It happened again…
I got the covid.
COVID??
Anyway.
I got it.
The double lines showed up (not pregnancy, peeps) and I thought what how who??
Maybe from going out dancing for my friend’s birthday after a long day at the zoo, possibly from my sister who’s gotten sick EIGHT times this school year from her germy (yet cute) first grade class, or perhaps the covid ferry just decided it was my turn to be under the weather again. <– what a saying ha
Good thing I can embrace the whole homebody lifestyle with little complaint.
Who needs human contact anyway?
And thankfully the VID itself wasn’t too terrible—I was able to work from my apartamento (minus the cooking class I had to skip out on, tear), start and finish a light-hearted drama novel about 800 grapes plus a British fiance with a secret daughter who loves lemon chocolate chip pancakes, go on many sunny walks, nap many sweaty naps, and cook up a literal storm, being under the weather and all.
I had been wanting to try my hand at congee (savory Chinese rice porridge) for a whileee so I figured this was the perfect time to do so.
I was (still am, sigh) sick, and I had the time afterall.
Now my version probably isn’t entirely authentic, but it’s close enough (and tasty), which matters most to me at the end of the day.
All you have to do is simmer a wee bit of rice in a large amount of liquid aka vegetable broth + water for a long amount of time, then stir in fresh ginger, crushed chili or red pepper flakes, frozen peas for a bit of veg action, liquid aminos, and white miso for a lot of scrumptious savory flavor.
Spoon up a cozy bowl then top her off with sauteed shiitake mushrooms, toasted sesame oil, thinly sliced scallions, and sesame seeds.
We’re about to make Goldilocks jealous…
P.S. The very first time I made this recipe I used mushroom broth instead of vegetable broth, which seemed to work pretty well. Although long grain brown rice will do, it takes much longer to cook and break down than white rice.
P.P.S. Make sure to use a large enough cooking vessel and/or a small enough burner so your pot of goo doesn’t boil over! No one wants to clean that mess.
P.P.P.S. I add my flavors at the end so they stay, well, flavorful, and don’t get all muddied up in the long cooking process. Miso isn’t meant to be boiled anyway… from what I’ve heard. So be gentle!
P.P.P.S. Want lots of leftovers, or feeding a crowd? Whip up a double, or dare I say, triple batch. Might as well. And yeah it probably freezes alright too. You can add an extra splash of broth when you’re reheating leftovers if you’d like, since it tends to thicken up more when chilled.
Easy Vegan Congee
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white jasmine rice
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth (high-quality)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons microplaned fresh ginger
- Red pepper or chili flakes, to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons liquid aminos or low sodium tamari
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste (use gluten-free brand for gluten-free recipe)
Mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil or avocado oil
- 2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
Toppings
- Toasted sesame oil
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Sesame seeds or sesame salt (Gomasio), depending on saltiness of congee
Instructions
- Prep the rice. Put the rice in a medium-sized bowl with enough warm water to completely cover. Mix the rice around with your hands then drain off the water. Repeat three to four more times with fresh water, or until the water is no longer cloudy.
- Place the prepped rice in a medium-large pot with the vegetable broth and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover with a lid and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 1 hour, leaving the lid on the pot. Stir once or twice during the cooking process.
- Remove the rice from heat and crack the lid, then let the rice sit for 15 minutes, allowing some more moisture to evaporate, and the congee to thicken.
- While the rice is resting, heat a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, swirl to coat, then add the mushrooms in a single layer. Let the mushrooms cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, then stir and continue cooking until softened, about 3 minutes more. Set aside.
- Remove the congee lid, then bring the rice back to a simmer.
- Add the ginger, red pepper flakes, and frozen peas. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are hot.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in the liquid aminos (or tamari) and miso. Stir until everything is well-incorporated. Taste, and adjust if you'd like.
- Spoon the congee into bowls, then top with the mushrooms, toasted sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds or sesame salt.