neutral enough to support whatever toppings and sauces you choose. Over forty-five minutes of gentle cooking, the rice breaks down completely, the grains losing their structure and becoming a silken mass that coats the roof of your mouth. The ginger infuses throughout, warming without asserting itself too forcefully.
Congee occupies a unique place in Chinese cooking as both breakfast and recovery food, the bowl you eat when you want something nourishing that asks almost nothing of your digestive system. The finish—a scatter of scallion, a splash of sesame oil, and a dash of soy sauce—awakens what might otherwise read as understated, adding brightness and umami. It's vegan, nearly flavorless, and deeply satisfying all at once. This is slow food in the truest sense: you can't rush it, but once you've eaten a proper bowl of congee, you understand why it's been feeding people for centuries. The method seems to reward patience; the longer you simmer, the more the rice integrates into the liquid, until there's no distinction between porridge and broth.
Rice Congee: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Rice Congee?
One serving of Rice Congee has about 140 calories, with 3g of protein, 31g of carbs, 0g of fat and 1g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Rice Congee gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Rice Congee take to make?
About 60 minutes start to finish, but only around 12 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Rice Congee?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out ginger, scallions, light soy sauce — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Rice Congee make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.