Best Vegan Instant Pot Congee (stovetop friendly)
Congee is something my mom always made growing up, especially during the winter months and whenever someone was sick. It was easy to digest and very warming. You can put whatever toppings you like on it too. It’s super customizable and so cozy.
Sometimes congee is cooked with dried scallops, making it not vegan friendly, but this vegan version uses dried shiitake mushrooms for a delicious umami flavor. It’s super easy to make in your Instant Pot and you don’t have to worry about it ever boiling over. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, it can easily be made on the stovetop too!
You can eat congee for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I love adding tofu, pickled radishes, furikake, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, chili oil, and soy sauce to my bowl. The toppings are endless and you can make it your own. This vegan congee is so comforting, warming, delicious, and you feel great after eating it!
Best Vegan Instant Pot Congee (stovetop friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 4 cups water, divided
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 inch piece of ginger, cut into 3 large chunks
- 1 tsp sea salt
Optional Toppings:
- soy sauce
- sautéed shiitake mushrooms
- tofu
- furikake
- chili oil
- sliced scallions
- dried shallots
- pickled radish
- vegan pork floss
- youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks)
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water. Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it soak for 45 minutes.
- Once mushrooms are done soaking, make the congee. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds. Add the rinsed rice to the Instant Pot. Add the soaked mushrooms along with the soaking liquid to the pot. Add the remaining 2 cups of water. Add the vegetable broth, ginger, and salt. Stir and place the lid on, making sure the lid is secure and the knob is on sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, let it naturally release. Stir congee and loosely place the lid back on. Let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken. If it’s too thick, feel free to add a little bit of water. Remove the large ginger chunks. You can remove the mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces and stir them back into the congee. Serve with your favorite optional toppings. I did soy sauce, tofu, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, tofu, furikake, chili oil, and pickled radish.
- *To make on the stovetop, after step 2 of adding all the ingredients, simmer on the stove on low heat covered for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. After an hour, turn heat off, stir, partially cover, and let it sit for 20 minutes to thicken. Remove ginger pieces and enjoy!
