Chinese Hot Pot with Lamb Broth, Meats & Vegetables
This cozy Chinese hot pot is built around a rich lamb broth simmered with garlic, scallions, warming spices, and the incredibly flavorful Little Sheep soup base. Thin sliced meats, dumplings, tofu, mushrooms, greens, and chewy udon noodles cook right at the table for a fun interactive dinner that somehow feels both relaxed and special at the same time. Perfect for cold nights, family gatherings, or weekend hot pot parties.
Equipment
- Large stockpot (for building and simmering the broth)
- Stove or cooktop (for the initial broth cook)
- Ladle or soup spoon (for skimming and serving broth if needed)
- Knife and chopping board (lots of veggie prep here, nothing fancy)
- Mixing bowls or large platters (to organize vegetables, meats, and dumplings)
- Tabletop burner or portable propane hot pot setup (for serving fondue-style at the table)
- Hot pot or fondue pot (any heavy pot that holds heat well works)
- Tongs or chopsticks (for cooking and grabbing ingredients safely)
- Small serving bowls (for each guest)
- Strainer spoons or mini hot pot strainers (super useful for fishing out noodles, dumplings, and mushrooms)
Ingredients
Broth Base
- 1 packet Little Sheep Lamb Soup Flavored Seasoning Mix
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4-5 scallions white parts only
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
Vegetables & Add-Ins
- 1 cabbage 1 head Chinese cabbage roughly chopped
- ½ broccoli head cut into florets
- 1 spinach bunch fresh
- 2 cups tofu firm and cubed
- 3 tbsp Spanish onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups mushrooms chopped (shiitake, enoki, or preferred mushrooms)
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 1 auricularia fungus 1 package black tree fungus, rehydrated if dried
- 2 cups bean sprouts
Proteins & Carbs
- 2 pkgs bulgogi packages frozen hot pot meat rolls beef, pork, or lamb
- 2 cups pork dumplings Chinese
- 1 udon noodles 1 package of noodles separated
Condiments
- 2 tbsp hot sauce or chili oil optional
- Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil recommended for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Broth
- In a large pot, combine the Little Sheep seasoning mix, chicken broth, scallions, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours for the best flavor.
- If the broth reduces too much, just add a little more chicken broth or water as needed. Even a shorter simmer still tastes great honestly.
Prep the Ingredients
- While the broth simmers, wash and prepare all vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, noodles, and dumplings. Arrange everything on large serving platters or plates for easy access at the table.
- Keep the raw meats separate from the vegetables. Makes serving easier and cleanup less stressful later.
Set Up the Hot Pot
- Transfer some broth to a tabletop hot pot, fondue pot, or portable burner setup and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- A portable propane burner works especially well because you don’t have cords running across the table. Plus you can use almost any pot you already own.
Cook & Serve
- Add meats, dumplings, tofu, noodles, and vegetables to the simmering broth in small batches. Thin sliced meat cooks very quickly — usually under a minute. Dumplings and broccoli need a little longer.
- Try not to overcrowd the pot or the broth temperature drops fast. Small batches work much better and keep everything tasting fresher.
- Serve hot with chopsticks, small bowls, and chili oil or hot sauce on the side.
Don’t overcrowd the pot once you start eating. It’s tempting to throw everything in at once, but hot pot really works best in small batches. The broth stays hotter, the meat stays tender, and you actually get better flavour because everything cooks properly instead of just sitting in a crowded boil.Also—watch the meat rolls closely. They cook fast. Like blink and they’re done fast.
Notes
- The broth gets even more flavorful as ingredients cook in it throughout the meal. By the end, it’s honestly hard to stop drinking it straight from the bowl.
- Shiitake mushrooms add a deeper savory flavor, while enoki mushrooms give that classic hot pot texture.
- Udon noodles are best added near the end so they don’t soak up too much broth too early.
- This recipe is incredibly flexible. Swap vegetables, proteins, or noodles depending on what you have available. Hot pot is meant to feel relaxed and customizable.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 22gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 1391mgPotassium: 989mgFiber: 11gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 920IUVitamin C: 164mgCalcium: 325mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!