Simple Chicken Garlic Soup For Vietnamese Chicken Soup Hotpot

Vietnamese chicken soup hotpot, also known as lẩu gà, is a tasty and comforting dish perfect for sharing with family and friends. At its heart, this hotpot consists of a simmering pot of broth kept hot at the dining table, accompanied by a variety of uncooked ingredients like proteins, noodles, vegetables, and dipping sauces. Diners gather around the bubbling pot, adding ingredients to briefly cook before fishing them out with chopsticks or a straining spoon to enjoy immediately. The communal and interactive nature of this meal makes it a fun, memorable dining experience.

There are two main types of broth for Vietnamese chicken soup hotpot – a mild, clear chicken broth or a fiery, full-flavored spicy broth. The ingredients added to the pot and the dipping sauces provided allow each person to customize their hotpot experience. Once you understand the basic components, you can tweak them to suit your own tastes. Read on for an overview of how to prepare and serve this fantastic Vietnamese hotpot.

Simple Chicken Garlic Soup For Vietnamese Chicken Soup Hotpot

The foundation of any hotpot is the simmering broth kept hot at the table throughout the meal. For Vietnamese-style chicken hotpot, you have two options – a mild chicken broth or a spicy chili broth. Whichever you choose, preparing it in advance ensures the soup has time to develop flavor.

Mild Chicken Broth

A light chicken broth emphasizes the pure, delicate flavors of the ingredients cooked in the hotpot. To make this classic broth:

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken stock
• 8 cups water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Cooking Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
3. Add sliced raw chicken breast and simmer for 10 more minutes until just cooked through.
4. Add rice noodles and cook 1 more minute.
5. Remove pot from heat and cover to keep broth hot for serving.

Spicy Broth

For those who like some heat, a spicy broth infused with aromatics and chiles really livens up this hotpot. To make a fiery broth:

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup tallow or oil
• 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)
• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
• Lime wedges for serving

Cooking Steps:

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add remaining ingredients and 8 cups water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove lemongrass. Squeeze lime juice into broth to taste.
5. Keep hot over low heat for serving hotpot.

Main Ingredients for the Vietnamese Chicken Soup Hotpot

One of the appeals of hotpot is the variety of ingredients that diners can add themselves. Offer a selection of uncooked proteins, noodles, veggies, and sauces to cook in the simmering broth.

Proteins

Thinly sliced or bite-sized raw meats and seafood cook quickly and absorb flavors from the soup. Good proteins include:

• Chicken – breast, thigh
• Beef – ribeye, sirloin, brisket
• Pork – shoulder, belly
• Lamb – chops, leg slices
• Shrimp
• Squid rings
• Fish – cod, salmon, tuna

Carbohydrates

Rice noodles and glass noodles become silky and tender after a quick cook. Provide:

• Rice noodles – flat or round
• Bean thread noodles
• Udon noodles

Vegetables

Leafy greens, mushrooms, and sprouts cook fast in the simmering broth. Offer:

• Bok choy – baby or regular
• Napa cabbage
• Spinach
• Mushrooms – oyster, shiitake
• Bean sprouts
• Green onions

Broth Variations and Customization

One of the best parts about hotpot is customizing your experience by trying different broths, ingredients, and sauces.

For the broth, you can keep it simple with the options above or get creative with mix-ins like:

• Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves – Southeast Asian flavors
• Ginger and orange peel – For an aromatic broth
• Tea bags – Green tea, oolong, or chai for subtle flavors
• Coconut milk – For a creamy, indulgent broth

When cooking ingredients in the hotpot, offer an array of homemade dipping sauces so guests can create their own perfect bite. Provide small bowls for mixing up sauces like:

• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Chile oil
• Hoisin sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Garlic chili sauce
• Peanut sauce
• Vinegar – rice wine, black
• Chili flakes

You can also set out garnishes like chopped peanuts, crispy fried shallots, cilantro, basil, mint, and lime wedges. Diners can grab a bit of protein or veggies, swirl in their favorite sauces, and garnish for customized noodle soup flavors.

How to Serve Vietnamese Chicken Soup Hotpot

Once your broth is hot and your ingredients prepped, here’s how to assemble and serve the hotpot:

• Set up the pot of broth on a portable burner or hot plate in the center of the table. Provide ladles for guests to fill their own bowls.
• Arrange ingredients in servings dishes or plates surrounding the hotpot so everyone can easily reach them.
• Provide small bowls for individual dipping sauces. Allow guests to mix and match flavors.
• Provide broth flavor boosters like chili paste, soy sauce, and fresh lime wedges.
• Supply diners with chopsticks, straining spoons, and small bowls for cooking ingredients.
• Encourage guests to grab raw ingredients like sliced meat, fresh veggies, and noodles to add to their personal bowls along with broth. Items will cook briefly right at the table.
• Once cooked through, use a straining spoon to remove ingredients from the broth and enjoy!
• Keep pot simmering so broth stays hot. Continue adding and cooking items as desired.

The communal, interactive cooking process is all part of the fun of hotpot. Encourage guests to sample different ingredient combinations and broth flavors for a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Additional Serving Equipment

While the bubbling pot of broth is the star of the show, you’ll need a few additional supplies to serve hotpot successfully:

• Portable electric burner or induction cooktop – Safely keeps broth simmering at the table.
• Extension cord – Ensures the hot pot burner can be centered on the table.
• Ladles – For guests to easily serve themselves broth. Chopsticks work too.
• Straining spoons or small mesh baskets – Help remove cooked items from broth.
• Small bowls – For guests to cook ingredients and make dipping sauces.
• Tongs – For picking up cooked meat and vegetables.
• Napkins or paper towels – The broth can get messy! Providing napkins helps keep diners tidy.

Many specialized hot pot sets come with built-in burners, adjustable temperature controls, strainer baskets, and even automatic broth dispensers to make hosting easy. But the basic equipment above allows you to create a DIY hotpot setup at home.

How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Soup Hotpot – Quick Summary

Vietnamese chicken hotpot is an interactive, communal dining experience centered around cooking fresh ingredients in a flavorful simmering broth. Follow these steps to make this fun meal:

• Make the broth – Prepare mild chicken or spicy chili broth in advance so flavors develop.
• Prep ingredients – Offer raw proteins, noodles, veggies, and dipping sauces for cooking in broth.
• Set up equipment – Use a portable burner and small bowls/strainers for cooking at the table.
• Serve hotpot – Pour piping hot broth into communal pot set on burner. Surround with ingredients and sauces for guests to customize their cooking experience.
• Cook and enjoy – Let diners grab raw foods to briefly cook in broth then remove to dip in sauces and enjoy on the spot.

The flexibility of the ingredients and broth in Vietnamese hotpot means you can tweak recipes to suit your tastes. Gather good friends, prepare a simmering pot of flavorful soup, and let the good times and good eats roll. This interactive meal is definitely one for the books.