Hot pot, the traditional Chinese dish, has become famous worldwide, with restaurants popping up in cities all over. It is believed to have started over a thousand years ago when the Mongolians, a nomadic people, would use their helmets for cooking soup over the fire and using whatever ingredients were available.
Since then, there have been many variations. Hot pot stock is made with water, spices, salt, and bones from an animal. Proteins such as seafood, beef, and chicken accompany the stock, along with vegetables, starch, and various condiments.
Can Hot Pot be Vegan?
A hot pot is easily made vegan by leaving out any animal products and instead opting for only vegetables, vegan protein, vegan broth base, and vegan condiments to build a delicious and satisfying stew that doesn’t lack flavor or variety.
Since hot pots are very customizable, making a hot pot at home makes it easy to accommodate different preferences and dietary restrictions.
Opt for all vegan options and ensure that the broth does not include any gelatin or animal by-products.
What Kind of Broth Should I Use for Vegan Hot Pot?
There are several choices for making vegan broth for your hot pot, including several homemade recipes with mushroom and ginger and store-bought options that range from spicy to mild and guarantee a good base for your soup.
You can use a store-bought spicy base like this one that is 100% vegan friendly, or try your hand at a basic broth that uses dried and fresh mushrooms along with mushroom bouillon.
Either way, your broth is essential in creating the most flavor for your hot pot.
How is Non-Vegan Hot Pot Broth Made?
Non-vegan hot pot broth is made by roasting animal bones in the oven, usually beef or chicken, and then combining them with water, vegetables, salt, and spices and cooking over several hours to develop a rich and complex flavor for the hot pot base.
When the broth is done cooking, the bones and leftover boiled vegetables are strained from the broth and discarded, leaving behind a flavorful liquid that is used for cooking and flavoring the hot pot ingredients.
What Ingredients Can I Use in My Vegan Hot Pot?
Using vegetables, vegan-based proteins, and vegan condiments in your hot pot will guarantee that your meal is 100% vegan friendly and can all be easily found in grocery stores, Asian markets, and specialty shops in your city.
Stick to vegetables with lots of flavor like the ones below to give your hot pot loads of flavor and lots of variety of color:
- Bok choy
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Napa cabbage
- Watercress
- Seaweed
- Daikon radish
- Potatoes
To replace the saltiness and umami of meat, find and incorporate vegan-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, and bean curd stick.
Mock meats that are entirely vegan can also be added, such as veggie balls, mock fish balls, and vegan fish tofu.
Add starch to the mix by finding a good noodle, like glass or thick udon. Using spiralized vegetable noodles is also an option if you would rather add more veggies into your hot pot instead of using a starch-based noodle.
Condiments are the final component to go along with the rest of the ingredients in a vegan hot pot.
Many traditional hot pot condiments include mostly vegan sauces such as:
- Soy sauce
- Chili oil
- Vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Fermented bean curd
- Minced ginger
- Garlic
- Minced herbs
- Shacha sauce
How Do I Make Vegan Hot Pot at Home?
Making a vegan hot pot at home doesn’t require a lot of tools to cook your broth and, subsequently, the rest of your ingredients right on your tabletop.
What You Need
A few things are essential to having a successful hot pot experience: a portable induction burner or propane burner, a heat-proof bowl with a divider, and chopsticks or large spoons.
You can also buy an all-in-one hot pot for your tabletop if you end up loving your vegan hot pot experience and you want to splurge on the tool, but it isn’t necessary. As long as you have some type of heatproof bowl to heat your broth and cook your vegetables and vegan proteins, your vegan hot pot will be a success.
How to Prepare
Prepare for your hot pot dinner by purchasing all of your items and prepping them to be cooked in the hot broth. Vegetables should be cut into small chunks to be uniform with one another and have short and similar cooking times.
To start your hot pot, heat the store-bought or homemade broth to a boil before turning it back down to a high simmer.
If you wish to make one side spicy and keep the other side mild, avoid cross-contaminating with your spoon or chopsticks, as the mild will quickly become spicy.
Adding the ingredients
Once the bone broth is at a quick simmer, you can add your vegetables, vegan proteins, and noodles to the broth, making sure not to overfill the pot, which will cause it to overflow.
As ingredients are added to the pot, you’ll notice that the simmer will slow down. Make sure to keep an eye on the heat to ensure that it is continuously adjusted to keep up with the added ingredients.
For Better Experience
The best strategy for enjoying your cooked ingredients is to eat them in courses so as not to forget what you have put into the hot pot and overcook your vegetables, noodles, or vegan proteins.
Accompany your vegetables, vegan proteins, and noodles with a small bowl of dipping sauce or a variety of condiments to complete your hot pot experience.