Recipe Highlights
My son is all the time juggling learning, work, and a social life, so I taught him to meal prep his favourite scorching pot. He packs particular person containers of greens, rooster, fried tofu, and mushrooms and stashes them within the freezer. They’re able to cook dinner after a protracted day.
A weeknight nabe takes nearly no effort. With a frozen Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep equipment, a fast dashi broth, and seasonings, dinner is on the desk in 10 minutes.
- Prep as soon as, eat six instances – makes 6 particular person frozen kits
- Cook dinner straight from frozen – no defrosting wanted
- Absolutely customizable – swap it up with in-season greens and your favourite proteins
If you happen to love nabe and Japanese scorching pot, attempt my Sukiyaki Recipe, Mille-Feuille Nabe, and Chanko Nabe recipes subsequent!
What’s Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep?
Japanese scorching pot, or nabe (鍋), is a one-pot dish in Japanese cooking the place proteins, tofu, and greens simmer collectively in a light-weight, savory broth. This meal prep model helps you to pack and freeze particular person kits forward of time, then cook dinner them straight from frozen. Nabe is right for meal prep as a result of a lot of the elements freeze properly with out texture loss.
Substances for Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep
- boneless, skinless rooster thighs
- aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms
- shiitake mushrooms
- shungiku (chrysanthemum greens)
- napa cabbage
- kabocha squash
- daikon radish
- carrots
- Tokyo negi (lengthy inexperienced onion)
Keep away from freezing: Tofu, potatoes, Japanese candy potatoes, konnyaku, shirataki noodles, and iceberg lettuce
Word: Deep-fried tofu corresponding to aburaage and atsuage are the exception.
Broth:
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
How you can Make Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep
- Prep the elements. Minimize the rooster, greens, mushrooms, and aburaage to measurement.
- Pack the containers and freeze. Line containers with parchment paper and layer within the elements. Seal the lids and freeze. You’ll be able to alternatively use freezer-safe plastic baggage.
- Make the broth. When able to cook dinner, add water and a dashi packet to a pot or donabe. Carry to a boil, steep for two–3 minutes, then discard the packet. Add mirin and soy sauce.
- Cook dinner. Add the frozen scorching pot equipment to the broth, mushroom facet dealing with up. Cowl and simmer 8–10 minutes—till the rooster is opaque and cooked by means of and the cabbage is tender.
- Serve. Get pleasure from with ponzu, if desired.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
These easy suggestions will enable you make Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep kits completely each time.
- Line the containers with parchment paper. It makes the frozen block simple to take away. Let it sit for 3 minutes earlier than releasing. If wanted, run a butter knife alongside the edges to loosen earlier than tipping out.
- Layer with texture in thoughts. Place dense greens like napa cabbage and daikon on the backside of the pot in order that they get probably the most warmth. Tender greens and mushrooms go on prime.
- Cook dinner straight from frozen. Don’t defrost earlier than including to the pot. Placep the frozen block immediately within the boiling broth. This retains the greens from getting waterlogged.
- Steep the dashi packet like a tea bag. Don’t open it. To make inventory, add the packet to chilly water, carry it to a boil, simmer, and discard the packet.
- Use glass containers with hermetic lids. They stop freezer odors from transferring and make stacking simple. Every container holds one full serving.
Variations and Customizations
Seeking to change issues up? Attempt these simple and engaging concepts!
- Swap the protein. Change the rooster with thinly sliced beef, pork, salmon, cod, scallops and seafood, fish balls, rooster meatballs, or fried tofu for a vegan model.
- Change up the mushrooms. Enoki, maitake, or oyster mushrooms maintain up properly on this broth.
- Attempt totally different greens. Spinach, bok choy, kale, or watercress can sub for chrysanthemum greens if it’s exhausting to seek out.
- Season the broth in a different way. For extra selection, discover different nabe broth types—miso, sesame, or spicy.
See my full Nabe: Your Final Japanese Sizzling Pot Information for broth, protein, vegetable, and condiment concepts.
How you can Serve Japanese Sizzling Pot Meal Prep
I serve this with a dipping sauce on the facet to let everybody season their bowl to style. Listed below are my picks:
- Do-it-yourself Ponzu Sauce – A citrusy, soy-based dipping sauce that cuts by means of the richness of the broth. Mild and refreshing.
- Sesame Sauce (Goma Dare) – Nutty, wealthy, and creamy. A satisfying distinction to the clear broth. See How you can Make Sesame Sauce at residence.
- Shime (〆) Course – Add cooked Japanese short-grain rice or precooked udon noodles to the remaining broth and simmer till warmed by means of. It’s the most effective half.
Storage and Reheating Suggestions
To retailer the prepped kits: Retailer in containers lined with parchment paper and seal with hermetic lids. Freeze for as much as 1 month, or maintain within the fridge and use inside 1–2 days.
To retailer cooked leftovers: Refrigerate for as much as 2–3 days. Don’t refreeze.
To reheat: Return to a pot with a splash of water or broth and heat over medium-low warmth till heated by means of.
FAQs
Can I exploit a unique broth?
Do I actually add the elements straight from frozen?
Sure! A frozen scorching pot equipment contains each dense and leafy greens cooked collectively. Whereas not preferrred for texture, it’s designed for comfort—leafy greens maintain up properly as they cook dinner and readily take in the broth.
Why did the feel of the elements change after freezing?
Ice crystals kind inside and puncture the cell partitions. As soon as thawed, the cells can’t maintain their form, so the feel modifications—typically turning comfortable, spongy, or grainy.
See the ingredient checklist above for ideas.
What number of servings does one equipment make?
Every container holds one full serving. This recipe makes 6 kits whole.
I’d love to listen to how yours turned out! 💛 Please depart a star score and remark beneath to share your expertise. Your suggestions not solely helps Simply One Cookbook but in addition helps different residence cooks uncover recipes they’ll belief.
Forestall your display from going darkish
For the Sizzling Pot Substances
-
Collect all of the elements. Some elements do not freeze properly—the feel can flip comfortable, spongy, or grainy. See Notes beneath.
To Put together the Substances
-
Minimize ¼ medium kabocha squash crosswise in half, then into skinny slices. Nami’s Tip: For my finest suggestions and step-by-step directions, see How you can Minimize a Kabocha Squash.
-
Minimize 4 inches daikon radish in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ⅜-inch (1-cm) half moons. Minimize 1½ medium carrots diagonally into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices.
-
Take away the core from ¾ medium napa cabbage. Minimize the leaves crosswise into 1½-inch (3.75 cm) items. Separate the tender leaves and thick white components.
-
Minimize 1 bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) into 2-inch (5-cm) items. Diagonally slice 1 Tokyo negi (lengthy inexperienced onion) thinly.
-
Minimize off the stems from 12 shiitake mushrooms. Make an ornamental sample on the caps, if desired. Minimize off the foundation finish from 1½ packages shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms and separate them into small clumps along with your fingers.Nami’s Tip: It is fairly simple to brighten shiitake caps. Observe my step-by-step tutorial for How you can Make a Flower Sample on Shiitake Mushroom Caps.
-
Minimize 3 items aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) items. Slice 3 items boneless, skinless rooster thighs into bite-size chunks about 2 inches (5 cm).
To Freeze
-
Retailer the recent pot kits within the freezer for as much as 1 month.Nami’s Tip: To refrigerate as a substitute, use inside 1–2 days.
To Cook dinner (One Serving)
-
Collect the broth elements and one frozen meal prep container. Don’t defrost—cook dinner straight from frozen. Let it sit for 3–5 minutes earlier than releasing.
-
Add 2 cups water and 1 dashi packet (don’t open it) to a donabe or pot. Carry to a boil over medium warmth. Shake the packet a couple of instances, then scale back to medium low and simmer for 2–3 minutes.Nami’s Tip: Use the dashi packet like a tea bag to steep taste into the recent water.
-
Discard the packet. Add 1 Tbsp mirin and 2 Tbsp soy sauce to the inventory. Stir to mix and convey it to a mild boil.
-
Take away the frozen scorching pot elements from the container. If wanted, run a butter knife alongside the edges to loosen earlier than tipping out. Peel off the paper lining.
-
Add the frozen block to the boiling broth, mushroom facet up and napa cabbage facet down. Cowl and simmer for 10 minutes, till the rooster is opaque and cooked by means of and the greens are tender.
To Serve
-
The new pot is flavorful by itself, however Ponzu Sauce makes an incredible dipping sauce if desired.
Variations and Customizations
Seeking to change issues up? Attempt these simple and engaging concepts!
- Swap the protein. Change the rooster with thinly sliced beef, pork, salmon, cod, scallops and seafood, fish balls, rooster meatballs, or fried tofu for a vegan model.
- Change up the mushrooms. Enoki, maitake, or oyster mushrooms all maintain up properly on this broth.
- Attempt totally different greens. Spinach, bok choy, kale, or watercress can sub for shungiku if it’s exhausting to seek out.
- Make good selfmade dashi. Attempt our traditional Awase Dashi or Vegan Dashi in simply 20 minutes.
- Season the broth in a different way. For extra selection, discover different nabe broth types—miso, sesame, or spicy.
See my full Nabe: Your Final Japanese Sizzling Pot Information for broth, protein, vegetable, and condiment concepts.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @justonecookbook on Instagram so we are able to see your scrumptious creation!