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Congee - the best Asian rice soup

8 cups broth (I like to use homemade turkey broth, but canned chicken broth works well, but get the low sodium kind as the regular makes a very salty soup). You can also use pork or beef broth, or a mix of whatever you have.

3 inches of peeled and then thickly sliced ginger

2/3 cup sushi rice, washed until clear.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, reduce heat to a medium simmer, and cook for at least two hours, stirring often and adding more liquid as needed. The rice should break down and almost dissolve into the broth. Near the end of the cooking period, taste for salt and add as needed.

The rice should be served in bowls with accompaniments on the side, so each person can add what they like. Some suggestions:

Cubed roasted chicken (the pre-cooked roasted chicken from the supermarket works well in this soup)
Leftover duck
Sliced leftover steak
BQ Pork (the kind from Chinese resturants is good)
Sauteed vegetables (I use sesame oil in the pan, and lightly fry vegetables like yellow summer squash, mushrooms, baby bok choy, until tender and slightly browned)
Green onions, sliced into thin rounds
Chopped cilantro
In addition, have hot chili oil, soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil on the table to add to taste.

Each person adds a few bites of whatever meat and vegetables they like, sprinkle the top with green onions and cilantro, drizzle with hot chili oil or sesame oil, and enjoy!

By Susanne