Tomato hotpot: a mild, rich hotpot for everyone

A steaming pot in the middle of the table, filled with a rich tomato broth, fresh vegetables, meat, tofu, and noodles. Tomato hotpot is a delicious and accessible way to make hotpot at home.

The combination of ripe tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and broth creates a full, savory flavor with a slight natural sweetness. Furthermore, unlike many Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot varieties, tomato hotpot doesn't have to be spicy at all.

The great thing is that you can easily make the soup base yourself with ingredients you can find at the supermarket.

In this recipe, we'll show you step-by-step how to make a flavorful tomato hotpot yourself, what ingredients pair well with it, and how to serve the meal at the table.

What is tomato hotpot?

Tomato hotpot is a hotpot where tomato forms the base of the broth. The tomatoes are combined with aromatic ingredients and broth to create a full soup base.

During the meal, you continuously cook small portions of meat, fish, tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, and noodles in it.

The ingredients release their own flavors into the broth, making it richer and richer throughout the meal.

Tomato hotpot is therefore not just a dish, but above all a way to eat together.

Why tomato hotpot?

Tomato is an excellent base for hotpot because its flavor is accessible and versatile.

The broth itself is mild but has enough flavor to combine various ingredients. This makes tomato hotpot suitable for people who don't like spicy food, but also for enthusiasts who like to add some chili or a spicy dipping sauce.

Moreover, you can easily adjust the soup base.

Want it richer? Add extra tomato. Prefer it a bit spicier? Add chili. More umami? For example, use some mushrooms or a splash of soy sauce.

Tomato hotpot recipe

Ingredients for 2–4 people

For the tomato broth:

• 5–6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 liter chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A piece of fresh ginger about 3 cm long
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt to taste
• Optional: chili pepper or chili oil

For the hotpot:

• 200–300 g thinly sliced beef
• 150 g tofu
• 150 g mushrooms
• 1 bok choy
• 100–150 g Napa cabbage
• Corn to taste
• Dumplings of your choice
• 100–150 g noodles

Of course, you can adjust the ingredients to your own taste. Shrimp, chicken, lotus root, spinach, and various types of noodles also pair excellently with tomato broth.

How to make the tomato broth

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

Cut the tomatoes into coarse pieces.

Finely chop the garlic and slice the ginger thinly. Also, finely chop the spring onion and set aside the green part for later.

Step 2: Sauté the aromatics

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan.

Sauté the garlic, ginger, and the white part of the spring onion briefly. Then add the tomato paste and fry it for about one minute.

By briefly frying the tomato paste, the base gets a deeper and richer flavor.

Step 3: Add the tomatoes

Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté them for a few minutes until they start to soften.

Mash the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon if necessary to release their juices.

Step 4: Add the broth

Pour the broth over the tomatoes.

Then add the soy sauce and sugar. Bring everything to a boil and let the broth simmer gently for about 15–20 minutes.

Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Want a spicy tomato hotpot? Add chili pepper or chili oil to taste.

Step 5: Smooth the broth

Do you want a smooth tomato broth? Use an immersion blender to briefly purée the tomatoes.

You can also leave the broth coarser. Then small pieces of tomato will remain in the soup.

Both variants are delicious; it's mainly a matter of personal preference.

How to prepare the hotpot

When the tomato broth is ready, pour it into your hotpot pan and bring it back to a good boil.

Arrange all ingredients in separate bowls around the pan.

Everyone can now add ingredients themselves.

Thinly sliced beef, for example, only needs to cook briefly. Tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables take a little longer. Dumplings and firm vegetables may need a bit more time.

Cook small portions at a time so that the broth continues to boil well.

Which ingredients pair well with tomato hotpot?

Tomato broth pairs well with both meat and vegetables.

Beef

Thinly sliced beef is one of the best combinations. The meat cooks quickly and immediately takes on the flavor of the tomato broth.

Tofu

Tofu absorbs the broth well and provides a soft texture.

Mushrooms

Shiitake, enoki, and button mushrooms add extra umami and make the broth even richer.

Bok choy and Napa cabbage

These vegetables cook quickly and pair well with the fresh and savory taste of tomato.

Dumplings

Dumplings are ideal for hotpot. They also add extra flavor to the broth.

Noodles

Preferably add noodles at the end. By then, the broth will have become extra rich due to all the ingredients cooked in it.

Which dipping sauce pairs well with tomato hotpot?

A simple dipping sauce is often enough.

For example, mix:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• finely chopped garlic
• finely sliced spring onion

For a bit of extra spice, you can add chili oil.

The fun thing about hotpot is that everyone can make their own dipping sauce. This way, you can eat the same ingredients in a different way each time.

Don't feel like making the broth yourself?

Making your own tomato hotpot broth is not difficult at all, but it does require some preparation, of course.

Do you mainly want to be able to sit down to eat quickly? Then you can also choose our ready-made Tomato Hotpot Soup Base.

You then only need to heat the soup base, prepare your favorite ingredients, and the hotpot can begin.

This way, you have the convenience of a ready-made base, without having to compromise on a cozy hotpot evening.