Soup Dumplings Xiao Long Bao Recipe The Recipe Critic

Chinese soup dumplings are delicious homemade wrappers filled with perfectly seasoned pork and soup. Yes, these dumplings are FILLED with soup! How do you get soup inside of a dumpling? It’s like magic! This recipe is simple, delicious, and something everyone will enjoy. I love Chinese food. It’s definitely my takeout of choice. Luckily for me, the whole family loves it too! I really enjoy making simple Chinese food at home too, because it’s a great way to save a little money and get the best flavors. Some of my favorite homemade recipes are Wonton Soup, this delicious Moo Goo Gai Pan, and this Firecracker Chicken.

Soup Dumpling

If you have never had a Chinese soup dumpling, you are going to fall in love with this recipe! If you don’t know what a soup dumpling is, I think you are going to love the idea. It is a dumpling with a pork and broth filling. That’s right, there is soup INSIDE the dumpling! You bite into this delicious and soft wrapper and out pours this flavor packed chicken stock and soy sauce broth. This soup dumpling, also called a Xiao Long Bao, is absolutely one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in my entire life! It’s full of Asian flavors that are so easy to keep eating and eating. This recipe keeps things simple by cooking them in a steamer just like chicken potstickers. These dumplings can also be cooked in a bamboo steamer or cooked in a wok. I love eating these with garlic edamame and dipping them in Chinese black vinegar. They are also delicious with white rice to make it a more filling meal!

Ingredients

The ingredients in these soup dumplings are actually so simple! Straightforward and easy to make, these dumplings are now at the top of my list of fun and creative meals. My whole family looks forward to these dumplings so much. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

Soup Gelatin

Hot Water: To balance out the strong flavors in the broth. Hot Chicken Stock: You could also use pork broth or beef broth, or even vegetable stock. Soy Sauce: This adds a lot of flavor to the gelatin. Gelatin Powder: This helps the soup set up firm so that you can add it to the filling.

Soup Dumpling Wrapper

All-Purpose Flour: Easy to work with and a simple dough. Warm Water: This helps the dough come together. Salt: To add a little extra flavor.

Filling

Ground Pork: This is the traditional protein, but you could use ground chicken or ground beef if you want to. Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is really nutty and earthy and goes perfectly with Asian flavors and pork. Soy Sauce: I love adding soy sauce to the filling too Ginger: Fresh ginger is full of zingy flavor. Sugar: A little sugar helps to balance out the salty flavors. Salt and Pepper: For seasoning the meat. I often use white pepper instead of black. Rice Vinegar: Is made from fermented rice and has a mild and slightly sweet flavor. You could use rice wine vinegar too. Green Onion: This brightens up the filling and adds extra flavor. Chinese Black Vinegar: This is for dipping your dumpling in, it’s amazing!

Soup Dumplings Recipe

I really love this soup dumplings recipe because of how straightforward it is! I steam my buns in an instant pot because of how easy it is, but you can absolutely use a traditional pot and boil some water and do it the old-fashioned way! If you love dumplings from the freezer section at the grocery store, then you are going to fall in love with these fresh and delicious flavors.

Make Soup Gelatin

Soup Dumpling Wrapper

Soup Dumpling Filling

Put It All Together

Different Ways to Steam Dumplings: The traditional way to steam soup dumplings is in a bamboo steamer. This one is cheap and can be found at your local Target. I personally love steaming things in my instant pot. Using a bamboo steamer is really pretty simple, the first time you do it it can seem a little intimidating. Just fill a wok or skillet with water and bring to a boil. Line your bamboo steamer with liners, and lay your dumplings on top. Make sure they aren’t touching and have plenty of room. Set the steamer in the wok or pot and steam for 8 minutes. Make Freezer Dumplings: I absolutely love the pre-cooked frozen dumplings from Costco. You can make your own at home with this recipe! Follow these instructions to make the soup dumplings. Let them completely cool, and then freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Make sure they aren’t touching each other. When they have frozen for a few hours, then you can place them in an airtight bag and store for two months. Now you have dumplings that you can steam or boil until they are heated through and you’ve got the perfect quick and easy meal.

In the Refrigerator: You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

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All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.