All the vegetables I used this time were leftovers I had on hand. With vegetable prices so high lately, I even split a single carrot over several meals. The baby corn was a less-than-perfect batch from the market, but it all worked out perfectly and tasted great. Start by boiling a pot of water. While the water heats, prep and cook the veggies. You can finish this big pot in no time—super convenient. Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces, slice the carrot, julienne the ginger, dice the onion and baby corn, and get the dried seaweed mix and bonito flakes ready. That's about it. Last time I made hot pot at home was during the pandemic—time flies! For reference: https://cookpad.wasmer.app/tw/%E9%A3%9F%E8%AD%9C/15142411

Add the julienned ginger directly to the hot water and simmer. I like a strong ginger flavor, so I cook it longer, but you can use less if you prefer. Another key ingredient is fried tofu puffs (oil tofu). They have a light texture and soak up the broth beautifully. I cut them into small pieces with kitchen scissors so they absorb more flavor and are easier to eat.

While prepping the veggies, you can also sear the pork soft bone. Most supermarkets sell it prepped and ready to cook. Sear the pork over medium heat until the surface is golden and fragrant—no need to cook it through. Once it's about halfway done, add it to the pot along with the cut tofu puffs to simmer together.

Next, sauté the ground pork. If you have pork strips, you can use those instead. I saved some ground pork from another dish. Sauté the ground pork with minced garlic and dried radish in the same pan (no need to add extra oil since there's leftover fat from the pork soft bone). Add a little black pepper for extra aroma, then transfer everything to the pot to continue simmering.

Now for the star ingredient: squid XO sauce. I used my last two tablespoons, including all the spicy oil. If the squid pieces are too big, cut them up with kitchen scissors. Use the XO sauce oil to sauté the carrot slices, which helps release their beta-carotene. It's a win-win!

Add the diced baby corn to the pan and sauté together. No need for extra oil. Once done, transfer everything to the pot.

Next is one of the key flavors in stone pot hot pot: onion! After sautéing the carrot and baby corn, the pan should be almost out of oil. Add 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil and sauté the diced onion until just translucent. Then add the onion to the pot.

Now that all the ingredients are in the pot, it's time to season. Add white pepper powder for soup, mushroom bouillon powder, and bonito flakes. Why bonito flakes? They really boost the flavor of the broth.

Finally, add the cabbage to the pan and sauté over low heat with the remaining oil until softened—no extra seasoning needed. Add the cabbage to the pot. The last key ingredient is the dried seaweed vegetable mix, which is ready to use. I add it when the broth needs a little extra depth and aroma—it really enriches the soup in no time.

When the broth is almost at a full boil, simmer for about 5 minutes until everything is bubbling. Turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning with more black and white pepper to taste. This fragrant stone pot hot pot soup is easy to make with just a nonstick pan and a soup pot. Sear the veggies and meat in batches, add them to the pot, and all the flavors get locked into the broth. The result is a naturally sweet, delicious soup without extra seasonings—so tasty!