Thank you House Foods for sponsoring this post!
I think there is a common misconception that you need meat in order for dumplings to be tasty, and that is definitely not the case! Vegetarian dumplings can also be darn tasty. Let me show you how.
TOFU FILLING
I love using tofu as a filling for my vegetarian dumplings. Crumbled tofu, like you see in the photo above, is the perfect texture for dumpling filling. The moisture from tofu helps bind the filling together. That way, you don’t have to worry about filling falling all over the place when you make dumplings. Plus, tofu is inexpensive!
I like using House Foods’ firm tofu for making dumplings because it crumbles easily. Typically, I break the block of tofu into pieces and squeeze them with my hands until the tofu crumbles. I also like the mouth feel of the filling when I use the House Foods’ firm tofu.
Before you make the filling, you’ll need to press the tofu for about 20 minutes to get rid of excess moisture. I usually wrap it around a muslin square and press the tofu block between plates. You don’t need too many plates on top of the tofu block when pressing. Two or three plates should do the job.
VEGETABLES FOR THE TOFU & KIMCHI DUMPLINGS
To give these dumplings flavor, I paired the tofu with kimchi. The tofu helps mellow out the flavors of the kimchi. When you are preparing the filling, make sure to chop the kimchi into small pieces, like you see in the photo above (left). I also added shallots, shredded carrots, ginger, garlic, and scallions to round out the filling. The filling is spicy, sweet, and savory—it is the perfect balance of flavor!
PLEATING METHOD
CAN I MAKE THE DUMPLINGS AHEAD?
- YES! If you want to make a batch of these to enjoy later, freeze the dumplings! You do not need to defrost the dumplings before cooking them. They’ll just need a few extra minutes on the pan before they start to brown. Check out my post on how to freeze dumplings for more tips!
LOOKING FOR MORE DUMPLING RECIPES?
- Vegetable Potstickers
- Tofu Wontons with Yellow Curry Broth
- Red Curry Tofu Dumplings
- You can also check out my complete dumpling archives here
Tofu and Kimchi Dumplings
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 1 (14-ounce package) House Foods firm tofu
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for frying dumplings
- 2/3 cup chopped shallots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 stalks of scallions, sliced
- 3/4 cup kimchi, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 40 to 45 round potsticker dumpling wrappers, see note
Dipping Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 scallion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Drain and remove the block of tofu from the package. Wrap a muslin square, thin cloth, or paper towels around the tofu. Place the block of tofu on a plate, and then place 2 or 3 places over the tofu to press it. Set it aside for 20 minutes.
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil in pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds. Then, add the garlic and ginger, and stir to combine. Next, add the carrots and scallions to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer the vegetables to a plate and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the pressed tofu to a mixing bowl. Break the block of tofu into several large pieces and squeeze the tofu until it crumbles. Add the stir-fried vegetables, kimchi, soy sauce, sesame oil, coriander, and salt. Stir all the ingredients to combine.
Prepare the Dumpling-Making Station
- Fill a small bowl with water for wrapping the dumplings. Grab a baking sheet for the finished dumplings and a towel to cover the dumplings to prevent them from drying out. Get a spoon for scooping the dumpling filling.
Make the Dumplings
- Dip the edge of the dumpling wrapper into the bowl of water. Rotate the wrapper so that the entire edge of the wrapper is wet, creating a wet border about 1/4-inch wide. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper (you may use more or less depending on the size of your dumpling wrapper).
- Pinch together the wrapper on the right. Using your index fingers, create a pleat using the part of the wrapper that is away from you. Seal the pleat towards the right. Next, using your left thumb, create a pleat using the part of the wrapper that is closest to you. Seal the pleat towards the right. Continue creating pleats on both sides of the wrapper until you reach the end of the dumpling. Seal the dumpling. Refer to the step-by-step pleating photo in the post for a visual.
- Continue pleating dumplings until you are out of filling or dumpling skins. If you notice that the dumplings are starting to dry out, cover them with a dry towel.
Cook the Dumplings
- Heat a large nonstick pan or well seasoned cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Arrange the dumplings over the pan. I usually cook about 15 dumplings at a time. Pan fry the dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are golden.
- Next, hold the pan lid with one hand and pour about 1/4 cup of water into the pan with your other hand. You want just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the water comes in contact with the hot oil, there will be a lot of splattering, so use the lid of the pan as a shield. Cover the pan, reduce the heat slightly to medium, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and let the dumplings cook for another minute or two, until the water is evaporated. You can also turn the dumplings over on their sides to brown the other sides. You’ll need to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate.
- Repeat this entire cooking process if you want to cook the remaining dumplings. If you want to cook the dumplings later, freeze them.
Serve the Dumplings
- Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together. I like preparing the sauce 30 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to fully absorb the herbs and spices in it.
- Serve the potstickers with the dipping sauce. These potstickers also go very well with my sweet chili sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by House Foods. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen! To stay up to date with House Foods or to get recipe inspiration, visit their website or follow them on Facebook or Instagram!
Bryan says
I’ve never thought of using tofu in a dumplings recipe before! This looks delicious though, I can’t wait to try this recipe out, thank you!
Minéa says
Delicious!
Quite time consuming the first time around making these, but it was also my first time ever making dumplings. The instructions are very easy to follow as well. Being an amateur I understuffed the dumplings and had a large portion of leftover filling. I added some more kimchi, boiled rice and some chopped up bok choy and made a delicious stir fry from the leftovers! Will definitely make this recipe again 🙂
Lisa Lin says
Minea, thank you so much for giving this recipe a shot even though it was the first time! Thanks for letting me know how it went, and I loved that you used the leftovers for another meal!
Emily says
This was absolutely delicious! It was my first time making these. And let me tell you, it is time consuming, but 100% worth it!
For you, non-tofu people, like me: a vegetarian, sometimes pescatarian, rare vegan…it’s hard to find good food that’s filling.. especially when I don’t like tofu!
But, this recipe is the perfect way to get your filling, protein and flavor!
A couple recommendations:
1. If you’re making these for a few people, prep/cook everything ahead so you just have to pan fry the dumplings
2. The gyoza wrappers are much thinner than wonton wrappers and do tear a little more
3. If you don’t like “chunks” of garlic or ginger, grate both for smaller pieces in the sauce
4. Since I’m a little less lover of tofu and a huge lover of kimchi, next time I will do less tofu and more kimchi.
Overall, this is an absolutely delicious and amazing appetizer!
Thank you, Lisa!!!
Lisa Lin says
Emily, thank you so much for trying out the recipe and for all your recommendations!!
Colleen says
Great recipe! The filling has good flavor and texture.
Lisa Lin says
Colleen, thank you so much for trying the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Marina says
Wonderful dumpling recipe! I really enjoy getting to try out vegetarian dumpling recipes so that I can make them for the vegetarians in my life. While making dumplings can be time consuming, I really enjoy the ritual of sorts that goes along with pleating and cooking them.
I ended up following Lisa’s instructions for freezing dumplings and saved half for later! Looking forward to munching on these all summer!
Caryl Elaine says
So excited to make this! Was wondering if I could steam the dumplings instead of frying them? Thank you!
Lisa Lin says
Absolutely, Caryl!
Kate says
Just made these and they were AMAZING. Positively life changing! Worth every minute spent stuffing.
Kim says
I really like kimchi dumplings that I can find in the freezer section of my local korean market. But I thought I would try and find something that I could make for myself. I follow you on instagram so I was excited to see that this recipe was written by you 🙂
I froze the dumplings but I had some extra filling. So I stir fried that and ate it with some rice. The filling was absolutely delicious and was really looking forward to pan frying the dumplings! I pan fried some earlier this week, and they seemed a little lackluster. Any thoughts?