This vegan congee features creamy rice porridge topped with crispy sesame-soy baked tofu and tangy quick-pickled vegetables. It’s a comforting, Chinese-inspired dinner that’s flavorful, customizable, and great for meal prep!
Congee is my new thing this winter. I’m officially hooked! If you’re not familiar, congee is a simple rice porridge made by slowly simmering a small amount of rice in a lot of water until it breaks down into a creamy, soup-like consistency. On its own, it’s pretty basic, but seasonings and toppings are what turn congee into something truly irresistible, and this vegan congee is loaded with both.
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So what are we doing to make this congee so scrumptious? Glad you asked! The rice porridge base gets simmered with ginger and garlic, then finished with miso for rich umami flavor. As for toppings, we’re going all in with quick pickled veggies (similar to the ones I use on my tofu bánh mì) and super savory, crispy baked tofu, made using the same simple technique from my baked teriyaki tofu recipe.
Everything comes together to create an amazing mix of flavors and textures — creamy, tangy, savory, and crunchy all in one bowl. This is legit comfort food. Even better, each component can be made in advance, making this vegan congee perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Jasmine rice. You can substitute regular long-grain white rice if that's what you have on hand.
- Ginger.
- Garlic.
- Miso paste. Look for this in the international aisle of your grocery store. Other varieties of miso like yellow or red can be substituted if needed.
- Soy sauce. Feel free to use tamari or liquid aminos if preferred.
- Cornstarch.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral high-heat oil will do.
- Toasted sesame oil. This can be found in the international aisle of the store. It's for flavoring here, so I don't recommend substituting.
- Super-firm tofu. Extra-firm tofu also works, but will need to be pressed before using.
- Rice vinegar. This can also be found in the international aisle.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar, since conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Salt.
- Cucumber.
- Carrots.
- Toppings. Use as many or as few as you like! I suggest scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds, chili oil, and toasted sesame oil.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for your baked tofu. Rinse your rice under cold water.
Make the congee. Begin heating water in a large pot, then add your rinsed rice, sliced ginger, and sliced garlic. Bring everything to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Coat the tofu. Mix the coating ingredients in a bowl: soy sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil, and toasted sesame oil. Cut the tofu into slabs, then place them into the bowl and coat them in the mixture.
Bake the tofu. Arrange the slabs on your prepared baking sheet, then bake the tofu for about 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they're sizzling and crispy.
Pickle the veggies. Stir the vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and salt together in a bowl, then add cucumber and carrot slices. Let the vegetables soak while the tofu and congee finish cooking.
Finish the congee. Once the congee has thickened and finished cooking, stir some miso paste and hot water together, then stir it into the congee. Season the congee with salt to taste.
Serve. Ladle the congee into bowls, then top it with pickled veggies. Slice up your tofu slabs and pile them on top, then sprinkle each bowl with toppings of your choice. Dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be. Make sure your miso is gluten-free and use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
You can, but the cook time will be longer and your congee won't be as creamy.
Each component can be prepared in advance and stored separately for meal prep. Keep everything in airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days. The congee can be reheated in the microwave or in a pot on the stove, and the tofu can be reheated under a broiler until it begins to sizzle.
More Vegan Chinese Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Congee with Crispy Baked Tofu
Ingredients
For the Congee
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 3 slices fresh ginger root
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- Salt, to taste
For the Baked Tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu
For the Quick Pickled Veggies
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ medium cucumber, halved and sliced
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
For Serving (use as many as you like)
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Toasted sesame oil
- Chili oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Begin preparing the congee while the oven heats up. Place 8 cups of water into a large pot and place it over high heat. Rinse the rice under cold water, then add it to the pot, along with the ginger slices, and garlic slices. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the water boils, reduce the heat and let the rice cook at a low simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure to scrape any rice from the bottom of the pot with your spoon.
- To make the baked tofu, stir the soy sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil, and sesame oil together in a medium bowl. Cut the tofu into 8 slabs, then add them to the bowl. Gently rub the seasonings into the tofu with your hands, getting the slabs well coated. You can do them individually or all at once — whichever is easier for you.
- Arrange the tofu slabs on the baking sheet. Don't worry if some liquid remains in the bowl. Bake the tofu slabs for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through, until they're browned and crispy.
- Make the quick-pickled veggies while the congee simmers and the tofu bakes. Place the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and salt into a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, then add the sliced cucumber and carrots. Stir to coat the veggies in the pickling mixture, then let them soak until the congee and tofu are ready, at least 15 minutes.
- Once the congee has simmered for 30 to 40 minutes, it should have reached a thick, porridge consistency. Take the pot off of heat. Stir the hot water and miso paste together, then stir it into the congee (Note 1). Season the congee with salt to taste.
- To serve, ladle the congee into bowls. Arrange pickled veggies on top, draining them well as you remove them from the pickling liquid. Cut the tofu slabs into strips, then arrange the strips over the veggies. Optionally, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and/or chili oil. Sprinkle with cilantro, scallions, and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- If this results in your congee thinning more than you'd like, simply place it back over heat for a few more minutes of simmering.
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