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Having some fun today with this Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema.

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

Have you guys ever had hot pot? I am personally fairly new to the concept, but after making my first Pho a few weeks back, I was hooked on the idea.

In fact, according to the experts at McCormick Hot Pot is one of the key trends in their 2018 Flavor Forecast!

If you’re too are new to the concept, hot pot is traditionally a Chinese soup consisting of simmering Asian flavored broth that’s served at the dinner table. While the broth simmers, you add different ingredients like meats and veggies to the hot broth, which cook up right at the table. The broth is usually ladled over noodles, like in a classic Pho recipe.

I think of Hot Pot kind of like the soup version of fondue. It’s a really fun dish to entertain with, and allows for guests to customize their own bowls of soup.

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

We’ve been having a lot of really cold, wintery days here in Colorado, and I have been craving the warm, spicy flavors of Mexican based soups. I was inspired by the idea of Hot Pot, but wanted to create a Mexican version and I am so excited to tell you guys about it!

My first try was made a few weeks ago, when we had a lot of people in town. I thought it would fun to have everyone serve themselves and create their own bowls of soup. It was such a hit that I knew I had to perfect the recipe a bit and then share it with you guys. So happy that I finally got everything just right, because this is the perfect winter recipe for a fun night in by the fire with friends and family.

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

Here’s how this works.

Start out by making the broth. I decided to go with a spicy tomatillo and tomato based broth with flavors inspired by a classic Pozole using Kitchen Basics Chicken stock for a rich base flavor. It’s very simple, but super flavorful. Once the broth is made, it’s time to prepare your add-ins and toppings. These are the most import part of your hot pot, so make sure you have plenty to choose from.

I used very thinly sliced chicken breast and hominy for my add-ins. The idea is that you add these to the simmering broth just before ladling the soup into your bowls. Of course you want to make sure the chicken is cooked through before serving, but that should take around three to five minutes.

You can also choose to add rice to your bowls before adding the broth…you know me, I of course added some rice. Then once you have your broth ready, it’s time for toppings. Here are my suggestions.

  • homemade avocado crema, actually this is a must.
  • pickled red onions
  • tortilla chips
  • fresh cilantro
  • crumbed queso fresco
  • jalapenos
  • plenty of limes

The toppings are where you can really have some fun and be creative using ingredients you love!

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

As I mentioned, this is the perfect dish to serve a crowd, but could also be a fun dinner for two. Either way you serve it up, it’s going to be delicious.

I’ve already decided that my next Hot Pot recipe is going to be a Korean hot pot! Totally doing this once we return home from Korea, I cannot wait to get some inspiration there. Until then, you guys have to try out this Mexican inspired Hot Pot.

Oh, and if you’re looking for even more hot pot inspiration, be sure to check out the recipes below.

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 350 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Add In's

  • 1 pound boneless chicken, very thinly sliced
  • 1 can (14 ounces) hominy, drained
  • steamed white rice

Garnishes

  • cilantro, pickled red onion, radishes, limes, and crumbled queso fresco

Avocado Crema

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the broiler to high. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, tomatillos, onion, and garlic. Transfer to the oven and broil 3-5 minutes or until charred. Remove the skins from the garlic. Add everything to a blender. Add the tomatoes and puree until smooth. 
    3. Set a large pot over medium heat. Add the tomato puree, chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes. 
    4. Meanwhile, make the crema. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt. 
    5. Arrange the chicken in a bowl. Set your toppings out in separate bowls. 
    6. When ready to serve, add the chicken and hominy to the broth and cook 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add rice to bowls, if using. Ladle the chicken and broth over the rice. Have everyone top each bowl as desired. 
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Mexican Hot Pot with Avocado Crema | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest #hotpot #soup #mexican

{This post is sponsored by McCormick Spice. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So I have made about 20 recipes now and this is defiantly my favorite so far! The flavors are amazing and the way the lime ties them all together just flavortown

    1. Hey Jeffrey,
      Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT

  2. This looks so delicious! But I can’t get hominy here in the UK, would it work ok left out? – I’d definitely add the rice.

    1. HI! It is totally fine to leave out the hominy! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan

  3. 5 stars
    I made this last night and it was delicious! The crema is so easy and so good – I’ll definitely use it alone for other dishes in the future. I love the texture that the hominy adds. I followed the recipe precisely but added the juice of one lime to the soup itself vs. using as a garnish as I love the acidity and tanginess of lime. We’re not vegetarian but I easily made it vegetarian using Quorn faux chicken chunks and vegetable stock.

    My only critical comments are just nitpicky ones on your directions. 🙂 I often scan through my recipes on the total time depending on what’s going on for the night. You listed a cook time of 4 minutes, and a total time of 19, however just in the simmering of the soup itself you recommend 15-20 minutes…. along with 5 minutes of veggie broiling, so you might modify that. I think the total time is probably realistically closer to 40 minutes. Another small thing – you have us put the liquid ingredients on medium heat but bring to a boil. A silly thing for me to comment on, but it would have moved a little faster had I just put the pot on high to start (since I was already going over time.)

    Sorry to complain, as I really loved the dish as did my husband – it will be a repeater! I’ve enjoyed several of your recipes so keep them coming.

    1. Thank you so much Erica! I am so glad you loved this and I will try to modify for you! Really glad you liked this!