Tofu Hot Pot

Hot pot has always been a tradition in my family on big holidays. Hot pot, or less commonly Chinese fondue, consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. Instead of eating a Christmas dinner or a traditional turkey for Thanksgiving, we would always bust out a huge pot and set it in the middle of the table, surrounded by a plethora of raw veggies and meat to throw into the soup broth. I love it when we have hot pot because 1. it’s usually a holiday or special day that we’re celebrating 2. it’s relatively quick and easy to make 3. it’s healthy!

Making this meal for one is not so fun since I was the only one eating it so I cooked it over the stove. This is another great one-pot meal as I just threw everything into a pot and let it simmer away. It didn’t take long to cook since I was using tofu, but if you are using thinly sliced meat, you might want to give it an extra couple of minutes. This meal was quick to prepare, and to give it  a little heat, I added a dab of chili-garlic sauce.

Tofu Hot Pot

Serves 2

• 2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon mashed ginger
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and sliced
• 3 small baby bok choy, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems and greens separated
• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Combine broth, ginger and garlic in a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms, carrots and boy choy; cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add tofu, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in vinegar to taste, soy sauce and garlic chili paste. Serve garnished with cilantro.