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These hot pot broth recipes give you a flavorful soup base for making hot pot at home with your favorite meats, seafood, and vegetables. Choose from light chicken broth, creamy miso soy broth, or spicy kimchi broth—all made with simple ingredients, without hours of simmering.
I’ll help you choose a broth and keep it tasting good as you cook, dip, and eat together.
Which hot pot broth should I choose?
Each broth has a different flavor, so choose one based on what you enjoy and what you plan to cook in it.
- Simple chicken broth: Light and savory with ginger and scallions. This is my most flexible option—it lets the ingredients’ natural flavors shine, whether you’re cooking thinly sliced beef, pork, seafood, or vegetables.
- Creamy miso soy broth: Mellow, savory, and cozy. My mom makes this every winter with soft tofu and white fish, which my dad loves. I also like mushrooms, tofu puffs, and skinless chicken in this broth.
- Spicy kimchi broth: Tangy, savory, and a little heartier. I especially like it with thinly sliced beef, mushrooms, silken tofu, and Asian-style fried fish cakes.
Each recipe makes a starting batch for four people, with refills added as you cook and eat.
How to make hot pot broth
Each of these easy homemade hot pot broths starts with a few simple ingredients. Here’s how to prepare them, with full measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
Simple chicken broth
You’ll need chicken stock, water, ginger, scallions, and shiitake mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon.
I dilute the stock with water to keep the flavor light. The broth should taste savory without overpowering the ingredients you cook in it, especially since dipping sauces add another layer of seasoning.
Lightly pound the scallion whites with the back of a knife, then fold the whole scallions in half. Add them to a 4–5-quart pot with the stock, water, and ginger. Cover, bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the scallions and ginger, and season to taste.
Creamy miso soy broth
This broth uses unsweetened soy milk, water, kombu, white miso, and shiitake mushroom seasoning. Kombu is dried kelp that adds a savory base.
Use plain, unsweetened soy milk. I prefer a thinner consistency without added starches or thickeners—it gives the broth the clean flavor and light creaminess I like.
Combine the soy milk, water, and kombu in a pot. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 12–15 minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar to help prevent the soy milk from boiling over. Stir in the mushroom seasoning and dissolve the miso into the broth. Keep the heat gentle to help prevent curdling; you can leave the softened kombu in to eat.
Spicy kimchi broth
You’ll need napa cabbage kimchi, scallions, avocado oil, gochugaru, chicken stock, mirin, and mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon. Gochugaru is Korean red pepper flakes.
I prefer fresher kimchi sold as a whole or half cabbage. I can cut it to the size I like, and the stems keep a little crunch after simmering. Save the kimchi juice when draining—you’ll stir it in at the end.
In a 4–5-quart pot, sauté the scallion whites and gochugaru in oil until fragrant. Add the drained kimchi and sauté for another 2–3 minutes. Pour in the stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the kimchi softens but still has some texture. Stir in the reserved kimchi juice, mirin, and seasoning, then garnish with the scallion greens.
Tips for enjoying hot pot
In my family, we cook a little, eat a little, and keep going. These tips work with all three broths.
- Start light and keep a gentle simmer. Prepare the broth on the stovetop, then move the pot to a portable stove at the table. Keep it gently simmering, adjusting the heat as needed. Go easy on seasoning at the start—the ingredients will add flavor as they cook, and you’ll have dipping sauces on the side.
- Give some ingredients a head start. Add cabbage stems, onions, and frozen tofu early because they need longer to cook. I also add tofu early so it has time to soak up the broth.
- Cook a little at a time. Add only what you’re ready to eat. Swish thinly sliced meat gently back and forth in the simmering broth until cooked through, then lift it out. Enjoy that round before adding more.
- Refill before the pot gets too low. I usually top up when the broth is around half its starting level, or sooner if there isn’t enough liquid to cook the next round. Taste first: add water if it’s too salty or concentrated, or use the refill combinations in the recipe card.
- Keep extra liquid warm. I keep extra broth or water in a separate pot over very low heat on the stovetop so adding it won’t cool the hot pot down too much. Add it gradually, then let the broth return to a gentle simmer before cooking more food.
- Use shared utensils. We keep cooking chopsticks, a ladle, and a strainer scoop for the pot. Keep your eating utensils in your own bowl—no double dipping.
Dipping sauces and finishing the pot
I love a dipping sauce with plenty of scallions and finely minced garlic, or a creamy sesame sauce. My mom always likes a splash of vinegar in hers. You’ll find both styles and more in my hot pot dipping sauces, so everyone can mix a bowl to their taste.
At the end of the meal, the broth has picked up flavor from everything we’ve cooked. That’s my favorite time to enjoy it. I like to crack an egg directly into the simmering broth and let it poach. My mom adds cellophane noodles to soak up the broth—a delicious way to finish the pot.
Hot pot broth recipes
Ingredients
Simple chicken broth:
- 2 whole scallions
- 3 cup chicken stock I use Pacific foods
- 1 cup water or to taste
- 0.1 oz ginger slices 2 long, thin slices
- Coarse salt to taste
- 1 tsp shiitake mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon powder
Vegan miso soy broth:
- 2 cups soy milk unsweetened
- 3 cups water
- 3×3 inch dried kombu (kelp)
- 2 tsp Shiitake mushroom seasoning
- 2-3 tbsp white miso paste
Spicy kimchi broth:
- 3-4 scallion
- 14 oz Napa cabbage kimchi reserving the juice when draining
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2-2.5 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 to 1.5 tsp Shiitake mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon to taste
Equipment
- 1 4-5 quart soup pot Such as Donabe, Stainless steel hot pot, or Dutch oven
- Chopsticks
- Soup ladle
- Portable stove optional
Instructions
Simple chicken broth
- Prepare the scallions: Using the back of a kitchen knife, lightly pound the white parts of the whole scallions to flatten them slightly and release their flavor. Fold each scallion in half and place the entire scallion, including the greens, into a 4–5-quart soup pot.
- Simmer: Add the chicken stock, water, and ginger. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Season: Remove and discard the scallions and ginger. Taste and season with salt and shiitake mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon powder as needed.
Vegan miso soy broth
- Simmer gently: Combine the soy milk, water, and kombu in a soup pot. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 12–15 minutes. If the lid does not have a venting hole, leave it slightly ajar to help prevent the soy milk from boiling over.
- Season: Add the shiitake mushroom seasoning. Dissolve the miso paste into the broth, starting with 2 tablespoons and adding more to taste.
- Keep over gentle heat: Maintain a gentle simmer during the meal to help prevent the soy milk from curdling. You can leave the kombu in the broth; it will soften as it cooks and can be eaten.
Spicy kimchi broth
- Prepare the scallions: Chop the scallions into rings, separating the whites from the greens. Reserve the greens for garnish.
- Prepare the kimchi: If using whole cabbage kimchi, place it in a large bowl and cut it into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears. Drain the excess juice into a bowl and reserve it.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the avocado oil in a 4–5-quart soup pot over medium heat until warm. Add the scallion whites and gochugaru. Sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 2–3 minutes.
- Cook the kimchi: Add the drained kimchi and sauté for another 2–3 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady sizzle.
- Add the stock: Pour in the chicken stock and stir to loosen any ingredients sticking to the bottom. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, about 5–6 minutes.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kimchi softens but is not mushy, about 5–6 minutes.
- Season and serve: Stir in the reserved kimchi juice, mirin, and mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the scallion greens.
Notes
- Servings: Each broth recipe makes a starting batch for four people. Choose one broth and have extra liquid ready for refills.
- Refilling: Taste first. If the broth is too salty or concentrated, add water. Otherwise, use these approximate ratios:
- Simple chicken: 3 parts chicken stock to 1 part water.
- Vegan miso soy: 2 parts unsweetened soy milk to 3 parts water.
- Spicy kimchi: Chicken stock.
- Add warm refill liquid gradually and let the broth return to a gentle simmer before cooking more ingredients.
- Storage: Strain the leftover broth and store any cooked ingredients separately. Allow the broth to cool, then transfer to soup containers and refrigerate. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers over medium-low heat until warmed through; stir the miso soy broth gently as it heats.
- The nutritional label is estimated based on the simple chicken broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hot pot recipes to try next
Ready to put together a meal? My vegan hot pot pairs the creamy miso soy broth with tofu, vegetables, and noodles. Or try my chicken meatball hot pot with homemade chicken meatballs for a cozy dinner.
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Love the simple chicken broth. So flavorful and easy to pair with our hotpot ingredients. A great broth. Next time we will the the spicy one!
Thank you so much!
We tried the spicy kimchi and the simple chicken broth for our hot pot gatherings with family and friends and everyone loved them! Simple to assemble and the flavor is excellent. Goes well with any hot pot toppings. Next time, we will try the miso ginger.
Thanks so much!