Can Hot Pot Be Vegetarian?
Eating a vegetarian diet is one of many healthy eating habits that can have a positive impact on both your health and the environment. There are many different ways to eat vegetarian, from following a strict vegan lifestyle to simply making meatless dishes. Hot pot is often on the menu in China because it’s so easy to turn meat into vegetables. It’s simple, tasty, and nutritious. But what about when you want to make hot pot vegetarian? Here are some tips on how to make hot pot vegetarian-friendly.
Vegetarian hot pot options
There are many ways to make hot pot vegetarian-friendly, but the easiest is to simply omit the meat from the broth. This is one of the simplest vegan substitutions you can make in your diet. If you want to get a little more creative with your vegetarian hot pot, try doubling the number of vegetables and adding tofu instead. You can also try using veggies like cabbage, celery, mushrooms, carrots, leeks, and even tomatoes in place of meat for a healthy dose of nutrients.
After boiling up your favorite assortment of vegetables in chicken or beef broth (beef makes it vegetarian), stir in some spicy chili oil or chili paste along with fresh garlic if desired. It’s as easy as that!
Create a vegetarian hot pot at home
If you want to make hot pot vegetarian, the easiest way is to simply create a vegetarian hot pot at home. There are many vegetables that can be used in hot pot like eggplant, mushrooms, carrots, spinach and more. You can also add tofu if you would like to. In addition to these vegetables, there are also ingredients like noodle sauce packets, frozen dumplings and soy sauce.
Eating out for vegetarian hot pot
Asking for a vegetarian hot pot in China is tricky. First, you have to know the term for vegetarian which is “chongcai”. Next, you need to be clear about what you want and what you don’t want in your hot pot. Saying that you don’t want meat usually is enough, but some restaurants will give you broth with bones or fish balls.
Some of the ingredients that make a hot pot vegetarian-friendly are tofu, mushrooms, green vegetables (beansprouts, cabbage), carrots, onions and garlics. There are also soy products like soy sauce and tofu which can be used in a hot pot. You can also find some vegetarian versions of wonton and dumplings at a Chinese grocery store which are easy to use in a hot pot because they cook quickly.
Conclusion
People who are vegetarian or vegan might think hot pot isn't for them, but there are plenty of options to please everyone. After all, hot pot is all about the broth. You can create a vegetarian hot pot at home with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and more. Eating out for vegetarian hot pot is easy too: just tell the waiter you don’t want any meat, and they’ll bring out all the fixings. Vegetarian hot pot is primed to be the next big trend.