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–+ servings

Kimchi Nabe (Kimchi Hotpot)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 200 g slab skinless pork belly sliced into 5 mm, or shabu-shabu style/pork shoulder
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour for dusting
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp garlic clove finely diced
  • 1 tsp ginger root finely diced
  • 50 g onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 200 g cabbage kimchi napa cabbage kimchi, mild if possible
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar

Broth

Toppings

Instructions 

  • Season 200 g slab skinless pork belly with 1 pinch salt and pepper on both sides.
    thick slices of pork belly seasoned with salt and pepper
  • Sprinkle with 1 tbsp all-purpose flour and rub over the surface of the pork until evenly coated.
    thick slices of pork belly coated with flour
  • Drizzle 1 tbsp cooking oil into a heated frying pan (medium-low) and add 1 tsp garlic clove and 1 tsp ginger root. Fry until fragrant.
    frying finely diced garlic in a wok
  • Add the pork to the pan and fry until both sides are browned and the fat is a little bit crispy.
    stir frying pork belly in a wok
  • Add 50 g onion and stir fry until slightly softened.
    stir-frying pork and onions in a wok
  • Add 1 tsp oyster sauce, 200 g cabbage kimchi and 1 tsp light brown sugar. Stir fry for 1 minute.
    stir-frying pork, onions and kimchi in a wok
  • Remove from the heat and set aside for later.
    stir fried kimchi and pork

Broth

  • Add 800 ml dashi stock to a large pot and turn on the heat to medium.
    dashi in a aluminum pot
  • Add 2 tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase), 2 tbsp mirin and 2 tbsp sake, and bring to a boil.
    kimchi nabe broth base simmering in a pot
  • Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and add the contents of the pan from earlier.
    kimchi nabe broth simmering in a pot
  • Add 100 g enoki mushrooms, 150 g firm tofu, 100 g green cabbage and 30 g garlic chive(s), and top with ½ tsp dried red chili pepper, 1 tsp garlic chips and 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. Mix thoroughly.
    kimchi nabe with firm tofu, enoki mushrooms, pork belly and cabbage topped with garlic chives, fried garlic, sesame seeds, chili and kimchi
  • Simmer until the cabbage is softened and enjoy!
    kimchi nabe cooking in an aluminum pot
  • Optional: Enjoy the leftover broth with 2 portions cooked ramen noodles!
    ramen noodles in leftover kimchi nabe broth

Notes

The best kimchi is napa cabbage kimchi you enjoy eating as-is. Younger kimchi tastes brighter, while older kimchi is funkier and more sour and may need a touch more sweetness to balance.
Bouillon powder strength varies by brand, so start a little light and adjust gradually.
If the broth turns too sour/salty, dilute with water first, then rebalance with a small pinch of sugar for roundness or a bit more miso for depth.
If you have two burners, start heating the dashi/soup base while you stir-fry the pork-kimchi base to shorten cooking time.
Keep kimchi nabe at a gentle simmer (small, steady bubbles), not a rolling boil, and skim any foam early.
Never add raw noodles! Pre-cook the noodles separately before adding so the broth doesn't turn gummy and starchy.
Recommended serving option: Cooked plain Japanese rice.
Note: In Japanese hot pot dishes, the soup is not consumed in full. Nutritional values are calculated assuming 50% of the soup is consumed.