Red Miso Congee

Congee is an incredibly comforting, savory porridge of broken or day-old rice and either water or broth, served across Asia. And I mean across: from Thailand and Vietnam to China and Korea, Singapore and India to Vietnam and Japan- it's everywhere. There are so many variations, the possibilities are endless. The best part- you can make this as simple or topping-full as you like.

If you're looking for a more traditional Thai (non-vegan) version of congee, click here.

---

Red miso congee [vegan]

[1 large serving, 2 small servings]

Ingredients

¾ c. leftover cooked rice

2 c. water (or more)

1” knob ginger, peeled and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shiitake mushroom (fresh, or dried and soaked), diced

1 crushed Thai chili (if desired)

½ tsp. miso (I like red)

¼ tsp. veggie base (Better than Bullion)

Salt or soy sauce to taste

~Veggies~

1 c. diced veggies or mushrooms*

3 tbs. water

1 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. garlic powder

~Toppings~

Peanuts

Cilantro

Green onions

Lime juice (¼ lime squeezed)

Diced shallot

Fried garlic or shallot

Chili garlic or chili crisp

Furikake

*Stick to quick-steamed veggies: zucchini, edamame, asparagus, broccoli (cut small),

onions, peppers, mushrooms

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, add rice, 1 ½ c. water, ginger, garlic, shiitake, miso and veggie base. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.

2. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. While the congee is simmering, prepare veggies/mushrooms.

   1. To a small nonstick pan, add veggies/mushrooms, water, soy sauce and garlic.

   2. Turn heat to medium and cover with a lid. Steam over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes, until veggies are tender.

4. After 10 minutes of simmering, check the congee. Most of the water will have soaked into the rice. Add an additional ½ c. water now, and stir to combine. You can always cook down more, adding water as you cook for a more broken down and soupy consistency.

5. Simmer an additional 5-8 minutes, until rice has broken down and the consistency is that of a thick porridge, adding more water as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. I added about ¼ c. more water right before I pulled it off the heat, to create the consistency I wanted, similar to the consistency of oatmeal.

6. Salt or soy sauce to taste and add veggies and your favorite toppings.

Var så god!