Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)

A hearty Chinese rice soup made with slow-cooked ham bone and rice. The rice breaks down to create a creamy, porridge-like texture infused with savory ham flavor. Perfect for using leftover ham or store-bought ham hocks.

Instructions

1. 1

   Place ham bone, rice, and water in a large pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. Cover with lid.

2. 2

   Cook using preferred method until ham meat is tender enough to shred: Stove: simmer low 1 3/4–2 hrs; Slow cooker: low 8 hrs; Pressure cooker: high 50 mins.

3. 3

   Remove ham, shred meat, discard thick/fatty skin, keep bone. Chop meat if needed.

4. 4

   Stir rice, return shredded meat and bone to pot.

5. 5

   Cook further until rice breaks down to porridge-like consistency: Stove: low 30 mins with occasional stirring; Slow cooker: low 1–2 hrs; Pressure cooker: high 15–20 mins.

6. 6

   Remove bone, stir vigorously, adjust consistency with water if needed, and season with salt and pepper.

7. 7

   Serve garnished with green onions, fried shallots, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Recipe Notes

• Scale recipe based on ham bone weight using the recipe slider for servings.

• Using a leftover ham bone requires enough meat to flavor the broth. Store-bought ham hock is safer and flavorful.

• Congee traditionally served with crispy wonton skin; alternatively use store-bought fried shallots for crunch and flavor.

• Ensure bone is mostly submerged during cooking to cook evenly. Return shredded meat and bone for second phase of cooking to enhance broth flavor.

• Higher ratio of ham to rice ensures rich flavor. Additional rice/water can stretch recipe but avoid exceeding 1/4 cup rice and 1 3/4 cups water.

• Avoid over-salting; ham continues to leach salt.

• Make-ahead: keeps in fridge for up to 5 days; reheats well with added water to loosen.

• Optional vegetables can be added for a complete meal, either cooked directly in soup or stirred in at the end.