This Best Vegetable Hotpot is great for vegans, vegetarians, plant-based diets, and for anyone wanting to eat more meat-free tasty meals. It's a traditional family favourite packed with wholesome vegetables and beans cooked in a creamy herby sauce. The topping is prepared with mashed potatoes which go all golden and crisp in the oven.
Origins of British Hotpots
The British hotpot, originated in the northern region of England where Lancashire hotpot is a classic hotpot dating back to the 18th century working class population. The hotpot became popular during the Industrial Revolution because it provided an easy and frugal dinner for busy working-class families.
The first hotpots were kind of like the precursor to slow cookers or crock pots. Hotpots were prepared in the morning and placed in a deep clay pottery dish, and left all day to slowly bake. The hotpot would be ready to enjoy at the end of the day when the workers arrived home, or it could be tended to during the day by stay-at home workers.
Traditionally, hotpots were a layered mix of sliced thin potatoes, along with chunks of meat and vegetables, all cooked within a covered pot until soft, golden, and crisp. Lamb, mutton or beef were the traditional meats used for hotpots.
The most famous English hotpot is the Lancashire hotpot which features meat and gravy, with a thin sliced crispy potato topping. We do have an easy recipe for a meat-free Lancashire hotpot - our Vegan Lancashire Hotpot.
Hotpots come in other various adaptions including a mashed potato topping but other vegetables can be used for the mashed topping including sweet potato, swede, turnips, cauliflower, carrot, parsnip, or celeriac. Also, hotpots can have either a gravy or a creamy sauce base and more modern hotpots are often topped with grated cheese which browns and bubbles during baking.
This vegetable hotpot is perfect for vegetarians, vegans, plant-based diets, and everyone and anyone who loves eating lots of tasty vegetables. Hotpots are especially great for those who love easy, quick, budget-friendly and easily adapted recipes.
Ingredients
This vegetable hotpot is a family favourite and it's a great recipe to get lots of vegetable goodness into kids. Our kids have always loved this hotpot and one particular daughter always asked for this hotpot for her birthday dinner when she was growing up.
Usually we just use whatever vegetables happen to be in the fridge. It's a good clear-out-your-fridge or freezer budget recipe. Large bags of frozen vegetable mixes are perfect for this recipe. For extra heartiness we usually add in a can of beans.
The beauty of this recipe is that you don't have to be exact with the vegetable measurements as any combination of vegetables and beans will work.
How to prepare
It couldn't be easier to prepare this vegetable hotpot. It's a good idea to batch prep two at the same time as this way cooking fuel, time and energy will be saved. Just pop one of the hotpots into the freezer for a quick future meal.
Step 1: First cook the potatoes.
Step 2: Once cooked and drained mash the potatoes with margarine, plant-based milk, and some salt and pepper to season.
Step 3: Sauté the onion and garlic in vegetable stock or oil.
Step 4: Next, stir through the mixed herbs, mixed vegetables and cannellini beans.
Step 5: Stir through the plain flour.
Step 6: Pour in the milk and stir well until the sauce is smooth.
Step 7: Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Step 8: Add the vegetables and sauce to an oven dish.
Step 9: Cover with the mashed potatoes.
Step 10: Bake for around 30 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden with crispy bits.
Before the vegetable hotpot is baked, a nice idea is to sprinkle grated vegan cheese over the top or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes.
Recipe notes
Storing
Leftover hotpot can be stored covered, within the fridge, for 3 days.
Or freeze for 2-3 months.
Reheating
Leftovers can be reheated at the cooking temperature until piping hot, about 25-30 minutes. Place a cover over the hotpot, and place on the middle shelf, so that it does not brown too much and overcook. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before reheating so that the hotpot can loose its chill and come more to room temperature.
It is easy to prepare this vegetable hotpot as gluten-free with a few considerations. Ensure that your vegetable stock and flour is gluten-free. The flour that we often use for hotpots is the Doves Farm Freee gluten-free plain flour and it does make a tasty sauce.
A few ideas:
* steamed or boiled peas, mix a little dried or fresh chopped mint through the peas for extra flavour
* corn-on-the-cobs, steamed or boiled frozen sweetcorn
* steamed green veggies, such as kale, collards, spring greens, cabbage
* mangetout, green beans, asparagus
* fresh green salad
* crusty vegan bread such as this vegan Irish soda bread, its traditional in Britain to serve most meals with bread and butter
* baked beans
* vegan gravy
A few suggestions:
* sprinkle some grated vegan cheese over the hotpot after 30 minutes of baking in the oven, and pop back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to melt.
* add some fresh herbs to the creamy sauce such as parsley, chives, dill or thyme
* sprinkle chopped parsley over the cooked hotpot
* instead of white potatoes use sweet potatoes, or a mix
* top with mashed celeriac or cauliflower, or a mix with potatoes
* prepare champ as a topping (mashed potatoes, turnip (swede/rutabaga) and white cabbage
* replace the cannellini beans with a bean of your choice such as haricots, butterbeans or chickpeas
* use dried onion and garlic instead of fresh, a few teaspoons of each
More easy vegan family dinner recipes
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
The Best Vegan Vegetable Hotpot
Equipment
- Skillet or sauté pan
- Casserole dish around (9-10 inch wide / 11-12 in long) or use a pot that is suitable for both stove-top and oven to save washing up
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 250 millilitres vegan stock for sautéing onion and garlic, or replace with one tablespoon of oil
- 1 medium onion rough chopped
- 4 cloves garlic thin sliced or minced
- 1.4 kilograms mixed vegetables Chopped into chunks/florets. Or use a big bag of frozen vegetable mix.
- 1 can cannellini beans 400 gram/ 15 oz can, drained
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoon plain flour gluten-free plain flour/ plain flour/ all-purpose/wholemeal plain flour
- 750 millilitres plant milk
- 1 vegetable stock cube or two-three teaspoons of stock powder/paste
- 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs or your choice of fresh chopped herbs
- 20 grams nutritional yeast flakes
Mash topping:
- 1.2 kilogram potatoes Chopped into chunks, reserve the cooking liquid
- 4 tablespoon plant-based milk plus a few tablespoons of potato cooking liquid
- 2 tablespoon vegan margarine or replace with 1 tablespoon of white miso paste or a few tablespoons of hummus
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 Fan/ 200 Celsius/ Gas 6/ 392 Fahrenheit
- Prepare the mash topping:
- Boil potatoes until soft, about 10-15 minutes depending on size of chunks.Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Add two tablespoons of margarine, four tablespoons of plant milk, salt and pepper, and give everything a good mashing. If the mash needs more liquid a few tablespoons of cooking liquid can be added until the mash is at your preferred texture.1.2 kilogram potatoes, 2 tablespoon vegan margarine, 4 tablespoon plant-based milk
- Prepare the filling while the potatoes are cooking:
- Sauté the onion and garlic in 250ml (1 cup) of veggie stock for about 5 minutes. Or use 1 tablespoon of oil.1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 250 millilitres vegan stock
- Mix through the veggies, cannellini beans, and dried herbs.1.4 kilograms mixed vegetables, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
- Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of potato water as required when the pan becomes too dry.
- With a fork whisk the stock cube or powder into the plant milk.1 vegetable stock cube, 750 millilitres plant milk
- Mix the flour into the veggies.4 tablespoon plain flour
- Slowly pour in the plant-milk, mixing well.
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften and the sauce is thickening.
- If the sauce is too thick add a little potato liquid to loosen it up.
- Remove from the heat and mix through the nutritional yeast flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don't worry if the sauce looks thin as it will thicken up more as it cools.20 grams nutritional yeast flakes
- Assemble the hotpot:
- Decant the veggie-sauce mix into your baking dish.
- Spoon the prepared mash over the vegetables. Use a fork to create a ploughed field kind of pattern on top, or just leave rustic.
- Place on the middle-top shelf of the oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and tinged golden.
- Exact times will depend on your oven, fan ovens will be quicker.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary. Data is calculated using computerized nutrition apps.
- Leftover hot pot can be stored covered in the fridge for 3 days.
- Or freeze well wrapped for 4-6 months.
- Reheat using the baking temperature but cover the hotpot to prevent too much browning and overcooking. Place on the middle or lower shelf. Check for doneness after 20-25 minutes.
- To prep individual portions, prepare and freeze the hotpots in small one serving pie dishes. This makes it so easy to pull out several or single portions.
- Serve hotpots with vegan gravy and extra veggies. Or simply serve on its own or with a light green leaf salad.
Nutrition
Thank you for trying out our best vegan vegetable hotpot! We hope you enjoyed making and savoring it as much as we do.
If you tried this recipe, please let us know in the comments below how it turned out for you, or if you made any modifications.
If you share your creations on social media, don't forget to tag us (@traditionalplantbasedcooking) and use the hashtag #traditionalplantbasedcooking, so we can see your scrumptious dishes!
Lastly, if you found this recipe helpful, please share it with your friends and family, so they can enjoy it too.
Thank you, and happy cooking!
Love, Jacq x
Beth says
My hubby and I love this recipe! So quick and so delicious! Such a great dinner and perfect for my hubby's lunch the next day!
Jacq says
That's great! Leftover hotpot is so delicious!
Michelle says
This dish looks so good! Can't wait to try it soon
Jacq says
Great! Let me know how you get on! Happy Cooking!
Carrie says
I am loving all of the veggies in this! Looks super easy to make too. 🙂
Jacq says
Yes! There are so many veggies and super easy to prepare! Thanks for stopping by!
Heidy says
This Vegan Vegetable Hotpot recipe looks perfect. I bet our family would love it. Heading to the store to get a few things so I can make this!
Jacq says
Wonderful! Happy cooking!
Allyssa says
Thanks a lot for this hotpot recipe, super loved it! Thank you for sharing!
Jacq says
Your welcome! So glad you enjoyed the hotpot!