I love hot pot and if you love hot pot, you’re surely familiar with the soup at the end. Once it gets cold out, I start craving that soup, the melding of so many flavors. It’s soothing and nourishing, exactly what the doctor ordered. But, hot pot is a group activity, a perfect way to have a lengthy relaxed meal with friends and family. Yet, I’m often stuck having lunch all by myself.
Even though I’m willing to spend a lot of time making elaborate meals for others, I rarely do that just for myself. For a weekday lunch, you just want it to be easy, fast, filling, and decently healthy. This is it, made in one pot, in roughly 10 minutes. There’s no chopping and it tastes just like Hot Pot Soup.
Ingredients
Most hot pot ingredients are either pantry items or frozen which makes this the perfect back-up meal when you don’t want to shop. There is a recipe at the end for how I made it this time, but as I go over the ingredients, I’ll give you lots of other options. Hot Pot has an endless variety.
I used fish balls with pork filling this time, found refrigerated or frozen at most Asian groceries. Often Chinese butcher shops will sell these as well. This is the first time I tried this brand and didn’t love it so ignore the label there. There are also fish balls without a filling, beef balls, cuttlefish balls, and shrimp balls. I love all of them and always have some in my freezer.
I used thin bean thread noodles, made from mung beans, sometimes called vermicelli. They are clear when cooked. You can use different types of noodles if you want. There are thicker ones and flat broad ones, and you could also go with a wheat noodle if you want something more filling.
Then there’s shrimp. I always like having some seafood and I always have shrimp in my freezer (defrost it first).You can use clams, squid, fish, whatever you like.
Chinese hot pot always uses thinly sliced meats, available in the freezer section. This time I used beef, but you can use chicken, pork, or lamb.
There’s still a ton of hot pot ingredients that I didn’t use, from tofu to fish dumpling, to spinach and napa cabbage, to taro and eggs. You can use whatever you want. It’s the meal you’re having by yourself and no one will see it. For me, the flavor of the soup, simply made with chicken broth, crushed tomato, and sa cha sauce is what makes it taste like hot pot to me. I realize this may vary for you because every family does hot pot differently, but I’d be honored if you’d try my hot pot and let me know what you think.
I will be making Single Serve Hot Pot Soup no less than 10 times this winter.
Single Serve Hot Pot Soup
~for one
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons crushed tomato (from can)
- 2 teaspoons sa cha sauce
- 3 frozen fish balls with pork filling
- 1 bundle bean thread noodles
- 3 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 2 thin slices beef
Instructions –
Bring chicken broth, crushed tomato, and sa cha sauce to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add fish balls and simmer for 7 minutes. Add bean thread and simmer for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for 1 minute. Float beef on top and remove from heat and serve immediately.
What a great idea – no need to break out the tabletop burner either!
This reminds me of what I just ate earlier called Sinigang. This looks a lot lot appetizing though. I love fish balls! I love any type of balls (no pun intended.)
PS. Never heard of fish balls with pork filling but it does sound so good.
Rylan, I’m not familiar with sinigang but I’m always game to try any soups. I love soups!
my kind of food! YUM!!