Want a soothing soup to heal what ails you? Then try this AIP Instant Pot Congee. It’s filled with healing bone broth and veggies plus warming ginger.
Why is congee called congee?
Congee is a type of rice porridge. It’s also known as jook in Chinese. It’s traditionally made by cooking down rice to create a thick soup. The rice breaks down and creates a type of porridge.
What are the benefits of congee?
Congee is traditionally served for breakfast or when you are sick. It’s a very simple and plain dish that relies on the add-ins for added flavor.
This AIP chicken porridge is filled with vegetables, bone broth, and ginger. It’s really full of everything you need to feel better when you are under the weather.
What is congee made of?
Traditionally, congee is made from boiled down rice. However, I used cauliflower rice and bone broth to make it fit the AIP diet.
Is congee and jook the same?
Yep. The names for the dish vary depending upon the region of China. However, congee and jook both describe the same dish.
What's the difference between porridge and congee?
Again, porridge and congee are essentially the same thing. However porridge in the US can mean oatmeal or cream of wheat. Every country or culture has a different variation on the same theme.
Is Congee good for you when sick?
This Instant Pot Congee is a great soup for when you are sick. Bone broth, veggies and ginger. It’s just what you need to warm and soothe your insides.
Can you freeze congee?
Maybe. I haven’t tried it yet but I would be concerned bout the mushrooms getting mushy. If you want to freeze the soup, I would suggest making it without the mushrooms to freeze. Then add the mushrooms when you are reheating it.
How long can congee last in fridge?
Leftovers don’t last more than 3-4 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.
Tips for making the best Instant Pot Congee for the AIP diet.
- You can use fresh cauliflower rice but I feel like frozen rice tends to keep it’s shape better. It’s also very convenient which is why I used it in this recipe.
- Don’t skip the add-ins. They add a lot of flavor and part of the fun of congee. The add-ins allow you to customize the dish and make it your own.
If you like this instant pot chicken congee, try these AIP Chinese recipes:
How to Make this Instant Pot Congee
Salt the chicken on both sides. Turn the instant pot on to sauté. Add the oil to the pot then the chicken then brown the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Next turn off the instant pot. Add broth, ginger, onions and 1 cup of the cauliflower rice.
Put the top on the instant pot and set the to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Taking care to set the knob to the sealing position.
Once it’s finished cooking, wait about 10 minutes and then turn the knob to the venting position (quick release). Once the floating value or red metal pin to drop, then open the lid.
Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Next turn the instant pot to sauté. Add the remaining cauliflower rice and mushrooms.
Then let cook until the cauliflower rice is cooked through, about 5 minutes. While the soup is cooking, remove the chicken from the bone. Serve with the chicken and add-ins.
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AIP Instant Pot Congee
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs about 3-4 thighs
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil avocado oil makes a good substitute
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Ginger (about 2 - two inch knobs) grated
- 1 small Onion chopped
- 1 package Frozen Cauliflower Rice about 1 pound
- 4 cups Bone Broth Homemade is best!
- 3 ounces Shitake Mushrooms sliced
Optional add-ins
- Coconut aminos
- Green Onions sliced
- Ground pepper AIP Reintroduction
Instructions
- Salt the chicken on both sides.
- Turn the instant pot on to sauté.
- Add the oil to the pot then the chicken.
- Brown the chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Next turn off the instant pot.
- Add broth, ginger, onions and 1 cup of the cauliflower rice.
- Put the top on the instant pot and set the to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Taking care to set the knob to the sealing position.
- Once it’s finished cooking, wait about 10 minutes and then turn the knob to the venting position (quick release).
- Once the floating value or red metal pin to drop, then open the lid. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
- Next turn the instant pot to sauté.
- Add the remaining cauliflower rice and mushrooms.
- Then let cook until the cauliflower rice is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, remove the chicken from the bone.
- Serve with the chicken and add-ins.
Notes
- You can use fresh cauliflower rice but I feel like frozen rice tends to keep it’s shape better. It’s also very convenient which is why I used it in this recipe.
- Don’t skip the add-ins. They add a lot of flavor and part of the fun of congee. The add-ins allow you to customize the dish and make it your own.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
- I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
- The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing your thoughts on my recipes so please rate and comment below.
Cindy says
This was a great recipe! It truly reminded me of the jook my grandmother made. I will be making this again and tweaking it just a bit for my own preferences. A little more cauliflower in the beginning and chopped cilantro as an optional add-in. If I find that I am tolerant (after my elimination phase) to peanuts then I will add in the beginning of the recipe also. I will need to fish them out before using the immersion blender. Thanks so much for a really great base to start me at. I really enjoyed it!
Beth says
That makes me so happy! It's the greatest compliment when someone says it reminds them of their grandma's cooking!
Rachelle says
I used sweet potato rather than cauliflower, since the sweet potato is starchier and more filling. I don't have an instant pot, so I just did my own thing in a stovetop pot. The congee is delicious and adds a nice variety to my meals!
Beth says
Wow. Really?! That's a big substitution and I'm glad it worked for you.
Amanda says
Was making conventional congee for family and really wanted to be able to have some too but rice and I do not agree. A quick perusal in Pinterest and up pops this recipe. So quick and easy and so so nourishing. Plenty of leftovers and the extra add ons, which give the umami flavours, developed even more overnight. This is going to be a regular
Beth says
That's amazing. I'm so glad you appreciated this recipe. My family especially loves it the next day as well.
Lisa Chin says
Made this congee tonight. I've always loved the real thing as a kid: my mom would make it a few times a year when there was leftover turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas. And she'd season it with oyster sauce of course which is something I really miss but can't have now given all the MSG, gluten and preservatives in it. Anyways, this was a really tasty version, it thickens up nicely when you use the stick blender and the shiitake mushroom gives it great flavor. I used dried shiitake mushrooms, about 5 or 6, because i didn't have any fresh in my fridge; they actually have a more intense flavor than fresh. You can buy these at any Asian grocery store. You have to rehydrate them for at least a few hours (throw them in water in the morning and just let it sit all day in a closed container). I added them whole to the broth and cauliflower rice before pressure cooking for 10 min. Then I fished them out and sliced them, removing the stems and adding it back to the pot with the remainder of the cauli rice. I wilted in some baby greens at the end and chopped cilantro and it was a fab meal!