Chicken Congee

← All Recipes

Days 1–6

High Protein

Batch Cook

Low-Fiber

Why This Recipe

The problem with Days 1–6 of the FOLFIRI cycle is that the gut needs low-fiber, low-fat food, but protein needs to stay at 120–130 g/day. Those two requirements conflict with most food categories. High-fiber foods are out. High-fat foods are out. Raw vegetables are out. Most interesting food is out. Congee — rice cooked in a large volume of liquid until it breaks down to a porridge — solves this elegantly. White rice is inherently low-fiber. When you cook it in a 6:1 or 8:1 water-to-rice ratio for an extended period, it disintegrates into a slurry that is among the lowest-irritant foods possible. It was used in traditional medicine across Asian cultures precisely for gut recovery, and its functional properties are well-founded. The addition of poached chicken breast brings ~30 g of complete protein per bowl. The result is one of the few genuinely filling, high-protein meals that is safe on Day 2 of a FOLFIRI cycle. Cook this before the cycle starts. Reheat with a splash of broth or water to loosen it. On Day 1 or Day 2, the last thing required is standing at a stove for 45 minutes.

Ingredients

For the congee base

• 1 cup white jasmine or short-grain rice (do not use brown rice — the fibre content defeats the purpose)
• 6–8 cups water, chicken stock (low-sodium, fat-skimmed), or bone broth — broth adds flavour and gelatin
• 2 cm fresh ginger, sliced into coins (anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory — safe throughout the cycle)
• 1–2 garlic cloves (add only if making this for Days 5–6, not Days 1–3)
• Small pinch of salt

For the poached chicken

• 2 chicken breasts (~350–400 g total) — breast specifically, not thigh. Thigh has more than twice the fat content.
• Enough water to submerge — approximately 1 litre
• 2 slices fresh ginger
• 1 spring onion or small piece of onion (optional — FODMAP consideration on Days 0–4; omit if GI is unstable)

What to leave out on Days 1–4:

• No garlic, no chili, no high-FODMAP additions
• No sesame oil — fat content adds up
• No soy sauce beyond a small drizzle — sodium is already present in broth

Method

Step 1 — Poach the chicken
Place chicken breasts in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add ginger slices. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil, which toughens the meat. Simmer for 18–20 minutes depending on thickness. The internal temperature should reach 74°C (165°F).

Remove chicken and reserve the poaching liquid — this becomes your congee liquid, and it is now lightly flavoured chicken broth. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then shred with two forks or slice thinly. Set aside.

Step 2 — Cook the congee
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear — this removes excess starch and prevents excessive thickening. Add rice to a large pot with the poaching liquid plus additional water or broth to reach 6–8 cups total. Add ginger coins.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the rice has fully broken down and the mixture is smooth and porridge-like. The consistency should coat a spoon. Add more liquid if it thickens too much — congee should be pourable, not solid.

Slow cooker alternative: Add rinsed rice, liquid, and ginger to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. This is the batch-cooking method — set it the night before an infusion day and it is ready the next morning.

Step 3 — Combine and portion
Stir shredded chicken into the congee. Taste and adjust — small pinch of salt, a few drops of soy sauce or coconut aminos if needed. Divide into 4–5 portions. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze the rest in individual containers.

Reheating

Congee thickens significantly in the refrigerator. Reheat on low heat with a splash of water or broth added — start with 3–4 tbsp and stir as it warms. It will loosen to its original consistency. Do not microwave from cold without adding liquid — it becomes paste.

Additions by Cycle Day

Days 1–3 (base recipe only): Ginger in the broth is sufficient. Salt and possibly a few drops of soy sauce. Nothing else.

Days 4–5:

• A soft-poached egg stirred in: adds ~6 g additional protein and richness
• Small amount of thinly sliced spring onion tops (green part only — lower FODMAP than the white bulb)
• White pepper — black pepper is fine by Day 4

Days 6–9 (recovery, flavour reintroduction):

• A drizzle of toasted sesame oil (small amount — fat is manageable by this point)
• Sliced shiitake mushrooms cooked directly into the congee in the last 30 minutes: beta-glucans, immune support, appears on the nutrition calendar
• A tablespoon of miso stirred in at the end (do not boil after adding — kills probiotic cultures): umami, probiotics, sodium source

A Note on Garlic

Garlic is a focus food from Day 5 onward on the nutrition calendar, and it appears in congee recipes widely. During Days 1–4, garlic is a high-FODMAP irritant — fructooligosaccharides that feed gut bacteria and increase fermentation load when you are already managing diarrhea risk. If making this congee for Days 1–4, omit garlic entirely. If making a separate batch for Days 6+, garlic is appropriate and adds allicin, which has documented anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Fitting Into the Day

A bowl of chicken congee at lunch on Day 2 provides ~30 g protein in a form that is safe and filling. Combined with a morning whey shake (25 g) and Greek yogurt mid-morning (20 g), that is 75 g by early afternoon — leaving 45–55 g for a second protein source at dinner, which is achievable with another serving of eggs (18 g) or a second smaller portion of congee.

← All Recipes