Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Herbal Mushroom Hot Pot Broth

By Eric Sze
Hot pot filled with herbal mushroom broth
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones

This comforting hot pot base gets plenty of umami from mushrooms and alliums, which means there’s no need for meat. Chef Eric Sze of New York City’s 886 and wenwen likes pairing a mild, refreshing broth like this one with a spicier broth in a divided pot because switching between the two “makes your palate dance,” Sze explains. If you want to spice up this broth, however, you can add 4 Tbsp. Pixian chili bean paste and 15 dried chao tian jiao (or dried chiles de árbol) and cook for 2 minutes before adding the onions. Even if you aren’t making hot pot, you can use this broth as a flavorful (and vegan!) base for stews, soups, braises—or just something comforting to sip on.

Read our ultimate guide to making hot pot at home here.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 2½ quarts

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. assorted mushrooms (such as shiitake, king oyster, and/or portobello), thinly sliced
2 large onions, cut into 2" pieces
5 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled
2 bunches scallions, coarsely chopped, plus more cut into 3" pieces for serving
½ large head of Napa cabbage, sliced crosswise ½" thick
2 large leeks, cut into 2" pieces
1 3" piece ginger, scrubbed, cut into 1" pieces
½ cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine), michiu, or dry sake
1 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms (about 8 large)
½ oz. white rock sugar or 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 pitted dried jujubes (Chinese red dates), plus more for serving
⅛ oz. dried sliced dang gui (angelica root), plus more for serving
2 Tbsp. dried goji berries, plus more for serving
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high. Cook fresh mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5–8 minutes. Add onions, shallots, garlic, and chopped scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and lightly browned, 12–15 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add cabbage, leeks, ginger, and wine; cook, stirring, until cabbage is softened, 5–8 minutes. Add dried shiitakes, rock sugar, 3 jujubes, ⅛ oz. dang gui, and 2 Tbsp. goji berries. Pour in 10 cups cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover pot and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, 1 hour.

    Step 3

    Scoop out solids from broth with a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Pick out mushrooms and set aside in a small bowl for serving; discard remaining solids.

    Step 4

    Stir 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt into broth; taste and season with more salt if needed. Top with more jujubes, dang gui, goji berries, and scallions.

    Do ahead: Broth (without toppings) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.

    A golden hot pot bowl with two broths and a ladle for serving

    Why serve hot pot with just one broth when you can have two? Get the recipe for Eric Sze’s Mala Beef Broth here.

    Photograph by Jenny Huang, Food styling by Tyna Hoang, Prop styling by Nicole Louie
TagsDinnerVegetarianVeganStockTaiwaneseEast AsianAsianShiitake MushroomMushroomVegetablePortobello MushroomNapa CabbageCabbageLeafy GreensLunar New YearMainBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Baan Mae’s Thom Khem Thaohu
Slowly caramelized sugar, sweet lychees, warming spices, and fiery ginger create the perfect base for tofu to simmer in.
Mushroom Bourguignon
In this mushroom bourguignon, a vegetarian take on a French classic, earthy fungi braise in a wine-rich umami broth with pearl onions and tender carrots.
Sweet-and-Spicy Squash With Scallion Oil
Roasted squash loses its bland reputation and turns glossy and fragrant thanks to a gingery miso-glaze and a quick scallion oil.
Spicy Eggplant Frittata
Silky Japanese eggplant and fiery serrano chile unite in this no-fuss frittata that’s brunch-ready, dinner-worthy, and wildly good.
Gingery Pork Stuffed Tomatoes
We reimagined pork dumplings as a filling for juicy stuffed tomatoes.
Caramelized Shallots
A buttery white wine glaze makes these an ideal holiday side, but leftovers are just as good on a cheeseboard or sandwich.
SEO Dek: Seared and simmered in white wine and chicken broth, these buttery caramelized shallots are an ideal holiday side dish. Stack the leftovers on a sandwich.
Camélia’s Sweet Potato Gratin
With salty-sweet miso butter, chives, and savory flakes of nori, this cheesy sweet potato gratin recipe bears little resemblance to traditional versions.
Beans and Greens With Halloumi Cheese Crumbles
Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.