Shabu shabu
Interactive Japanese hotpot of thinly sliced beef, crisp veg and two simple dipping sauces — perfect for a sociable supper.
Shabu shabu is a brilliantly sociable Japanese hotpot: ultra-thin beef swished in a delicate kombu broth, eaten with punchy ponzu or creamy sesame sauce. It’s fun, fast and feels special without a lot of faff.
This version keeps the stock simple so the beef and veg sing. Perfect for a relaxed dinner with friends — everyone cooks at the table, so pace yourself and enjoy the communal ritual.
Ingredients
- 600 g thinly sliced beef ribeye
- 10 g kombu — dried kelp
- 1 1/2 l water
- 4 spring onions — trimmed and halved lengthways
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — thickly sliced
- 100 g enoki mushrooms — trimmed and separated
- 1 Chinese leaf — small head, leaves separated
- 300 g firm tofu — cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 carrot — peeled and cut into thin ribbons or slices
- 150 g daikon — peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic — crushed
- 120 ml ponzu sauce — store-bought or homemade
- 60 g tahini
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 30 ml mirin
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 10 g caster sugar
- 15 ml toasted sesame seeds — plus extra to scatter on bowls
- 300 g udon noodles — fresh or frozen
- 15 ml chilli oil — optional, to serve
Equipment
- wide shallow pot or electric hotpot
- portable tabletop burner or extra hob ring
- small mixing bowl and whisk
- small frying pan for toasting sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare everything before you heat the pot: peel and slice the carrot and daikon thinly; separate the Chinese leaf into large pieces; trim and separate the enoki and slice the chestnut mushrooms; cut the firm tofu into 2cm cubes; halve the spring onions lengthways. Neatly fan the thinly sliced beef on a chilled plate so it’s ready to swish.
Toast the sesame seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden — about 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan so they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the sesame (goma) dipping sauce: in a small bowl whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, caster sugar and the crushed garlic. Add a little warm water from the kettle (start with 1–2 tbsp) to loosen the consistency to a pourable sauce. Stir in half the toasted sesame seeds and set aside.
Make a simple kombu dashi: put the water and kombu in a wide shallow pot and slowly heat over a medium heat. Just before the water reaches a simmer (small bubbles at the edge) remove the kombu — do not let it boil. Lower the heat so the stock sits at a gentle simmer for the meal.
Place the pot on a portable tabletop burner at the table (or an extra hob ring) and keep the liquid at a gentle simmer. Arrange plates of prepared veg, tofu and beef around the pot with small bowls for dipping sauces.
Cook the firmer vegetables and tofu first: add the carrot and daikon to the pot and simmer for 2–3 minutes until just tender. Add the tofu and simmer a further 2–3 minutes so it heats through.
Add the mushrooms and Chinese leaf to the pot and simmer for 1–2 minutes until the leaves wilt and mushrooms are tender.
Swish the beef: using chopsticks or tongs, pick up a single slice of beef and submerge it in the simmering stock, moving it back and forth until it just changes colour — about 8–12 seconds depending on thickness. Lift out, dip in ponzu or sesame sauce and eat.
When you’ve eaten most of the meat and veg, finish the meal by adding the udon noodles to the remaining stock. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until heated through and tender — this soaks up all the lovely flavours.
Serve: scatter the remaining toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions over bowls, offer ponzu and sesame sauces and a little chilli oil for anyone who wants heat. Ladle noodles and stock into bowls to finish.
Tips
- Buy beef pre-sliced for convenience; if you can’t find it, put a whole ribeye in the freezer for 30–45 minutes until firm, then slice as thinly as possible across the grain.
- Keep the stock at a gentle simmer — a rolling boil will toughen the beef and break down delicate vegetables.
- Arrange ingredients by cooking time on the table so everyone can add the right items in the right order.
- Make the sesame sauce a few hours ahead; flavours deepen as it rests and it’s easier to whisk once slightly chilled.
- If you prefer less salt, serve ponzu on the side rather than adding to the pot so diners control seasoning themselves.
Substitutions
thinly sliced beef ribeye → thinly sliced sirloin or ribeye steak
Stays closekombu → instant dashi powder (use approx 2–3g dissolved in the same quantity of water)
Stays closetahini → smooth peanut butter (same quantity) — flavour will be noticeably different
Noticeably differentudon noodles → glass noodles or cooked rice (use cooked rice 200g total)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 830
- Calories
- 45 g
- Protein
- 61 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dashi ahead of time?
Yes — make the kombu dashi and chill for up to 24 hours. Reheat gently before serving and do not boil the kombu if you reheat with it still in.
How do I slice the beef if it’s not pre-sliced?
Partially freeze the steak until firm (30–45 minutes) then use a very sharp knife to cut across the grain as thinly as possible. Chill the slices on a tray until needed.
What if someone is vegetarian?
The stock can be kept vegetarian by using kombu only and serving tofu, mushrooms and veg as the main items — but this recipe as written includes beef, so keep veg separate when cooking.
How do I avoid over-salting the broth?
Don’t add soy or ponzu to the pot — serve sauces at the table so diners season individual portions. Kombu alone gives a subtle savoury base without added salt.
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