By Candice Vossler, RDN Owner of Thymeless Nutrition
Hot pot is a Chinese cooking method where ingredients are boiled in hot broth and eaten immediately at the table with a dipping sauce.
Hot pot is enjoyed year round but many prefer to have hot pot during the winter months. Hot pot is great for an easy family meal or a fancy group celebration. Everyone can choose what they want to eat and customize their own dipping sauce.
There are many options for broth that will suit a range of preferences. Want to keep it simple? Try a water or chicken broth. Like spicy food? There’s a spicy red broth for you. Are you vegan or vegetarian? Try a mushroom or vegetable broth.
There can be a single communal pot where everyone cooks their food or a divided pot allowing you to pick two options. At a hot pot restaurant, some may even offer individual pots of broth per person. DIY hot pot at home requires minimal preparation time. Boil the broth, thaw the meat, wash the vegetables, get the dipping sauces out, and that’s it!
All of your hot pot ingredients can be found at a Chinese grocery store. Find thinly sliced lamb, pork, chicken and beef in the meat section. Load up your cart with an assortment of Chinese vegetables such as baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, choy sum, Napa cabbage, and water spinach. Here’s how to pick and wash them. Don’t forget to add enoki mushrooms, fish cake, and your choice of noodles. This is just a short list of hot pot foods, there are many more ingredients you can add.
Tips for a Healthy and Safe Hot Pot Experience:
- At home, thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf 1-2 days in advance.
- Use different tongs or chopsticks to handle uncooked and cooked foods.
- Avoid mixing raw egg into your dipping sauce. Use sesame paste or peanut butter to get a creamy sauce.
- Lower Sodium Dipping Sauce Recipe: Mix low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil or sesame paste, cilantro or green onion, and chopped garlic. Start with one teaspoon of each and adjust to your preference. A little goes a long way.
- For a healthier broth, use plain water or a low sodium broth. The water will become flavored by the ingredients by the end of the meal.
- If you want to keep the leftover broth to use in other cooking, stick it in the fridge and remove the fat that floats to the top before using it again.
- Keep children away from the pot and heat source. Adults should do the cooking.
- If you’re eating out for the first time, start slow and order one ingredient from each category on the menu.
Whether you enjoy hot pot at home or go out to a hot pot restaurant, it’s truly a delicious and fun way to create memories with your loved ones.
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