Classic Congee Recipe

Congee is a magical, creamy rice porridge eaten across many Asian countries, including China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Because congee is so easy on your digestion, it is commonly eaten for breakfast or when you're feeling under the weather.

The porridge-like dish can be topped with a wide variety of ingredients, including meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, and kimchi. Sometimes, these additional flavorings are added to the rice itself while it simmers, while other times, they're served atop the rice. In its most basic form though, "congee" simply refers to rice that has been simmered in a large volume of water for a long time.

We love using this classic congee recipe as a blank canvas for nearly any savory topping you can imagine. Even the simplest version — like this one from Alexandra Shytsman of the healthy recipe blog The New Baguette — is super satisfying and comforting. A drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil, plus sesame seeds, scallions, and a soft-boiled egg, are all you need to turn this into a complete meal.

To make this classic congee, all you need is white rice, water, and salt. To add more flavor, you can cook the rice in broth instead of water, or use half water and half broth.

In a roomy pot, combine the rice, salt, and water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the flame to very low and gently simmer until the porridge is thick and creamy, about 45 minutes. Be sure to stir the congee at least every 10 minutes to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Serve the congee right away. Note that once it cools, it will thicken a bit. If you keep leftovers in the fridge, you can revive congee with a splash of extra water when reheating it.

We like to serve our congee simply, with soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallions, and a soft-boiled egg. Feel free to experiment with other toppings, like meat, seafood, tofu, or vegetables.