Asian hot pot seafood (Printer-friendly)

Simmer fresh seafood and crisp vegetables in an aromatic Asian broth for a delightful shared meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth

01 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken or seafood stock
02 - 3 slices fresh ginger
03 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed
04 - 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and chopped
05 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
07 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
08 - 1 to 2 fresh red chilies, sliced

→ Seafood

09 - 8 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 - 7 ounces white fish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
11 - 8 fresh mussels or clams, scrubbed
12 - 5 ounces squid rings

→ Vegetables

13 - 1 cup napa cabbage, chopped
14 - 1 cup baby bok choy, halved
15 - 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
16 - 1 cup enoki mushrooms, trimmed
17 - 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
18 - 1 small zucchini, sliced
19 - 1 cup firm tofu, cubed

→ Noodles and Garnishes

20 - 7 ounces glass noodles or rice vermicelli, soaked per package instructions
21 - 2 spring onions, sliced
22 - Fresh cilantro for garnish
23 - Lime wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large pot, combine stock, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and chilies. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain out solids and return the clear broth to the pot.
02 - Arrange all seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles on separate platters for convenient access during the meal.
03 - Set a portable burner or induction cooktop at the table. Pour broth into a hot pot or wide saucepan and bring to a simmer.
04 - Invite diners to add their choice of seafood, vegetables, and noodles to the simmering broth. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until seafood is opaque and vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Serve cooked ingredients and broth into individual bowls. Garnish with spring onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everyone cooks at their own pace, so there's zero stress about timing and maximum joy in the chaos of choosing what goes in next.
  • The aromatic broth does all the heavy lifting—ginger, lemongrass, and fish sauce create magic with almost no effort.
  • It's naturally light and healthy but feels indulgent, especially when you're fishing out tender squid and silky noodles from the pot.
  • Perfect for feeding a crowd without spending hours in the kitchen before guests arrive.
02 -
  • Fish sauce smells intensely funky straight from the bottle, but it's supposed to—trust the process and trust your broth, because once it's all together, that smell becomes pure savory depth and nobody will identify it as the source.
  • Cold seafood added to hot broth cooks faster than you think, so if you're someone who tends to wander mid-conversation, set a quiet timer or you'll end up with chewy squid instead of tender—learned that one the hard way.
03 -
  • Buy your seafood the morning of, keep it on ice, and don't prep it until right before guests arrive—this isn't laziness, it's respect for the ingredient and your food safety.
  • If your broth tastes flat on tasting day, wait until you add fish sauce at the very end—it's the magic word that suddenly makes everything taste intentional and balanced.
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