Dash to the kitchen for Korean-inspired hot pot
Asian hot pots are typically DIY dinners with a communal bubbling broth and a selection of add-ins for diners to curate their own bowl. This style of personalized at-the-table cooking can be found in both homes and restaurants in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Make your own version of takeout at home with this streamlined Spicy Tofu Hot Pot recipe, using ingredients from a well-stocked pantry.
Hot pot is a quick-simmering soup that tastes best when made fresh. Having a well-stocked fridge and pantry that includes a variety of international ingredients brings flavor and flexibility into your kitchen and allows you to dash to your kitchen — instead of your phone — to get dinner on the table.
Georgia is home to one of the fastest-growing Korean communities in the United States. Duluth, about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta, has become Georgia’s Koreatown. The Atlanta metropolitan area is notable for its abundance of Asian markets, from small specialty shops located in strip malls along Buford Highway to megamarts in the suburbs. And many stores such as Kroger and Publix now offer Korean products, as well.
Korean-Inspired Spicy Tofu Hot Pot
Korean gochujang, a spicy paste made of chile powder, brown rice, fermented soybeans, sweeteners and salt, is a foundational ingredient in this recipe. If you can’t find gochujang, substitute equal parts sriracha and miso paste.
Bowls of hot pot are often topped with raw eggs, which cook in the piping hot broth. For food safety best practices, use pasteurized eggs.
- 1 tablespoon hot sesame oil, plus more for serving
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh ginger
- ¼ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang, plus more for serving
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu, cubed
- 1 baby bok choy, halved
- 4 green onions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
- 2 raw eggs, preferably pasteurized, optional
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
- Kimchi, for serving, optional
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.
- Add the tamari, gochujang and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add tofu, bok choy and green onions. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to simmer. Cook until the tofu warms and the bok choy wilts, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Ladle into warmed bowls. Add an egg to each bowl, if desired. Top with cilantro leaves and serve immediately with optional kimchi on the side.
Serves 2.
Per serving, with egg: 492 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 37 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 186 milligrams cholesterol, 2,486 milligrams sodium.
