Vegan Sichuan Hot Pot Base Recipe| How to Make Spicy Hot Pot at Home

vegetable broth

🥗Healthier: homemade vegetable stock

💰Cheaper: water + bouillon cubes

Homemade stock enhances flavor without added sodium.

dried shiitake mushrooms

🥗Healthier: fresh shiitake mushrooms

💰Cheaper: button mushrooms

Button mushrooms are more affordable and widely available.

Sichuan peppercorns

💰Cheaper: black pepper

Black pepper provides a different but accessible flavor.

miso paste

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

Soy sauce can provide umami flavor at a lower cost.

Cut open the bag of mild Citron chili with scissors and shake out the seeds.

Soak the dried chilies in boiling hot water for 30 minutes.

Slice half a purple onion into thin slices.

Slice ginger and green onions into one-inch pieces.

Chop the cilantro in half.

Soak 3 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns in Shaoxing wine.

Break one Chinese black cardamom in half to release flavor.

Add 1 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 10 white cardamom, and 5 grams of fennel seeds to the mixture.

Add 1 tbsp of black sugar and 1 tbsp of fermented black beans to the spices.

Add 1/2 cup of Sichuan chili bean paste to the mixture.

Drain the soaked chilies and transfer them to a food processor, blending until it becomes a coarse paste.

In a wok or large pot, add 500 grams of canola oil and heat until bubbles form when testing with a chopstick.

Add the sliced aromatics to the hot oil and fry on medium-low heat until they start to brown.

Remove the aromatics with a strainer and add the chili paste to the pot, stirring to break it apart and frying for 5 minutes.

Add the soaked spices to the pot and stir, continuing to fry on low heat for 10 minutes until fragrant.

Add the Sichuan chili bean paste and fermented black beans to the pot, mixing well and simmering for 8 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Add Sichuan peppercorns and rock sugar, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

Turn up the heat and let the mixture cool slightly, observing that the chili paste and spices darken in color and mix with the oil.

Garnish with a few dried chilies and extra bay leaves before storing in an airtight jar.

To use the hot pot base, add one large spoonful to a pot and pour in vegetable stock to create a soup base, bringing it to a boil.

Drop in favorite hot pot ingredients such as Lotus root, tofu skin, enoki mushrooms, and baby corn, boiling until cooked.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens