is a popular Filipino rice porridge dish that is made with chicken and broth, rice, ginger, and other vegetables. Its name is derived from the Spanish words Arroz which means rice and Caldo which means broth. Filipinos had a way of making rice gruels before when they were heavily influenced by Chinese traders. But it was until then that Spaniards came and brought together with them their style of making rice porridge and rebranded what Filipino have now as arroz caldo.

Filipino arroz caldo and Spanish arroz caldo are both rice porridge dishes, but they have some differences in terms of ingredients and flavor.

Filipino arroz caldo is typically made with any white rice, chicken broth, chicken, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and vegetables like onions and celery. It is often flavored with fish sauce and garnished with green onions and cilantro. It is a hearty and savory dish that is often served as comfort food in the Philippines.

On the other hand, Spanish arroz caldo, also known as "caldoso," is typically made with short-grain rice, chicken broth, and vegetables like onions, carrots, and peppers. It may also include meats like chicken or pork, and it is often flavored with saffron and paprika. Spanish arroz caldo is typically a lighter and more broth-based dish than Filipino arroz caldo.

The main difference between the two dishes is the type of rice used and the specific ingredients and spices used to flavor them.

You can use leftover rice to make arroz caldo. But if it is being served in big batches then you should use uncooked rice. In fact, using leftover rice can help to give the dish a softer, more porridge-like consistency, which is traditional for arroz caldo. You may need to adjust the amount of broth used in the recipe depending on how much rice you are using. It is also a good idea to add a little extra water or broth to the pot to help ensure that the porridge has a sufficient liquid base.

In this post(my first post in this community), I want to highlight how easy it is to cook Filipino arroz caldo with just a few ingredients available in your home. Let me walk you through the ingredients that I used.

There are 2 leftover foods I used here, first is rice and the other is fried chicken breast. With the only chicken available at home, this leaves me nothing to make for my chicken broth so I ended up buying a broth cube at the store. I used garlic powder for all my dishes. I just can't handle slicing, chopping, or mincing garlic cloves using bare hands. Also, I used long peppers for the added spiciness of the dish. Ginger and spring onions(the Philippines is still in an onion crisis) for the prominent smell of the broth and lastly I forgot to take a photo of the 500ml of water. Lol

Preheat the oil in the casserole then saute the ginger, spring onion, and chicken. Then slowly add the 500 ml of water.

When it simmers, slowly add the leftover rice and stir it until the rice crumbles evenly. You can add more water for a more brothy-like porridge.

I made the arroz caldo dish for the first time and my wife enjoyed it. We frequently have leftover rice at home as we often cook enough rice for the entire day to avoid having to cook dinner. Usually, we make fried rice for dinner but this time I settled for a soupier one.

Consider making this one for your loved ones especially if they like rice meals or soup. If you have any suggestions for the recipe, feel free to comment on them below. If you've gone far with this post, I appreciate your time.