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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

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