Soup dumplings are one of my favorite treats. My boyfriend and I love to go to Duck Duck Goat in Chicago after work to sit at the bar, have a cocktail, and eat soup dumplings. These were always a dish that I thought I'd be going out to eat to enjoy because they were too difficult to make at home. While we already cooked at home a lot when the pandemic hit, we did have a little more time to try new things, soup dumplings included! As I set out to make soup dumplings I was so curious how the soup ended up in the dumpling. Turns out you make a soup-jello using agar powder, which is seaweed gelatin. These ended up being a whole lot easier than I anticipated, but there are a lot of steps. I typically make a double batch of these dumplings to freeze for easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients:
Soup Filling:
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable, beef, or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon agar powder
Dumpling Dough:
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
Meat Filling:
1/3 pound ground pork
1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and diced
1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Preparation:
1. Start by making the broth. Place the ginger, scallions, and broth in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
2. Strain the solids out of the broth into a measuring cup. You should have about 2/3 of a cup. Let cool for 13 minutes.
3. Return broth to sauce pan and whisk in agar powder, until dissolved. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat.
4. Pour broth into a shallow dish, such as an 8x8 Pyrex pan. You want the broth to be able to cool quickly and set up correctly.
5. Refrigerate broth for 20-40 minutes, until it is completely cooled at set. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen the broth and remove it from the pan to a cutting board.
6. Chop the solidified broth into tiny cubes. Return cubes to the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Make the dumpling dough. In a large bowl, sift the bread and all-purpose together.
8. Bring water to a boil in a measuring cup in the microwave or in a kettle on the stove. Water must be boiling.
9. Add the boiling water to the flour mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball.
10. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Dough should be soft, stretchy, and pliable. Add small amounts of boiling water or flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.
11. Grease a Ziploc bag with the canola oil. Place the dough in a plastic Ziploc bag and seal it well. Push out as much excess air as possible when sealing the bag.
12. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
13. To make the filling, combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well to combine.
14. Stir the refrigerated broth cubes. Store the filling in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
15. After the dough has rested, poke it with your finger. The dough should slowly ease back into position.
16. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll the dough into a ball. Separate in half. Place half of the dough back in the bag, removing excess air, and reseal.
17. Roll dough into a 10-12 inch log and cut into 12 even-sized pieces. Roll each piece with a ball, then flatten into a disk with your palm.
18. Use a dough roller to roll out each disk until it is about 1/8-inch thick and about 4-inches in diameter.
19. Use a round 3-inch dough/cookie/biscuit cutter to cut each round.
20. Take a dough round and place it in a cupped hand. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Use both sets of index fingers to pinch pleats into the dough, sealing the dumpling into a closed satchel. Pinch and twist the top to seal the soup inside. Repeat with remaining dough circles.
21. Repeat with other half of reserved dough.
22. To steam the dumplings, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large skillet. Line the bamboo steamer with parchment liners (these will match the diameter of your steamer basket and come in different sizes).
23. Place the dumplings about an inch apart on all levels of the steamer basket. Steam each batch of soup dumplings over the boiling water for 6-8 minutes.
24. Serve immediately. Soup dumpling spoons are great for serving these! These are extremely hot so be careful!
Ingredients:
Soup Filling:
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable, beef, or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon agar powder
Dumpling Dough:
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
Meat Filling:
1/3 pound ground pork
1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and diced
1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Preparation:
1. Start by making the broth. Place the ginger, scallions, and broth in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
2. Strain the solids out of the broth into a measuring cup. You should have about 2/3 of a cup. Let cool for 13 minutes.
3. Return broth to sauce pan and whisk in agar powder, until dissolved. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat.
4. Pour broth into a shallow dish, such as an 8x8 Pyrex pan. You want the broth to be able to cool quickly and set up correctly.
5. Refrigerate broth for 20-40 minutes, until it is completely cooled at set. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen the broth and remove it from the pan to a cutting board.
6. Chop the solidified broth into tiny cubes. Return cubes to the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Make the dumpling dough. In a large bowl, sift the bread and all-purpose together.
8. Bring water to a boil in a measuring cup in the microwave or in a kettle on the stove. Water must be boiling.
9. Add the boiling water to the flour mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball.
10. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Dough should be soft, stretchy, and pliable. Add small amounts of boiling water or flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.
11. Grease a Ziploc bag with the canola oil. Place the dough in a plastic Ziploc bag and seal it well. Push out as much excess air as possible when sealing the bag.
12. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
13. To make the filling, combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well to combine.
14. Stir the refrigerated broth cubes. Store the filling in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
15. After the dough has rested, poke it with your finger. The dough should slowly ease back into position.
16. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll the dough into a ball. Separate in half. Place half of the dough back in the bag, removing excess air, and reseal.
17. Roll dough into a 10-12 inch log and cut into 12 even-sized pieces. Roll each piece with a ball, then flatten into a disk with your palm.
18. Use a dough roller to roll out each disk until it is about 1/8-inch thick and about 4-inches in diameter.
19. Use a round 3-inch dough/cookie/biscuit cutter to cut each round.
20. Take a dough round and place it in a cupped hand. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Use both sets of index fingers to pinch pleats into the dough, sealing the dumpling into a closed satchel. Pinch and twist the top to seal the soup inside. Repeat with remaining dough circles.
21. Repeat with other half of reserved dough.
22. To steam the dumplings, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large skillet. Line the bamboo steamer with parchment liners (these will match the diameter of your steamer basket and come in different sizes).
23. Place the dumplings about an inch apart on all levels of the steamer basket. Steam each batch of soup dumplings over the boiling water for 6-8 minutes.
24. Serve immediately. Soup dumpling spoons are great for serving these! These are extremely hot so be careful!