Congee with Smoked Tofu and Vegetables

While traveling, as you can imagine, I am always on the look out for new interesting recipes I can easily recreate at home, and also the ones I can adapt to my vegan lifestyle and share with all of you. 

A few years ago I stumble upon this amazing dish and soon realised how easy it is to make and I learned about the great amount of benefits you get out of it, especially for your belly, when eating it warm first thing in the morning. 

Have you ever had Congee before? 

Congee, also known as Jook and sometimes called rice porridge, is a typical Asian breakfast that it's delicious as it is old, it's one the oldest recorded foods in the world! It dates it's origins in China but you can find it in every corner of Asia. It must be heck of a good meal to have travelled so far for such a long time.

It is not something you easily find in western countries but while living in Thailand it was very common to see it in restaurants and food stands that would set up out in the street super early in the morning so people could stop on their way to work or school. Super convenient!! 

The reason it's such a popular breakfast it's because of how easy it is to make, you only need to let the rice simmer on the stove top for about an hour until it has that porridge look/consistency, and once this is ready just add the toppings and maybe some veggies, and that's it. 

That's the old way to do it, which is great, but if you have a rice cooker you can throw in all the ingredients and the outcome is even better, my rice cooker has a setting that allows me to set it up at night and have it ready when I wake up. 

Easiest breakfast ever!

Congee is not only easy to make but it will set you on the right track health-wise. It enhances the immune system, lowers cholesterol, and the risk for type 2 diabetes. It has many anti-inflammatory properties, it helps stabilise sugar levels in the blood and reduces the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. 

Since congee is such a comfort food and it holds so many benefits, it is recommended for those days when you are not feeling 100% due to illness or even when you had "one of those unforgettable nights", it is super gentle on your stomach and incredibly nourishing. 

Usually, you'll see congee served with just scallions, sesame seeds and a bit of soy sauce but due to the amount of water it contains the calorie count per serving is pretty low and allows some room for add-ons, which is exactly what I did. I was able to add a few vegetables and some tofu to pack on more nutrients, fiber and protein.