Wellness Wednesday: Amy Kimoto-Kahn’s Green Vegetable Nabe

Amy Kimoto-Kahn hot-pottting at home with her family

We’re inviting some of our trusted nonprofit and Star Chef partners to take over the Bon Appétit blog and share their best tips, recipes, and fun links. This week’s guest curator is Amy Kimoto-Kahn, the author of Simply Ramen and Simply Hot Pots, who blogs at easypeasyjapanesey; Amy has also visited Bon Appétit cafés such as SAP’s to share a recipe and sign books. 

This is the perfect hot pot for those times when you need a good dose of heart-healthy green vegetables, but still want something warm and satisfying. It’s light enough to be served at lunchtime and comes together quickly as the vegetable preparation is fairly simple, just make the corn broth and sesame miso sauce earlier in the day or the day before.

I’ve chosen green vegetables like broccoli and asparagus that can all be eaten raw, but maintain their crisp natural state even after a few minutes in the sweet-and-creamy corn broth.

 

Amy Kimoto-Kahn’s Green Vegetable Nabe

Make in advance: Creamy Corn Broth (recipe below) and Sesame Miso Sauce (from Monday’s post) 

Preparation is tableside. This recipe is easy to scale up or down depending on the size of your group and hot pot. Just be sure that your hot pot is filled about halfway with broth. If the liquid reduces overtime, add more.

Skill Level: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

5 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal
3 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
6 curly kale leaves, stemmed and halved lengthwise
2 small broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size florets
8 cups (2 quarts) Creamy Corn Broth (see Note)
Snipped chives, for garnish
Steamed rice, for serving
Sesame Miso Sauce, for dipping

Directions

Arrange the vegetables on a platter and place on the table around the hot pot.

Heat a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot). Add the corn broth and bring to a boil.

Let guests add the vegetables on their own, swishing back and forth for a few minutes in the hot broth until tender and cooked through. As food is added, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a low boil.

Garnish with chives and serve with steamed rice and the Sesame Miso Sauce, for dipping.

Creamy Corn Broth Recipe

This broth gets its silky texture and subtle sweetness from fresh corn and its creaminess from the whole milk and heavy cream. It’s best made in late summer or early fall when corn is at its peak, but you can make it year-round with frozen corn. I also like this hot pot because it’s not too heavy. The chicken stock thins it out a bit and gives it the perfect consistency for hot pot cooking. This broth is not ideal for making ahead and freezing because of the dairy, but it comes together in under 30 minutes and is still easy to pull together on a weeknight.

Skill Level: Moderate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 cups (2 quarts)

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cups raw corn kernels (from about 4 cobs) or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken stock (you can substitute vegetable stock or broth)
1/4 cup shiro (white) miso
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Directions

In a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot). Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and nutmeg and cook until the corn is just tender, about 10 minutes more.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the corn is tender and the broth is very flavorful, about 10 minutes.

Scrape the broth into a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the broth until smooth. Use this broth for a hot pot or sip on its own.