Postpartum Congee Recipe With Ginger And Chicken

Congee is a rice porridge found in many Asian food traditions. This version is made with rice, broth, ginger, and chicken. It is warm, simple, and easy to reheat, which is exactly what we are looking for in a postpartum meal.

As an aside, you can buy broth, but it’s kind of a simple thing to make after having a roast chicken, extending it into several more meals. We made a whole roast chicken earlier in the month and then made a simple broth (see Caldo) using the bones and froze the stock. The stock then served as the broth for this dish.

Anyway, you can keep the congee plain or put scallions, eggs, sesame oil, greens, and other toppings on the table. Everyone can finish their bowl the way they like it.

Make a pot before baby arrives, or send the recipe to the person who keeps asking what they can cook. Congee keeps well in the fridge and reheats nicely with a little extra broth or water.

Ginger Chicken Congee

A warm rice porridge with ginger, chicken, and broth. Keep it plain, then add scallions, egg, greens, sesame oil, or herbs at the table.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Course Soup

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6 servings

Calories 130 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup white rice rinsed
• 10 cups chicken broth bone broth, or water
• 1 to 2 inch piece fresh ginger sliced into coins
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil optional
• Sliced scallions optional topping
• Soft-boiled egg optional topping
• Wilted spinach or greens optional topping
• Tamari soy sauce, or coconut aminos, optional topping
• Fresh herbs optional topping

Instructions

 

• Rinse the rice. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear.
• Start the pot. Add rice, broth or water, ginger, and salt to a large pot.
• Bring to a boil. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
• Simmer slowly. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally so the rice does not stick to the bottom.
• Adjust the texture. Add more broth or water if the congee becomes too thick. Keep cooking until the rice breaks down into a soft porridge.
• Add chicken. Stir in shredded cooked chicken and warm through for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Season and serve. Remove ginger slices if desired. Taste and add more salt. Finish with sesame oil and toppings if using.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Congee thickens as it sits, so add broth or water when reheating. Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. If you are bringing this to a new family, keep toppings separate and label the container with the recipe name and date.

Keyword comfort, easy, postpartum soups

Make the Bowl Your Own

Add chicken, egg, or tofu if you want more protein. Spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots can go into the pot near the end. We also like to put sesame oil, scallions, and other toppings on the table.

If you are delivering the congee to someone else, bring the toppings in separate containers.

Listen While This Simmers

While the congee cooks, listen to Sacred Window Postpartum Care and Why the First 42 Days Matter. Christine Eck talks about rest, nourishment, and simple ways to support postpartum recovery during the first six weeks.

Love this recipe? You may also like the full Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection.

Want more simple postpartum meal ideas? Join the Fourth Trimester newsletter for new recipes and episode notes.

The content provided in this article(s) is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or other professional advice. Neither Sarah Trott nor Fourth Trimester Media Group LLC are liable for claims arising from the use of or reliance on information contained in this article.