Vegetable Dumplings
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Vegetable dumplings (素饺子) are Chinese dumplings filled with finely chopped napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and tofu instead of meat, then pan-fried potsticker-style so the bottoms turn golden and crisp while the tops stay tender. The single most important step is drawing the water out of the cabbage: chop it fine, toss it with salt, let it sit 15 minutes, then squeeze it hard in a towel — skip this and the filling steams the wrapper into mush. Dried shiitake (soaked and chopped) bring the deep, meaty umami that keeps a meatless filling from tasting flat, and crumbled firm tofu adds body. Season with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, white pepper and ginger, bind lightly with cornstarch, and fold into pleated crescents. To cook them potsticker-style, sear the bottoms in oil, add a splash of water and cover to steam through, then uncover to re-crisp. They're naturally vegetarian and easily vegan, and come together in about 45 minutes.
Save to PinterestWhy you'll love this vegetable dumplings
- Every bit as savory as pork potstickers — shiitake mushrooms carry the umami.
- Naturally vegetarian and easily made fully vegan.
- Crispy golden bottoms, tender pleated tops — the classic potsticker contrast.
- Freeze a big batch and pan-fry straight from frozen for instant dumplings.
Ingredients
Filling
Seasoning
To cook
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Equipment
- Nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with a lid — A lid is essential for the steam step that cooks the dumplings through.(shop →)
Instructions
Salt and squeeze the cabbage
Toss the finely chopped napa cabbage with 1 tsp salt and let it sit 15 minutes. Then wrap it in a clean towel and squeeze out as much water as you can — you'll be surprised how much comes out.
💡 This is the make-or-break step. Wet cabbage steams the wrappers into mush; well-squeezed cabbage gives a juicy-but-not-soggy filling.
Prep the mushrooms and tofu
Soak the dried shiitake in hot water 20 minutes until soft, squeeze dry, remove stems, and finely chop. Press the tofu and crumble it. Briefly pan-fry the mushrooms and tofu until dry, 3–4 minutes, for deeper flavor.
Mix the filling
Mix the squeezed cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, carrot, scallions, ginger, and garlic with the soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch. Taste and adjust — it should be savory and well-seasoned.
Fold the dumplings
Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edge, fold into a half-moon, and pleat the front edge over to the back, pressing to seal. Set on a floured tray, sealed side up.
💡 No time to pleat? Just fold in half and press firmly into a sealed half-moon — they cook up the same.
Sear the bottoms
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Arrange a batch of dumplings flat-side down and fry until the bottoms are golden, 2–3 minutes, without moving them.
Steam through
Add about ⅓ cup water to the pan and immediately cover with a lid. Let the dumplings steam 5–6 minutes until the water is gone and the wrappers are translucent.
Re-crisp and serve
Uncover and let the bottoms re-crisp for 1–2 minutes. Serve golden-side up with a dip of soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili oil.
Tips & notes
- Freeze uncooked dumplings on a floured tray until solid, then bag them — pan-fry straight from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the steam step.
- For fully vegan dumplings, check that your wrappers contain no egg (many are just flour and water, but read the label).
- Dried shiitake beat fresh here — their concentrated umami is what makes a meatless filling taste rich. If you only have fresh, cook them down hard to drive off water.
- Squeeze the cabbage twice if it still feels wet. A dry filling is the difference between crisp dumplings and soggy ones.
- No dumpling wrappers? Round gyoza or wonton wrappers (trimmed to circles) both work.
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Vegetable Dumplings
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 4 cups napa cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt, for drawing out the cabbage water
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed, finely chopped
- 7 oz firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
- 1 carrot, finely grated
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, to bind
- 30 round dumpling wrappers
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, for frying
- ⅓ cup water, for steaming
Instructions
- Toss the finely chopped napa cabbage with 1 tsp salt and let it sit 15 minutes. Then wrap it in a clean towel and squeeze out as much water as you can — you'll be surprised how much comes out.
- Soak the dried shiitake in hot water 20 minutes until soft, squeeze dry, remove stems, and finely chop. Press the tofu and crumble it. Briefly pan-fry the mushrooms and tofu until dry, 3–4 minutes, for deeper flavor.
- Mix the squeezed cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, carrot, scallions, ginger, and garlic with the soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch. Taste and adjust — it should be savory and well-seasoned.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edge, fold into a half-moon, and pleat the front edge over to the back, pressing to seal. Set on a floured tray, sealed side up.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Arrange a batch of dumplings flat-side down and fry until the bottoms are golden, 2–3 minutes, without moving them.
- Add about ⅓ cup water to the pan and immediately cover with a lid. Let the dumplings steam 5–6 minutes until the water is gone and the wrappers are translucent.
- Uncover and let the bottoms re-crisp for 1–2 minutes. Serve golden-side up with a dip of soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili oil.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 260 cal · 10 g protein · 38 g carbs · 8 g fat
Vegetable Dumplings FAQ
How do you keep vegetable dumplings from being soggy?
Draw the water out of the napa cabbage first: chop it fine, toss with salt, rest 15 minutes, then squeeze it hard in a towel. Cabbage is mostly water, and if you skip this the filling releases liquid that steams the wrapper into mush. Cooking the mushrooms and tofu dry before mixing, and binding the filling with a little cornstarch, also help.
Are these dumplings vegan?
The filling is fully plant-based, so they're vegan as long as the wrappers are — most round dumpling wrappers are just flour and water, but some contain egg, so check the label or ask at the Asian market. Everything else (soy, sesame oil, vegetables, tofu, mushrooms) is vegan.
How do you cook potstickers so the bottoms are crispy?
Use the fry-steam-fry method: sear the flat bottoms in oil until golden, add a splash of water and cover immediately to steam the dumplings through, then uncover and let the bottoms re-crisp once the water has evaporated. That sequence gives the signature crispy-bottom, tender-top potsticker.
Can I make vegetable dumplings ahead and freeze them?
Yes — they freeze beautifully. Arrange the uncooked, filled dumplings on a floured tray so they don't touch, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. Cook them straight from frozen (no thawing) with the same fry-steam-fry method, adding about 2 minutes to the steam step.
What can I use instead of napa cabbage?
Regular green cabbage works well and is a little sturdier; savoy cabbage is also good. Whatever you use, salt and squeeze it the same way to remove water. You can also fold in other finely chopped vegetables — mushrooms, garlic chives, carrot, or wood ear — just keep the total moisture in check.
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