Tofu and mushroom congee

Rice simmered to a loose porridge with mushrooms, ginger and silken tofu.

By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 22 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes

What still needs a real kitchen

Confirm rice breaks down to a loose porridge in 40 to 50 minutes
Photograph the finished bowl

Time: About 1 hr; estimated
Serves: 2; see below
Energy: 415 kcal; per serving
Protein: 25 g; per serving

Jump to recipe

Not yet photographed. The panel names the dish’s main ingredients rather than showing a picture we have not taken.

Ingredients for 2 servings

2 servings

Check off ingredients as you go.

Contains gluten, soya. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:

vegetable stock. Vegetable stock often contains celery, and some contain milk or gluten; check the label, especially if you need it vegan.
soy sauce. Most soy sauce contains wheat. Tamari is the usual wheat-free alternative; check the label.

Cooking steps

Rinse the rice, then put it in a large pan with the stock and the sliced ginger.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and simmer, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes. Stir every few minutes, scraping the base of the pan.
It is ready when the grains have burst and the whole pot is the consistency of a loose porridge. Add hot water if it thickens past that.
Meanwhile brown the sliced mushrooms hard in the oil and stir them in.
Add the spinach and let it wilt, then spoon in the silken tofu in large pieces and warm through for 2 minutes without stirring hard.
Stir in the soy sauce off the heat and finish with the chives.

The useful detail

Stir every few minutes and scrape the base. Congee thickens from the bottom up, and a pot left alone for ten minutes catches and tastes faintly burnt all the way through.

Make it work for you

One serving is A deep bowl, half the pot. You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.

Firm tofu instead of silken
Holds its shape completely, with more than twice the protein. Dice and brown it first.
Per serving: about 165 kcal more, about 20 g more protein, about 10 g more fat.
Chicken stock instead of vegetable
Rounder and more savoury. It stops the dish being vegan.
Per serving: about 5 kcal more, about 2 g more protein, about 1 g more fat.
Tamari instead of soy sauce
The same flavour, usually wheat-free.
Allergens: Check the label if you avoid gluten.

Estimated nutrition

Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.

The gentlest dish in the collection, and a useful one on a day when nothing solid appeals, since there is almost nothing to chew.

Nutrition per serving
Energy	415 kcal
Protein	25 g
Fat	13 g
of which saturates	2 g
Carbohydrate	54 g
of which sugars	6 g
Fibre	4 g
Sodium	1,820 mg

Show calculation notes

Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.

Calculation, whole recipe
Ingredient	Weight used	Source	Energy	Protein
white rice	100 g	FDC 168877Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched	365 kcal	7.1 g
vegetable stock	880 g	FDC 171583Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve	44 kcal	2.1 g
fresh ginger	20 g	FDC 169231Ginger root, raw	16 kcal	0.4 g
mushrooms	200 g	FDC 169251Mushrooms, white, raw	44 kcal	6.2 g
rapeseed or other neutral oil	9 g	FDC 172336Oil, canola	81 kcal	0.0 g
spinach	100 g	FDC 168462Spinach, raw	23 kcal	2.9 g
silken tofu	400 g	FDC 172449Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)Calculated with FoodData Central's soft tofu record, the closest it holds to silken tofu.	244 kcal	28.7 g
soy sauce	25 g	FDC 172473Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), low sodium	14 kcal	2.3 g
chives	10 g	FDC 169994Chives, raw	3 kcal	0.3 g
Whole recipe		Divided by 2	835 kcal	49.9 g

Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.

Storage and reheating

In the fridge: Cool it quickly, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. The FDA chart gives soups and stews 3 to 4 days. It sets almost solid in the fridge. Loosen it with a good deal of water as it reheats.
In the freezer: The same chart gives soups and stews 2 to 3 months in the freezer for best quality.
Reheating: Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout, stirring so it heats evenly.

Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.

Try another recipe

Lemon-herb tofu with Mediterranean rice
Herb-roasted tofu with rice, courgette and parsley.
About 45 min · 470 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan
Creamy roasted pepper tofu pasta
Pasta in a smooth roasted pepper and silken tofu sauce.
About 25 min · 355 kcal · 18 g protein per serving
Vegan