100% Vegan

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Mushroom Congee

A comforting meal that’s easy on the stomach.

Rice poridge topped with soy seasoned shiitake mushrooms, spring onion and white and black sesame seeds.

Serves : 1

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

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Congee, or a similar equivalent, is commonly fed to the sick in many cultures. And for good reason, cooked this way the rice is easily digested while also providing additional fluids, and the ginger provides a range of health benefits. That said, congee is much more than just a meal for the sick, it makes a great lunch or light meal for any day, one that is energising and comforting. Different toppings can be used to make the dish more substantial, this mushroom version being my favoured choice for lunch. I like my congee on the thinner and smoother side (achieved by using extra water and cooking for longer while stirring to break up the rice), but you can use less liquid for a thicker version, and/or avoid stirring too much to keep the grains intact if you’d prefer.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup rice (I generally use jasmine rice, but sushi rice works well too)
  • 2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock (500 ml)
  • About 1/4 inch piece of ginger
  • (optional) 2 dried shiitake mushrooms

For the toppings

  • 1 spring onion
  • White and black sesame seeds
  • Sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
  • Handful of shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • Vegetable oil for cooking

Method

Wash the rice by submerging it in cold water in a large bowl or saucepan, using your hand, mix the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water and repeat a few times, until the water is a bit clearer. Add the stock and dried shiitake mushrooms (if using) to a saucepan and heat over a medium-high heat, adding the rice once it starts to bubble. Stir the rice, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low (the stock should be actively bubbling without boiling over). Once the dried mushrooms have hydrated you can fish them out and slice them before putting them back in to make them easier to eat, but it’s fine to leave them whole. Peel the ginger and slice it into extremely thin slices, and then into batons as thin as you can (alternatively you can mince/grate the ginger), add the ginger to the rice and stir in. Cook the rice for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and give it a good stir, at this point you can adjust the congee to your preference, if you want a thicker result you can increase the heat and cook with the lid off, rapidly stir the congee if you want to break up the grains for a smoother result and stir in additional water and cook with the lid on if the congee is too thick for you. Continue cooking until you are happy with the congee, the rice should be completely soft.

While the congee is cooking, prepare the toppings, slice the shiitake mushrooms and heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over a high heat. Fry or stir fry the mushrooms, moving them in the pan often to ensure they cook evenly. Once the mushrooms are well cooked and started to brown add in the soy sauce, mixing to coat all the mushrooms and reduce the heat to low, you can keep the mushrooms over a low heat to keep them warm until the congee is ready. Remove any dry outer layers of the spring onion and slice.

Add the congee to your bowl and top with the soy glazed shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle over the spring onions and sesame seeds and then finish with a light drizzle of sesame oil.

Notes

You can use brown rice, or even black rice, congee can also be made from other grains as well. Cooking times will vary, brown and black rice will take longer to cook, and will likely have some more texture to them.

Many different toppings can be used, congee is also often served with some kind of pickled vegetables, or as one of a selection of dishes.

Use kombu to add some additional depth to the stock, soaking it in the stock while it is heating up.

Mushroom Congee

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A comforting meal that’s easy on the stomach.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup rice (I generally use jasmine rice, but sushi rice works well too)
  • 2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock (500 ml)
  • About ¼ inch piece of ginger
  • (optional) 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
    • For the toppings
  • 1 spring onion
  • White and black sesame seeds
  • Sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
  • Handful of shiitake mushrooms
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • Vegetable oil for cooking

Directions

Wash the rice by submerging it in cold water in a large bowl or saucepan, using your hand, mix the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water and repeat a few times, until the water is a bit clearer. Add the stock and dried shiitake mushrooms (if using) to a saucepan and heat over a medium-high heat, adding the rice once it starts to bubble. Stir the rice, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low (the stock should be actively bubbling without boiling over). Once the dried mushrooms have hydrated you can fish them out and slice them before putting them back in to make them easier to eat, but it’s fine to leave them whole. Peel the ginger and slice it into extremely thin slices, and then into batons as thin as you can (alternatively you can mince/grate the ginger), add the ginger to the rice and stir in. Cook the rice for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and give it a good stir, at this point you can adjust the congee to your preference, if you want a thicker result you can increase the heat and cook with the lid off, rapidly stir the congee if you want to break up the grains for a smoother result and stir in additional water and cook with the lid on if the congee is too thick for you. Continue cooking until you are happy with the congee, the rice should be completely soft.

While the congee is cooking, prepare the toppings, slice the shiitake mushrooms and heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over a high heat. Fry or stir fry the mushrooms, moving them in the pan often to ensure they cook evenly. Once the mushrooms are well cooked and started to brown add in the soy sauce, mixing to coat all the mushrooms and reduce the heat to low, you can keep the mushrooms over a low heat to keep them warm until the congee is ready. Remove any dry outer layers of the spring onion and slice.

Add the congee to your bowl and top with the soy glazed shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle over the spring onions and sesame seeds and then finish with a light drizzle of sesame oil.

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