Short grained rice cooked in flavorful turkey broth then served with leftover shredded turkey and toppings. This leftover turkey congee is the perfect comfort food after the holidays.
Only a couple more days left until Thanksgiving!
I know it’s not yet Thanksgiving, but I’m already thinking about all the leftovers we’re bound to have, especially after this holiday weekend.
I’ve been feeling a little out of it these past few weeks. We’re in the process of moving out of our apartment. We’re still in the middle of a pandemic. And the holidays just don’t feel the same. Do you feel the same way this year?
Normally, by this time, I’m already excitedly finalizing the Thanksgiving menu and stocking up on ingredients. But this year, I’m a little unsure what our Thanksgiving will look like. And so I haven’t been as on top of prepping for the holiday weekend.
But I am ready for the food. Lol. When am I not?
And if you’re going to have leftover turkey, this might just be the perfect comfort food.
Congee is a classic comfort food in Asian cultures. Oftentimes, it’s served for breakfast. But it’s also the kind of comfort food that’s similar to chicken noodle soup. It’s the sort of food you’ll want when you’re feeling under the weather. And it’s kinda perfect for after the holidays after you’ve eaten waaay too much of everything.
I grew up eating plain white congee for breakfast with pickled vegetables or sometimes even just a drizzle of soy sauce. But it’s also eaten cooked with meat, seasoning, and broth.
For this version, I cooked the short grain rice with broth to give it the extra flavor. You can use turkey bone broth if you use the turkey carcass to make your own. But it’s perfectly fine if you use chicken broth too. Add some shredded turkey or chicken to the congee. Top with fried onions, chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, and sambal or garlic chili oil and you have an amazing post holiday meal. Or this would be perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather too.
So bookmark this recipe, especially since cold and flu season is starting. You’ll want this in case you need a little extra comfort.
In a small or medium sized skillet or pot, add a little bit of olive oil over low to medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the short grain rice and minced garlic. Cook for several minutes until the garlic is aromatic and the rice has started to brown.
Pour the turkey or chicken broth into the pot, add slices of ginger, and let the rice cook for at least 40 minutes. The longer you cook the congee, the more flavorful it will be. The grains will have softened after absorbing all the broth. It will have thickened to the consistency of oatmeal. Remember to stir the pot every few minutes to make sure that the rice doesn’t stick and clump up together at the bottom.
At the end when ready to serve, stir in the shredded turkey. Taste the congee and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
You can serve the congee as is or you can top with extra shredded turkey, fried scallions or onions, fresh scallions or onions, cilantro, chili garlic oil, or sambal. It’s super easy to customize this to your taste.
Serve this leftover turkey congee warm with your favorite toppings.
Enjoy!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cups uncooked short grain rice, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 7 cups turkey or chicken broth
- ½ cup shredded leftover turkey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Shredded turkey
- Cilantro
- Chili Pepper
- Sambal
- Chili garlic oil
- Scallions
- Fried Onions
- In a small or medium sized skillet or pot, add a little bit of olive oil over low to medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the short grain rice and minced garlic. Cook for several minutes until the garlic is aromatic and the rice has started to brown.
- Pour the turkey or chicken broth into the pot, add slices of ginger, and let the rice cook for at least 40 minutes. The longer you cook the congee, the more flavorful it will be. The grains will have softened after absorbing all the broth. It will have thickened to the consistency of oatmeal. Remember to stir the pot every few minutes to make sure that the rice doesn’t stick and clump up together at the bottom.
- At the end when ready to serve, stir in the shredded turkey. Taste the congee and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve this leftover turkey congee warm with your favorite toppings.
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