Congee with Brown Butter Gochujang Tofu

Congee is a short grain white rice porridge that I was first introduced to in college. It’s supremely easy to make and I can only refer to it as comfort food in a bowl. One cup of rice easily turns into eight cups of congee, meaning it also provides a hell of a lot of food. Add one block of tofu and it quickly turns into this Congee with Brown Butter Gochujang Tofu! Of course, I like textural interest with all of my meals, so I find pairing congee with a crispy, spicy brown butter gochujang tofu and light, aromatic scallions makes the perfect meal. It’s equal parts fresh but comforting, vibrant but calm, and absolutely delicious. If you are looking for an easy, filling and vegetarian weeknight meal, I suggest you make this ASAP.

What is the best way to make congee?

Congee is a very simple recipe, with the main rule being: Use a 1:8 ratio of rice to water. Which sounds crazy, until you see how rice can thicken and expand into a starchy, creamy porridge. Just congee on its own is delicious, but I’ve found a few ways to make congee *that* much better:

• Cook an aromatic (such as scallion whites) in a bit of oil before adding the water – this gets your congee started with a layer of flavor before the rice even hits the water!
• Bring your water to a boil before adding the rice – this is the traditional method, and it keeps the rice from clumping and having a grainy texture. It feels counterintuitive, but it works.
• Stir occasionally to agitate the starches and create a thick and even congee – this is a lesson from risotto making, but as you stir short-grain rice, the starches surrounding the rice will thicken, giving you an even, rich texture!

The secret to this gochujang sauce

This gochujang sauce has a sneaky richness that helps it coat the tofu in a thick, glossy texture, but without using that many ingredients.

The richness comes from the butter – which while it’s only 2 tablespoons, it adds a ton of richness to a sauce that is otherwise only three ingredients.

I toast the butter in the pan first, which darkens the milk solids and gives it a toasted, nutty flavor. From there the onions cook down in the butter and pick up on all of that richness. Next the sauce goes in, and as it simmers, the water reduces and the sauce emulsifies with the fat. This makes a thick, smooth sauce without much effort.

It feels like magic, but it’s what makes this gochujang tofu recipe so good.

Ingredients you will need for this congee and gochujang tofu recipe

For the congee:

• 1 cup short grain rice, such as Aborio rice or sushi rice
• 6 scallions, greens and whites separated
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil, or canola oil
• 8 cups of water
• 2 slices of fresh ginger
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt

For the gochujang tofu:

• 1 16-ounce pack of extra firm tofu
• Avocado oil, for frying
• 1/2 medium red onion, 100 grams / 3.5 ounces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 28 grams / 1 ounce
• 1/4 cup gochujang paste, 80 grams / 3 ounces
• 3 tablespoons mirin, 45 mL / 1.5 ounces
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup warm water

Ingredient substitutions!

• SHORT GRAIN RICE – Aborio rice or sushi rice are great here, but if you can’t find them, I suggest you use a different rice or grain and just cook it normally, as opposed to making a congee porridge.
• SCALLIONS – I like scallions because you can separate the whites from the greens. You could also do this with spring onion, but if you have neither, chives are a good sub! If you are only looking for herbs as a topping, you can use cilantro or mint as well.
• OLIVE OIL – swap this for any oil you have on hand, I just like it as a starter for the recipe!
• GINGER – you can replace this with pre-minced ginger or fresh garlic. The garlic will work well in both the congee and the gochujang paste!
• EXTRA-FIRM TOFU – I love replacing this with shrimp, cubed salmon, or chicken breast! Just sear it first as you would with the tofu, then finish it in the sauce. If you aren’t in the mood to sear, edamame is also a great sub here as well.
• AVOCADO OIL – for the protein-frying portion of the recipe, you just need an oil with a high smoke point. So any vegetable oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil will work here!
• RED ONION – while red onion is my favorite, you can also use shallots, yellow onion, the white parts of leeks or white onion!
• BUTTER – butter lends a nice richness to this recipe, but a vegan butter, ghee, or just more oil will also suit you just fine!
• GOCHUJANG PASTE – while this is the crux of the recipe, you can mix 2 teaspoons of gochugaru with 1/4 cup of tomato paste and get a similar flavor profile. You can also swap the gochujang for 2 tablespoons of Calabrian chili paste for a different recipe, but a similar heat!
• MIRIN – you can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave nectar in its place!

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few that use similar ingredients!

Gochjang Butter Salmon

This salmon recipe is sweet, slightly spicy, rich and tender, and done in no more than 30 minutes – and that's being generous. If you want a quick, delicious and impressive protein that's easy to make, this salmon recipe is it.

Check out this recipe

Caramelized Gochujang Tomato Soup

This Caramelized Gochujang Tomato Soup is unlike any you've had before – it's slightly spicy from a hit of carmelized gochujang paste and is deeply rich from slowly simmered tomatoes and just a touch of coconut milk. It's fully plant-based, easy to make and ready in minutes, making it one of the best tomato soups out there.

Check out this recipe

Honeynut Squash Congee with Poached Fish

This comforting congee recipe is a new take on the classic rice porridge. It's simmered slowly, but the process takes half the time of traditional congee, due to us starting with white rice. And while congee typically uses chicken stock, this uses water and finishes with a poached fish on top. Making it fully pescatarian, and still a full meal.

Check out this recipe

And that’s it for this Congee with Brown Butter Gochujang Tofu!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Congee with Brown Butter Gochujang Tofu

5 from 8 votes

Congee is a short-grain rice porridge and is one of my favorite ways to make a small amount of ingredients yield a large amount of (filling!) food. When I am looking for a comforting, healthy dinner, this simple congee and bright, warming gochujang tofu is easy to whip up. The tofu is seared and them simmered in the spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, and a little richness from the brown butter goes a long way. It's one of my favorite weeknight dinners.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Fusion, Korean

Keyword: brown butter, congee, gochujang, porridge, rice, tofu, vegetarian

Equipment

• 1 chef's knife
• 1 large pot
• 1 high sided sauté pan

Ingredients

For the congee:

• 1 cup short grain rice such as Aborio rice or sushi rice
• 6 scallions greens and whites separated
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, or canola oil
• 8 cups of water
• 2 slices of fresh ginger
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt

For the gochujang tofu:

• 1 16-ounce pack of extra firm tofu
• Avocado oil for frying
• 1/2 medium red onion 100 grams / 3.5 ounces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams / 1 ounce
• 1/4 cup gochujang paste 80 grams / 3 ounces
• 3 tablespoons mirin 45 mL / 1.5 ounces
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup warm water

Instructions

• Begin with the congee. Rinse 1 cup of short grain rice very well. Set aside.
• Thinly slice the white parts of 6 scallions, set aside. Thinly slice the scallion greens on an angle, an optional step is to add them to a bowl of ice water to crisp up. Set those aside.
• Set a large pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Let this heat up for a few minutes before adding the white parts of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes or until the white parts have softened and smell fragrant.
• Add 8 cups of water to the pot. Bring the water to a boil and add 2 slices of fresh ginger. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the rice, cover but leave cracked and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the congee has thickened. Begin checking and stirring it around the 30-minute mark.
• While the congee is simmering, prepare the tofu.
• Drain a 16-ounce pack of extra-firm tofu. Lightly press out any moisture and cut it into 1-inch thick pieces.
• If you have the time, lay these pieces on a sheet pan and cover with a lint-free dish towel or paper towels. Top with another sheet pan and a few books. Press out the moisture while you set up the rest of this dish. This is optional but creates a very crispy tofu.
• Thinly slice 1/2 of a red onion and set aside.
• Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Let this heat up for a few minutes before adding the tofu. Fry the tofu in two batches, letting each batch cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until deep golden.
• While the tofu is frying, in a small bowl whisk together the 1/4 cup of gochujang paste, 3 tablespoons mirin, 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger and 1 cup warm water.
• Remove the tofu from the pan and add 2 tablespoons of butter, let this melt then add the red onion. Cook, stirring often for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is fully softened and flecks of brown are forming as the milk solids in the butter toast.
• Add back the tofu and pour in the gochujang mixture. Bring this to a simmer. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half and is all glossy around the tofu.
• Check the congee. It should be thick like oatmeal. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, then taste and add more as needed.
• To serve, add the congee to four bowls. Top with even portions of the tofu. Garnish with the scallion greens.