Winter in our house means lots of adventures into the high country, early ski mornings, having snacks at the ready for aprés recovery, warming up by the fire, pots on pots of tea, and lots and lots of warm bowls of good things to eat. For a long time, I’ve wanted to build the “savory porridge” section of this library out to reflect my love for a simple, nourishing, balancing bowl of porridge…but I might not need to create many recipes because this one is truly life-changing. An effortless, one-pot, nutrient-packed meal with infinite possibility, supreme digestive and grounding benefits, and one of my new favorite things to eat.
Whether you’re hunting for a savory something to fuel your morning, or an easy meal to whip up for lunch or dinner, this one is it for winter.
Yes! This incredible rice porridge is a classic comfort food across Asian nations, and it’s a soothing, simple, inexpensive, fool-proof recipe no matter where you live or what your heritage is. More like a risotto than a soup, it’s a beautiful, gentle food that I find myself craving this time of year.
Vegetables are important for us high-achiever types. We need them to help clarify the blood and lymph, to deliver critical nutrients and minerals, to provide fiber, carbohydrates, and other trace information about our environment (among other purposes.) But in the winter, our bodies really appreciate receiving these gifts from COOKED vegetables over raw. And this congee has a a LOT of that. With 1/3 lb of spinach cooked into the grain mix, you’re getting a truly healthy amount of green goodness in everybowl. Dare I say more than a salads worth!
Quick reminder, dear friends, that our digestive fire (agni) revs in the winter, and our metabolism increases to keep our bodies warm through these coldest months, but also to process the heavier, more densely nourishing foods available to us during this time. And the key to keeping – and benefitting – from this increased thermoactivity is keeping the digestive system warm. If you want to get after it this winter, eating something warm is the key.
Let’s not forget that our bodies need to warm all of our foods up to 98.6°F to digest and process them. And, with all of the other warming and temperature maintenance going on in our winter bodies, raising the temp of a smoothie, or a salad is just…undue stress, honestly. If you struggle from chronically cold hands and feet, especially during activity, this can be a sign that you need to warm up your meals.
This Green Rice Congee is an ultimate meal for folx getting it after it through the winter months because it allows our bodies to prioritize rest and recovery (something our bodies want to do biologically during this time, instead of hitting it hard) AND provides the nourishment we need to perform well in the cold. Easy to digest rice, an abundant amount of clean-mean greens, digestive-strengthening, ojas-building bone broth, and all the other goodies you want to put on top to make it a satisfying, beautiful, craveable meal.
When I have this for lunch after a big morning of skiing, I feel like my body is saying a huge thank you. I’m calm, satisfied, with clear thoughts and a sense of ease — even if I’ve been out in the wind, cold and working hard for hours. I hope you feel the same way!
No, you don’t. You could make this congee on the stovetop. I don’t do that because I would prefer to be doing lots of other things in the time that I would need to be babysitting my congee like taking a shower, hanging out with my son, sitting in recovery boots, getting a massage, reading a book….all the things I never seem to have time for. I might never be the type of person who hires a personal chef. In fact I literally can’t imagine doing so regardless of my financial well-being. But I will absolutely invest a small amount in this tiny little butler that sits on my countertop and does so much heavy lifting for me. The model that I have is 7-years old and was recently discontinued (which makes the daily “rent” to have it something like 5 cents per day) but this is the model I’ve had my eye on to replace it.
This is not a glamorous purchase in and of itself. There are many sexier things to spend money on. But you know what IS sexy? Feeling nourished, powerful, well-rested, with glowing skin and good digestion. And thanks to this little pot, I’m feeling as glamorous as can be.
This “recipe” is one of the many on this site that I hope you’ll use as a blueprint more than a recipe you follow by wrote. I’ve shared the toppings and zhoosh that I’ve been enjoying recently, but there are lots of amazing ways to play this one. Some that come to mind (in addition to the way I suggest you set it up, below…)
Make this your own!
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