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Congee

Rice cooked slowly in broth until it breaks down into a thick, savoury porridge. One of the cheapest filling meals in existence, and popular on budget Reddit for exactly that reason.

Total Cost $5.47
Per Serving $1.37
Prep 5 min
Cook 45 min
Servings 4
  • rice
  • soup
  • very-low-cost
  • breakfast
  • gluten-free
  • vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 200 g jasmine or long-grain white rice (uncooked) $0.50
  • 1 carton (900 mL) chicken or vegetable broth $1.50
  • 1.2 L water $0.00
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed $0.32
  • 1 thumb fresh ginger, peeled and sliced $0.20
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce $0.15
  • 1 tsp sesame oil $0.10
  • 4 large eggs (soft-boiled or poached, optional) $1.32
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced $1.00
  • to taste white pepper and salt $0.03
  • optional chili oil or hot sauce $0.15
  • optional crispy fried shallots $0.20
  • Recipe total$5.47

Instructions

  1. Combine the rice, broth, water, garlic, and ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes, for 40–45 minutes. The rice should break down completely into a thick, creamy porridge. Add more water if it gets too thick.
  3. While the congee cooks, prepare the eggs if using: soft-boil eggs for 7 minutes, then transfer to ice water and peel. Or poach them separately.
  4. Remove the ginger slices. Season the congee with soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt.
  5. Ladle into bowls. Top each with a halved soft-boiled egg (or poached egg), green onions, and chili oil if using.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

408 Calories
15g Protein
62g Carbs
11g Fat
1g Fiber
580mg Sodium
~10% DV Iron~6% DV Calcium

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace soy sauce with tamari in the same quantity (minimal cost difference)

Rice and all other ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Use a GF-certified broth and tamari to make this fully GF.

Budget Notes

  • The egg is optional but adds 10g of protein and makes it substantially more filling. At current egg prices it adds about $0.33 per serving.
  • A 1:7 rice-to-liquid ratio is the starting point. The longer you cook it, the softer and thicker it gets — adjust to taste.
  • This is one of the most adaptable recipes on the site. Top it with anything: leftover meat, fried onions, pickled vegetables, canned fish.
  • Without the egg, this costs about $1.04 per serving.