Shabu Shabu
A Japanese hot pot where paper-thin beef and vegetables are swished through a light kombu broth at the table, then dipped in sesame and citrus sauces. Good for a slow, shared dinner.
Published 1 Oct 2026Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Wide shallow pot or electric hot pot, portable gas burner or induction plate for the table, sharp knife, small bowls, chopsticks or small strainer ladles
Method
Pour the cold water into the pot, add the kombu and leave to soak for 10 minutes. This draws out the savoury flavour gently.
While the kombu soaks, make the sesame sauce: whisk the tahini, 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and 1 tsp sugar with the warm water until smooth and pourable like thin cream. Divide among 4 small bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Make the citrus sauce: stir 3 tbsp soy sauce, the lemon juice and 1 tsp sugar until the sugar dissolves. Divide among 4 small bowls and top each with a spoonful of grated radish.
Arrange the beef in a single layer on a large platter. Arrange the cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, spinach, tofu and spring onions on one or two more platters, grouped by type.
Set the pot over medium heat and bring slowly to just below a boil, about 10 minutes. Remove the kombu as soon as small bubbles form around the edge, since boiling it can make the broth bitter and slimy. Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce.
Carry the pot to the table and set it on the burner at medium heat so the broth stays at a gentle simmer. Add the cabbage stems, carrot, mushrooms and tofu first and cook for 5 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the mushrooms are soft.
Pick up a slice of beef with chopsticks and swish it through the simmering broth for 10 to 15 seconds, until it turns from red to just pale pink-brown. Dip it straight into either sauce and eat. Cook only a few slices at a time and skim off any grey foam that gathers.
Keep adding vegetables and beef as you eat, putting in the spinach and spring onions near the end because they cook in under a minute. Top up the pot with hot water if the level drops.
When the platters are nearly empty, add the udon noodles or rice to the flavoured broth and warm through for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with a little soy sauce if needed and serve in small bowls.
Cooking tips
- Partly freeze the beef for 45 to 60 minutes before slicing, or ask the butcher to slice it on the machine as thin as possible. Thin slices cook in seconds and stay tender.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, so the beef does not turn tough and grey.
- Cook the beef in small batches rather than dropping in a whole plateful, which cools the broth and makes the meat clump.
- Use the sesame sauce for richer bites and the citrus sauce to cut through fattier slices.
Substitutions
- No kombu: simmer the water with a 3 cm piece of ginger and 2 spring onions, or use light unsalted chicken or beef stock instead.
- No mirin: use 1 tbsp water with ½ tsp extra sugar in the sesame sauce.
- No rice vinegar: use white vinegar diluted with a little water, or extra lemon juice.
- No mooli: use finely grated cucumber or thin spring onion rings in the citrus sauce.
- No Chinese cabbage: use regular green cabbage, cooked for a few extra minutes.
Serve with
"Serve with steamed short-grain rice if not using noodles, and a small plate of pickled cucumber or radish. Hot green tea goes well alongside."
Storage
"Leftover broth and cooked vegetables keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in a sealed container. Store the sauces separately for up to 3 days. Do not keep cooked beef for longer than a day."
Reheating
"Bring leftover broth to a simmer and warm the vegetables and noodles in it for 3 to 4 minutes until steaming hot all the way through. Do not reheat the sauces."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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