Rainbow Congee


Chinese rice soup


Recipe Posted on 4th August, 2008

Recipe Source:My friend Sally Goh taught me how to make this soup. The Chinese often translate congee to mean porridge, but it is very different to what we call porridge in Australia. In China this soup is eaten for breakfast, but in Australia it's more like something that would be eaten for lunch or with dinner. Congee is a savory soup that is thickened with over cooked rice and flavoured with meat and other goodies. This recipe is for chicken and pork (you can omit either of the meats if you want a more simple version), although it can also be made with fish, salted duck egg, or many other tasty flavours.

Ingredients
2 litres water
½ cup long grain rice (normally jasime rice is used, but plain rice is ok to use)
1 chicken thigh fillet, very finely diced
2 small pork spare ribs (about 250g belly pork), very finely diced
1 inch cube of ginger, cut into very fine sticks (julienne sticks)
1 tomato, very finely diced
1 carrot, very finely diced
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper (black or white pepper)
1 tablespoon (20ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (20ml) sesame oil

A little finely chopped spring onion and coriander to serve - optional

Method
Place all ingredients except the sesame oil into a pot, bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 mins. Add sesame oil and simmer for a further 15 minutes - the soup with thicken during this final stage of cooking.

Serve the soup garnished with a little finely chopped spring onion and coriander (or other herbs).