Hot Pot Soup Base (Tomato Flavor) (番茄火锅汤底)

Remove the skin from the tomatoes by first making a crosscut on each of the tomatoes and immersing them in hot water for 1 to 2 minutes. For more details, follow my instructions from my previous recipe for Tomato Fish Fillet. After removing the tomato skin, cut the tomatoes into dices.

Peel and cut the ginger and onion into big pieces. Puree the ginger and onion until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a fine cheese grater to grate the ginger and onion into a soft slush.

Heat a large sauce pan or pot designed for hot pot under medium high heat. When the pot is warm, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the pureed ginger and onion, stirring immediately. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and keep stirring to distribute heat evenly. Then add the diced tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, gently stirring around. When the tomatoes release quite a bit of juice, add 2 to 2.5 quarts of pork bone stock, chicken stock, or water, and mix gently. Close the lid. When the liquid boils, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes (if using stock) or 20 minutes (if using water). Turn off the heat.

Use a handheld blender to blend the soup base a few more times if a smoother texture is desired. Otherwise use the tomato soup base right away after adding the green onions. The hot pot soup base can also be consumed directly as soup.