Arroz Caldo (Thick and Creamy Rice) is a delicious Filipino chicken porridge made by cooking rice in chicken stock until it is thick and creamy. This classic comfort food is the perfect way to brighten up a dreary day while warming you up from the inside out, with a sunny array of condiments such as Calamansi, boiled eggs, and crisp garlic.
I think most of us would agree that there are few things more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of chicken soup, regardless of where we're from. In the Philippines, they take it a step further by adding rice to the chicken stock and boiling it until it thickens into Arroz Caldo, a thick porridge. It's part of the Lugaw family of rice porridge dishes, and although the name Arroz Caldo means "rice soup" in Spanish, the dish is based on Congee, which was brought to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants.
This rice porridge is cooked in the Philippines with chicken, onions, and ginger, making it far from bland, but it's the plethora of condiments that add bursts of vivid colors, contrasting textures, and complementary tastes that really make this dish crave-worthy.
