Stomp out the stomach bug with this supercharged soup

For a family of five, it can take a minute to recover from a virus. One person starts, and their 48-hour thing becomes the next person’s 48-hour thing, and so on.

This holiday season, it was bad for us! December was basically the stomach bug that wouldn’t end. Last time I felt that ill, I was living in China, having caught the dreaded expat-itis. My Chinese roommate at the time was a gentle soul from Sichuan. She took care of me and introduced me to congee, the traditional Chinese answer to ailments of all kinds. It’s a recipe to which I frequently return, especially weeks like the past few. It's easy on the gut and helps rebuild the stomach lining and restore the body’s general immunity post-flu.

This recipe keeps well and can be experimented with and built on as one regains their appetite. On day two, try adding soft boiled eggs and well-cooked bok choy or mushrooms.

Oh, and my food-eating kids (3 and 1.5 years old) love it. Toddler moms, take heed!

Chicken and Ginger Congee

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 8 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup grassfed beef gelatin
• 6 chicken thighs (bone-in)
• 1 piece of ginger, about 1 inch by 1 inch (2.5 cm by 2.5 cm), peeled and sliced into large pieces
• salt to taste
• scallions for garnish

1. Rinse and drain the rice. Pour the rice into a heavy stock pot (a cast iron pot works great).
2. Add in the broth, ginger, and chicken thighs.
3. Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat. Add the gelatin (bloomed). Allow the pot to simmer, covered, for 1-1 ½ hours or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and has started breaking apart. It will take white rice about 1 hour.
4. Remove the chicken thighs into a bowl and allow to cool. When the chicken thighs are cool enough for you to handle, shred the meat and remove the bones.
5. Add the shredded chicken back into the congee and mix well.
6. Add salt, if desired. Soy sauce also fine.
7. Serve the congee into individual bowls and garnish with green onions, if desired.