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This Congee soup recipe is a basic congee with a turkey (or chicken) soup base, long-grain rice and served with shredded, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, finely sliced ginger root, chopped scallions (green onion), and seasoned with fine salt and ground white pepper. This comforting, nutritious soup can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is perfect during cold weather and to soothe you when you are under the weather! (dairy-free/non-dairy, gluten-free, vegetarian option)

Congee

Hi Everyone, I am pleased to share with you a soup recipe that has been passed down from my maternal grandmother, to my mom, and to me, Congee soup.

In my family, this soup is often made after a holiday celebration like Thanksgiving or Christmas when there's a lot of turkey or chicken meat and bones left over to make a nourishing bone broth as the soup's base.

I grew up having this wonderful, nourishing soup recipe as far as I can remember. The version I know is a Cantonese version. It can be eaten any time of year but it's especially good in the winter and when you are sick.

a simple soup recipe with endless customization

This version of it is the basic version that I grew up with a rice soup (like a porridge/gruel using a chicken or turkey soup base, made as a bone broth but you can use stock too or even make it vegetarian with vegetable stock). It is seasoned with fine salt and white pepper and chopped scallions, shredded iceberg lettuce, and finely chopped ginger. It is also popular to serve it with sliced Chinese crullers.

I have seen it served with preserved duck eggs and pork slices as well. When I am getting it from a cafe in the past, I love having pork or beef wontons in it which makes for a hearty and satisfying soup!

It can be customized in so many ways with your favorite ingredients! I would love to hear in the comments below how you would customize it or would you have my basic version? Would you add an egg, mushrooms (for example, Shittake mushrooms are nice), or, sliced beef, perhaps?

This is made right on the stovetop in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (with a lid) but translates well to the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or even a Crock-Pot (slow cooker) if you prefer.

Q & A

What is congee?

According to Wikipedia:

Congee or conjee (/ˈkɒndʒiː/ KON-jee) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. When eaten as plain rice congee, it is most often served with side dishes. When additional ingredients such as meat, fish, and flavourings are added while preparing the congee, it is most often served as a meal on its own, especially for people who are ill. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation. Despite its many variations, it is usually a thick porridge of rice largely disintegrated after prolonged cooking in water.

Source: Wikipedia

How do you say "congee"?

I am most familiar with Cantonese congee and pronounce it, "Con-GEE" however, it's a soup that is made in several variations in many countries all over the world and maybe called by different names in different languages.

Who invented congee?

It is believed that Congee comes from China, from the Zhou dynasty in 1,000 B.C.

According to the Washington Post:

The earliest reference to congee that Meyer-Fong found dates it to the Han dynasty, circa 206 B.C. to A.D. 220, but Yin-Fei Lo maintains that congee's origins go back further, to approximately 1,000 B.C., during the Zhou dynasty.

Source: Washington Post

What does congee taste like?

The congee soup base is very basic and bland but in a good way, because it serves as the perfect, wholesome, and nutritious backdrop for the fresh ingredients of freshly chopped ginger root, iceberg lettuce, and scallions (green onion). The fine salt and white pepper are added when serving and then mixed in. The soup itself tastes like rice and the meat or poultry that it's made with which is usually chicken or turkey.

What kind of rice is used in congee?

Long-grain rice is usually used but other kinds of rice can be used. Jasmine, Basmati (if you use Basmati, I suggest pulsing it in a food processor before using it, to get it to break down better), or even short-grain rice is good in congee as well. The rice gets broken down during the cooking process, so it doesn't keep its original shape.

Brown rice is less common to be used but it can be. It does take longer to cook and break down to make the soup when using brown rice.

What ratio of rice to water do you need to make congee?

The texture of congee can vary depending on how you like it and it can be anywhere between 1:7 (thicker texture), 1:8, 1:9, or even 1:10 (for a thinner texture).

Remember that the longer that it cooks, the more water the rice absorbs and the thicker the texture the soup will be.

Generally, I will fill my large soup pot and just simmer the congee until it's the perfect consistency and "ready."

When is congee served?

Congee can be served as a savory breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I have had it for every meal. It's such great comfort food and easily digestible.

Ingredients

I include Amazon affiliate links (#CommissionEarned) for the recipe ingredients and kitchen tools in the recipe card at the end of the post to help you if you are trying to source the ingredients. For the fresh ingredients, I suggest getting them from your local farmers market, CSA (community supported agriculture) share, Asian food market, or local grocery store - make sure your fresh ingredients are as fresh as you can get them!

Soup base

• turkey or chicken carcass (with bones and meat)
• long-grain white rice
• water

Toppings (for serving)

• iodized salt or any fine salt - best for soups
• finely ground white pepper
• shredded iceberg lettuce
• finely chopped fresh ginger root
• chopped scallions (green onion)

Kitchen Tools

I affiliate link to the kitchen tools that I use below (or as similar as I can find) #CommissionEarned

• measuring spoons and cups
• wet measure
• rice cooker, to make the rice
• Chef's knife - this is the Farberware knife set that is most similar to the one that I have
• cutting board
• colander (for washing greens)
• a vegetable peeler or small spoon, for peeling the ginger root - Here's my favorite OXO peeler set
• compost bucket, for food scraps (optional, if you compost)
• large soup pot or Dutch oven with a lid (for the stovetop) - I use the All-Clad 6508 SS Copper Core 5-Ply Bonded Dishwasher Safe Stockpot/Cookware, 8-Quart, Silver
• soup ladle, for serving
• soup bowls
• wonton soup spoons

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Step-by-Step Photos

I have included several step-by-step photos of how to make this congee recipe to help you along when making the recipe below.

These photos illustrate how to make this recipe using a turkey carcass (bones) and leftover meat after a holiday dinner.

Of course, if you use a broth base or just water to go a vegetarian route then the method will look different for you.

I include the instructions and the full, printable recipe is at the bottom of the post.

I included photos showing how to make a bone broth soup base which makes the soup so hearty, healthy, and nutritious.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for complete instructions.

Bone broth vs. Stock vs. Broth

• Bone broth is simmered for 8 hours on the stovetop using the turkey or chicken carcass/bones (or 3-4 hours in the pressure cooker). It has a higher gelatin content.
• Regular stock is simmered for a long period of time but not as long as bone broth.
• Regular Broth is thinner and lighter and does not contain any or very little collagen as compared to bone broth and stock.

You will need to decide which one you want to use for this recipe.

1. Make the Rice: In a rice cooker, add 2 cups of washed, long-grain white rice and water. Set to white rice setting and allow to cook until done (see the notes)

Check out our How to Make Rice in a Rice Cooker post for more detailed instructions on cooking rice.

2. Make the Bone Broth or Regular Stock or Broth: In an 8-quart pot, fill it with water leaving the room from the top for the displacement of water when you add the turkey carcass, bring the water and carcass to boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cover. If you are making bone broth, you will need to cook it for 10-12 hours. If you are making just a regular stock, you can boil it for 6-8 hours. If you are making, a simple broth, you can boil it for 3-4 hours. When it's done, turn off the heat and remove it from the heat. Set up a colander over another large pot or large mixing bowl (large enough to hold all the liquid). Carefully, pour the contents over the mesh strainer to separate the liquid from the bones and meat. When the bones and meat are cool enough to handle, go through and separate the bones from the meat. Discard the bones and inedible pieces. Use a fat separator and pour the liquid broth, remove the fat. Alternately, you can chill the broth in the refrigerator long enough for the fat to solidify and then spoon it off.

3. Make the congee soup: Add the cooked rice (I give a range for the amount of rice so that you can add as much or as little as you want, you might end up with more or less broth after the cooking process, it's okay to have some extra rice leftover if you prefer to have it thinner) to the prepared soup broth and stir. Simmer until the rice is broken down and creates a "porridge" and is evenly distributed throughout the soup. You will need to stir the soup as it cooks every so often. It will take from 30 minutes to an hour for it to cook or longer if you prefer. The texture should be smooth and creamy. If it gets too thick, remember you can always add water to thin the soup out.

4. Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into a bowl, add shredded iceberg lettuce, finely chopped scallions, and thinly sliced ginger. Season with fine salt and white pepper. I find that it tastes even better on the 2nd day. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Please note: This congee recipe is ideal for those who have leftover turkey or chicken and want to make congee by making a homemade stock soup base. There are several other ways to make congee that does not have as many variables.
• To make this congee recipe vegetarian or vegan: You can use plain water (you'll want to add some salt to season the soup base) or vegetable broth instead of bone broth.
• Additional Topping options: You can add ingredients like a drizzle of soy sauce or sesame oil to season the congee, sliced beef or pork, fish (de-boned), dumplings/wontons, and Chinese crullers either to dip or sliced on top to mix in.

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If you make this recipe and like it, please give it a rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

Thank you for reading and following along!

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• This recipe was photographed on 12/2021 and first published on 1/3/2022