Description
My frozen hot pot to meal prep is an easy, budget-friendly way to enjoy restaurant-quality hot pot at home by freezing prepped veggies and thinly sliced meats, ready to cook straight from the freezer into simmering broth.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables & Protein:
- 3 cups napa cabbage (~200 g or ~1/4 of a cabbage head), chopped into 2-3 inch bite-size pieces
- 1 pack (about 200 g / 7 oz) enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed
- 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (be sure to remove the stems as they are really tough)
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced pork belly
- 1 medium carrot, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
Broth Base:
- 4 cups dashi (or 4 cups of water + 2 tablespoons hondashi)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced into 1-inch strips
For Serving:
- Ponzu sauce (for dipping)
- 2 green onions, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
Freezer Prep Instructions:
- Take a large freezer-safe zip-lock bag.
- Add the napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, and pork belly (layer them in any order, it doesn’t matter).
- Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Label with the date and contents, then freeze flat for easier storage.
Cooking Instructions:
- In a large pot, combine the water, hondashi, soy sauce, doubanjiang, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Remove the frozen bag of vegetables and pork from the freezer and add directly to the simmering broth.
- Cover with a lid and let cook at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through and the pork is cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Serve hot, with a side of ponzu sauce and green onions for dipping.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2