My husband and I were recently introduced to a Korean barbecue & hot pot restaurant by a couple of friends of ours. There is a grill in the center of the table and warming stations in front of each place setting for bowls of broth/soup. The table orders a variety of meat, noodles, dumplings and vegetables and each person can create a concoction to their liking. It was such a fun experience, and we ate way more than we should have!
I love trying to recreate meals from my favorite restaurants at home and this is probably one of the easiest there is to recreate because there's no right or wrong way to do it! It all depends on what you like.
GENERAL INGREDIENTS:
- Broth
- Meat
- Noodles
- Dumplings - I have made my own in the past (maybe a future blog post!) but often opt for storebought frozen ones
- Variety of vegetables
DIRECTIONS:
Begin by cooking your meat selection(s). I usually opt for chicken or shrimp. Cook and set aside to add into the soup before serving.
Next bring the broth to a boil. You can do vegetable, beef, chicken - whatever suits your family best. I used 8 cups of broth for my family of 4.
I have used spaghetti noodles, angel hair and rice noodles for this meal - you can't go wrong with any of them, but I do think rice noodles are my favorite. Cook the noodles in the broth according to the package directions.
Add dumplings while the noodles are cooking. When to do this depends on what type of noodles you are using and their required cook time. Most frozen dumplings only require about 6 minutes to boil.
Once the noodles and dumplings are fully cooked, add the meat to the mixture; do not drain any of the broth.
Lastly, add your preference of vegetables. I typically prefer raw vegetables for an extra crunch but you can also cook them in the broth if you like. I like to add onions, bell peppers, and cilantro. Mushrooms, sprouts and carrots are also great choices! There is no one way to make this recipe; you can try something difference each time. As you can see from my picture, I also love to add red pepper flakes.
This meal is so filling and satisfying on cold winter days. Even my kids enjoy it and that's saying something! I hope you try it this winter!
