Asian Hot Pot Noodle Feast (Printer View)

A festive Asian hot pot featuring aromatic broth, sliced beef, fresh veggies, and tender rice noodles.

# What you'll need:

→ Broth

01 - 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 4 slices fresh ginger
04 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
05 - 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces and smashed
06 - 3 star anise pods
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - 1 small red chili, sliced

→ Proteins

11 - 14 ounces beef sirloin, thinly sliced across the grain

→ Noodles

12 - 10 ounces dried rice noodles, medium width

→ Vegetables and Toppings

13 - 1 cup baby bok choy, halved
14 - 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
15 - 1 cup Napa cabbage, chopped
16 - 1 cup carrot, thinly sliced
17 - 1 cup bean sprouts
18 - 4 scallions, sliced
19 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
20 - 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
21 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

→ Dipping Sauces

22 - Hoisin sauce
23 - Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
24 - Soy sauce

# Method:

01 - In a large pot, combine beef broth, water, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, star anise, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and chili. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Strain to remove solids and return broth to a simmer.
02 - Soak rice noodles in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes until pliable, then drain thoroughly.
03 - Arrange thinly sliced beef, vegetables, herbs, lime wedges, and dipping sauces on large platters for table service.
04 - Set up a portable tabletop burner or electric hot pot with the simmering broth in a wide, shallow pot.
05 - At the table, diners add noodles, vegetables, and beef slices to the simmering broth, cooking them to desired doneness. Beef cooks in seconds.
06 - Ladle cooked items and broth into bowls. Top with herbs, fresh lime, and dipping sauces as preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everyone cooks at their own pace, so there's no stress about timing or reheating—just pure, interactive dining that feels like a celebration.
  • The aromatic broth works like a culinary time machine, filling your kitchen with those complex, layered scents that make people ask what you're making before they even walk in.
  • It's a one-pot situation that actually brings people together instead of trapping you at the stove while they eat.
  • Naturally dairy-free and endlessly customizable, so you can feed almost anyone without scrambling for substitutions.
02 -
  • If your beef isn't sliced thin enough, it won't cook through in those precious seconds—freezing it for exactly one hour is non-negotiable, and you'll thank yourself when you can get paper-thin slices without frustration.
  • Straining the broth isn't optional; all those aromatics will make the liquid cloudy and the flavors muddy if you leave them floating around, so take the two minutes to filter properly.
  • Don't add herbs to the broth early; they'll fade into nothing by the time you eat, so scatter them fresh into each bowl right before serving and watch how they brighten everything.
03 -
  • Freeze your beef for exactly one hour before slicing—any longer and it becomes rock-hard and impossible to cut, any shorter and it's still too soft; this single step changed everything for me.
  • Make your broth the morning of if you can and just reheat it at the table—the flavors actually deepen as everything sits together overnight, and it removes a step from your evening timeline.
  • Set out small bowls of each dipping sauce so people don't have to pass bottles; everyone gets their own access and you don't spend dinner playing condiment traffic control.
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