Japanese Hot Pot

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil for the udon noodles. Add kale, sesame oil, sesame seeds, just 2 tbsp mirin, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl and massage the kale until it softens. Place the sesame kale salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

In a large pot, combine 5 cups water, bouillon cube, ginger, and garlic. Bring broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until broth becomes fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Add miso paste and whisk. Turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid.

Add udon to the pot of boiling water and gently stir. Cook until al dente, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain the noodles and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Remove the ginger and garlic from the broth. Bring broth to a simmer and add shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and baby bok choy. Cook until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. TIP: Don’t forget to wash all produce under running water, and wipe mushrooms clean with a damp kitchen towel.

Add just 1 tbsp mirin, just 3 tsp tamari, and 2 tbsp soup broth to a small bowl and whisk to combine the soy dipping sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tsp scallions. Add tahini, the remaining tamari, and the remaining mirin to a separate bowl and whisk to combine the sesame sauce. Add togarashi to a small bowl.

Slice just half the tofu onto 1-inch cubes. Add tofu cubes and udon to a large serving bowl or pot. Pour broth and veggies over the tofu and noodles. Sprinkle with remaining scallion. Serve with soy dipping sauce, sesame dipping sauce, and togarashi. TIP: Save the remaining tofu for the dessert course.