Vegan chicken congee with asparagus and shiitake mushroom

During my time in Bangkok last year I enjoyed a sublime vegan chicken congee with shiitake mushrooms and sliced stems of Chinese broccoli. This is my riff on that dish, only with asparagus instead of gai lan.

This is a very no frills congee, perfect if you're feeling under the weather, hungover, or just want something comforting in your belly. While this recipe leans more toward Hong Kong rather than Thai style, you can always give it a Thai twist by adding seasoning elements like gratiem jeow (a must have condiment for garlic enthusiasts).

It's not a hugely filling portion, so if you're famished and want to add some bulk then you can serve it with youtiao (Chinese crullers). Toasted ground peanuts, chilli oil, pickled mustard greens, kimchi, and fermented tofu are some of my other favourite toppings. I tend to reserve these for a more plain congee, but I'm not policing your rice so you do you.

If you want a more traditional Thai style jok, try my vegan Thai jok with pork style meatballs.

By the way, if you want to try the congee that inspired this recipe, check the menu for Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop in Bangkok during the annual Thailand Vegetarian Festival. It was quite pricey for what it is, probably because of Michelin hype, but I thought it was worth it. Their regular menu is not vegan friendly, so if you're not around during festival season then don't bother. And if you are there during festival season be sure to check in advance they're actually doing a special menu that year. They did in 2024, but some restaurants dip in and out of participating in the festival from year to year.

Print Recipe

Vegan chicken congee with asparagus and shiitake mushroom

The recipe is for only one serving because I'm the only one who eats congee in this house, but you can scale it up if there's more of you or if you want leftovers.

Servings: 1 serving

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 525 grams water
• 50 grams jasmine rice
• 1 teaspoon mushroom seasoning powder I use Lee Kum Kee brand
• 1 medium sized dried shiitake mushroom
• 5 thin slices fresh ginger
• â…" cup vegan chicken cut into small cubes
• 2-3 asparagus spears sliced into ½ centimetre segments
• white pepper optional
• spring onion optional

Instructions

• Add the water and rice (don't rinse it) to your instant pot, along with the mushroom seasoning powder, dried shiitake mushroom, and fresh ginger. Pressure cook on high, sealed, for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
• Remove the ginger and throw it away. Remove the mushroom and set it aside to cool for a few minutes. Then cut the stem off with scissors (bin it) and dice the mushroom into cubes.
• You can use a stick blender to blend the congee if you like a really smooth texture.
• Add the mushrooms back into the pot, along with the chicken and asparagus. Pop the lid back on your instant pot and cook for one more minute on high pressure. When the seal releases naturally, the congee is ready to eat.
• Serve with a dash of white pepper and spring onions, if using.