Vegetable Congee

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This is my very first congee!  Congee is a comfort food that goes by many names in different countries.  There are many versions and variations.  Change up the vegetables and spices or omit them altogether.  Make it thick or thin, spicy or not, whatever you choose.  You're the boss.  You are only limited by your imagination.

Kari's Vegetable Congee

(makes approximately 10 cups)

This is a comfort food that you can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. To me, the flavor and texture of this particular version are like a cross between cream of broccoli and egg drop soups, though it contains no eggs or cream.

3/4 cup jasmine rice, well rinsed

8 cups water

1 rib celery, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

5 button mushrooms, chopped

6 broccoli florets, chopped

5 cauliflower florets, chopped

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base

1 Tbsp tamari

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Place rinsed rice, celery, and carrot into rice cooker. Add water to 6 cup mark. (This is 8 cups of water in my rice cooker.)  Cook approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tilt the lid so congee doesn't foam up and out of the rice cooker.

Stir in bouillon base, garlic, tamari, mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli, and add 2 cups hot water. Replace lid, tilted, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in scallions. Serve.

Note: I made this in a rice cooker, but you can make it in a pot on the stove top if you prefer. I have a very simple rice cooker with two settings, cook and warm. Some rice cookers have a congee setting.