Congee: Traditional Asian Feel-Better Soup
Congee (AKA jook or rice porridge) is a tasty, therapeutic soup that you can eat morning and night. It’s the essential recovery food and simple to make!
Chinese medicinal soups have been used as medicine for thousands of years. Acupuncturists love to recommend soup, and congee is the queen of all Chinese medicine soups. Wonder why? See our blog post about soup and why acupuncturists love soup so much!
Because congee is cooked with so much water it helps moisten the fluids of the stomach and intestines, which can become depleted with stress, age, and chronic illness. Congee is particularly good for babies, anyone ill or recuperating from prolonged or serious disease, for people feeling weak or having diarrhea, or simply lost their appetites.
Basic Congee
Ingredients
1/4 c. rice
Chinese herbs for porridge (optional)
2 1/2 c. broth or water
1 tsp sea salt
Garnish: green onion, pickled greens, black sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, walnut oil, hot sauce
Directions
Put all the ingredients except the garnish in a saucepan with a lid. Set on your stove’s burner on medium high and bring to a rolling boil, then lower heat to simmer, cover with lid.
Check the pot every 20 minutes or so. Simmer for1-2 hrs stirring regularly. If the porridge becomes dry, wants to stick, or too thick, stir in 1/2 c. or so cold water and cook more.
Your porridge is ready when your grains are broken down and you have a nice thick oatmeal-like consistency.
Alternately, use your slow cooker with 1/2 c. grains, ~5 c. hot water/broth, and a pinch of salt. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, checking regularly and stirring.
Garnish for therapeutic effect and to taste.
Here’s a charming video that shows you how to make an even faster congee!
Want more recipes? Here’s one of my very favorite congee articles. Enjoy!
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