How to Make Korean Rice Porridge

To nourish your body with a full range of macro and micronutrients after an active day, you might give this Korean porridge recipe a try. The directions include separate steps to make your own mineral-rich broth, but if you are pressed for time, it's fine to use the best quality boxed broth that you have access to. You can make this porridge with or without a bit of chicken, so follow your heart and taste buds and enjoy this warming meal.

The quantities listed below make 2 to 3 portions of Korean rice porridge.

Broth Ingredients:

4 cups of water
1 large onion, quartered
Small handful of garlic cloves
2 chicken thighs (if plant-based, you can use a piece of dashima)

Broth Directions:

1. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil in a pot and then lower the heat and allow things to simmer for 1 hour.

2. Strain solids out of the broth. Set chicken aside.

Rice Porridge Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of cooking oil of your choice
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups of broth (from above)
1.5 cups of cooked rice (good way to use leftover rice)
Boiled & shredded chicken (from the broth), optional

Feel free to include any other vegetables you enjoy - zucchini and spinach work well.

Rice Porridge Directions:

1. Heat cooking oil on medium heat in a medium-sized pot.

2. Sauté the finely diced carrot, celery, and onion for a couple of minutes. Add the sea salt, pepper, and finely diced garlic cloves and stir for another minute.

3. Add the broth and the cooked rice. Turn heat to high to bring the contents of the pot to a boil and then lower heat to simmer. Stir regularly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot as it absorbs the broth. Simmer for 20 to 40 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

4. Add shredded chicken if using, stir, and serve. If you can use more seasoning, you might try adding a drizzle of soy sauce over reach bowl just before eating.

Please note that in the photo above, in lieu of shredded boiled chicken, I added some carrots and chicken that had been roasted with a Dijon mustard-based sauce, along with a bit of freshly sautéed Bok choy.