Mushroom Hot Pot

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 cups mushroom broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (regular vegetable oil will do, too)
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 big pinch salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 -2 ounce dried shiitake mushroom (or a mix)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari to make it gluten free)
• 1 roughly chopped tomato
• fresh black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
• juice of half a lime
• cooked rice noodles or jasmine rice
• fresh cilantro
• fresh basil (thai basil if you can find it)
• grilled tofu (seasoned simply with sesame oil, black pepper and salt)
• roasted cashews
• cooked aduki beans
• thinly sliced sauteed seitan
• steamed broccoli or cauliflower
• finely sliced bok choy
• extra lime wedge

Recipe

• 1 preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. mix the cornstarch into the broth and set aside (this is easiest if you just mix it into about a cup of broth, then pour the rest of the broth in). saute onion and pepper in the oil with a big pinch of salt, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
• 2 add garlic, lemongrass, ginger and red pepper flakes and mix inches cook until fragrant, about a minute, then stream in the broth/cornstarch mixture and add most of the other ingredients: star anise, cinnamon, shiitakes, soy sauce, tomatoes and fresh black pepper. stir often for the first 10 minutes or so, until the cornstarch has thickened the broth a bit. now cover pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook covered for a good half hour, until mushrooms are completely softened.
• 3 add coconut milk and lime, and taste for salt. heat through and serve with fresh herbs and other accoutrement.