Veggie Hot Pot

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth: in a large pot, combine 8 cups vegetable stock, 4 garlic cloves smashed, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 cinnamon stick. Simmer 30 minutes. Strain (or leave whole — your choice).

2. 2

   Prep vegetables: arrange on a platter — 2 cups bok choy, 1 head of napa cabbage chopped, 8 oz sliced mushrooms (shiitake, enoki), 2 carrots sliced, 1 cup snow peas, 1 cup broccoli florets.

3. 3

   Prep proteins: arrange on another platter — 14 oz cubed firm tofu, 4 oz of thin tofu skin, 8 oz of fresh noodles (udon or ramen).

4. 4

   Make dipping sauces: classic — 3 tablespoons soy sauce + 1 tablespoon sesame oil + 1 minced garlic clove + chili oil. Sesame — 2 tablespoons tahini + 2 tablespoons soy sauce + warm water.

5. 5

   Bring the broth to the table (use portable burner if you have it, or keep warm). Each diner adds vegetables and tofu to the simmering broth — cooks at the table, fishes out with chopsticks or strainer, dips in sauce.

6. 6

   Add noodles toward the end of the meal to cook in the now-flavorful broth. Slurp the final brothy noodles to finish. The interactive cooking is the experience.