This vegan version is just as delectable and flavorful as the traditional pork one, with a jellied stock that melts into a hot broth, spilling out of each bite like any good soup dumping.

Read on to learn how to make it!

How to make vegan pan-fried soup dumplings:

Step one: prepare the jellied soup stock.

Place 1 ½ cups vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon agar powder into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour into a shallow dish and allow to set in the fridge, about 2-3 hours. (I recommend doing this in advance). You’ll be cutting this into small cubes and adding it to the filling later.

Step two: make the dough.

Combine flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir and in water a little at a time, kneading the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After it has risen slightly (but not yet doubled), place it in the fridge. The dough is called a “half-rise dough”– unlike dumpling dough, it contains leavening, but not as much as for a steamed bun.

Step three: mix the filling:

I debated between what to use for the filling– unlike my earlier potsticker vegetable filling, I wanted to replicate the meaty tenderness of pork as closely as I could for these soup dumplings, but I didn’t want to use seitan or TVP, which is highly processed. I found soy curls to be the perfect alternative. They’re a whole plant-based protein made with one ingredient– non-GMO soy beans– and are sold dried in the bulk goods section. All you need to do is re-hydrate the curls in water and they’re good to use.

Measure out dry soy curls and soak in a bowl of warm water for 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain/squeeze out excess water, and chop finely. Place in a large bowl along with minced shiitake mushrooms, oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ground pepper, and sesame oil, and stir well to combine.

Remove jellied stock from the refrigerator and dice into small ¼ inch cubes, then combine with the rest of the filling. Place prepared filling in the refrigerator while you make the wrappers.

Step four: assemble.

Place dough on a well-floured or greased surface. Fold in half, then in half again, stretching and rolling to form a rope. Using a knife, divide into equal portions (about 15g each). Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll out with a thin rolling pin until it is about 3 inches in diameter.

Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating in a counter-clockwise motion and pinching firmly at the top to seal. Place finished buns on a lightly greased surface and loosely cover while you make the rest.

If you want to freeze the buns at this step of the process, spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in freezer, then transfer frozen buns to a bag for long-term storage. You can reheat them by pan-frying in the same way as below.

Step five: pan-fry the buns.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place buns gently in the pan, leaving about 1 ½ inches margin, and fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Quickly pour ¼ cup water (or enough to cover the bottom third of the bun) and cover immediately to trap in steam. Reduce to a low heat and allow buns to cook for 5-8 minutes until water is evaporated and the sound of sizzling has stopped. Open the lid and sprinkle on sesame seeds and green onions, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Serve with a dipping sauce of black vinegar and chili oil, if desired.

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!

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📖 Recipe

Vegan Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings / 生煎包)

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

Shanghai sheng jian bao / pan-fried buns, crisp-bottomed with a tender, savory vegan filling that melts in the mouth, soup-dumping style. Irresistibly delicious.

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 75
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 24
• Category: Snacks & Appetizers
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the wrappers:

• 110 ml (7 tbsp) water
• 200g all-purpose flour (1 ⅓ cup)
• 1 tsp instant or quick-rising dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar 

For the jellied soup stock: 

• 1.5 cups organic vegetable broth
• ½ tsp agar powder

For the filling:

• 1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms 
• 2 ½ cups soy curls,* rehydrated and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch thumb ginger, minced
• 1 ½ tsp salt 
• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil 
• toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
  
• chopped green onion, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the jellied soup stock:

• Place the vegetable broth and the agar powder into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour into a shallow dish and allow to set in the fridge, about 2-3 hours. (I recommend doing this in advance.)

Prepare the dough:

• Combine flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir while adding in water a little at a time, and knead the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After it has risen slightly (but not yet doubled), place it in the fridge to prevent it from rising further.

Prepare the filling:

• Measure out the soy curls and soak in a bowl of warm water for 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain/squeeze out excess water, and chop finely. Place in a large bowl along with minced mushrooms, oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ground pepper, and sesame oil, and stir well to combine.
• Remove jellied stock from the refrigerator and dice into small ¼ inch cubes, then combine with the rest of the filling. Place prepared filling in the refrigerator while you make the wrappers.

Assembling and frying:

• On a floured surface, flatten and press dough to remove air bubbles. Fold in half, then in half again, stretching and rolling to form a rope. Using a knife, divide into equal portions (about 15g each). Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll the dough out with a small rolling pin until it is about 3 inches in diameter.
• Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating in a counter-clockwise motion and pinching firmly at the top to seal. Place finished buns on a lightly greased surface and loosely cover while you make the rest.
• Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place buns gently in the pan, leaving about 1 ½ inches margin, and fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Quickly pour ¼ cup water (or enough to cover the bottom third of the bun) and cover immediately to trap in steam. Reduce to a low heat and allow buns to cook for 5-8 minutes until water is evaporated and the sound of sizzling has stopped. Open the lid and sprinkle on sesame seeds and green onions, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Notes

• *The cup measurement will vary from 1 ⅔ cups to 2 cups depending on flour brand, but I recommend weighing it out to be exact. 
• I used regular vegetable broth, not low-sodium.
• Soy curls are made with one ingredient– non-gmo soy beans– and they’re minimally processed, unlike TVP (textured vegetable protein). I love them and I think they’re a wonderful meat alternative, similar to seitan but a lot cheaper and easier to work with. You can find soy curls in the bulk goods section, or packaged under the Butler brand. 
• When frying, you can place the pleated side either facing up or down. I did the latter, but you have to make sure to securely seal the buns to prevent any juice from leaking out of the filling. 
• Freezer option: spread the pleated (but not yet cooked) buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze, then transfer frozen buns to a bag for long-term freezer storage.
• To see how to pleat the buns, go to my Instagram page and view the videos saved in my story highlights.

To make the dough:

Stuffed with a juicy mushroom and bok choy filling, these dumplings are an irresistible dish for a gathering. You can pan-fry them until golden and crispy on the bottom— the perfect appetizer/party food— or cook them in a pot of water for boiled dumplings (shui jiao).

To make the dough, prepare two bowls, one for the white dough and one for the green dough. Measure out flour and salt in the separate bowls. Make a well in the center of one, and gradually add the boiling water, stirring with a spoon until the mixture forms clumps, then add 1 tablespoon cold water and knead for 5 minutes until it forms a ball. This is the white dough.

Blend spinach with ¼ cup boiling water. Strain the liquid into a mesh strainer and press to extract the juice. Discard spinach pulp. Add hot water to the green juice to form ½ cup liquid. Add to the second flour and salt mixture, and knead into a ball. This is the green dough.

Cover the bowls and let dough rest as you prepare the filling.

To make the dumplings, divide each color of dough into two portions, and knead well. Roll each white portion into a 1 inch rope. Flatten the green portions into two rectangular pieces with the same length as the white ropes. Wrap each white rope in the green piece, then pinch tightly to seal. Cut into small tablespoon-sized pieces, flattening each piece with the palm of your hand. 

Dust the working surface with flour and roll each piece out into a flat disc. Add a generous amount of filling and pleat the edges, pinching tightly to seal.

Heat a layer of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry until golden on the bottom. for 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup water into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated, then remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Notes/Substitutions/Tips:

• I used fresh shiitake mushrooms. You could also substitute cremini/baby bella mushrooms, though I recommend shiitake for the flavor.
• I shred the cabbage and carrots by chopping them into rough chunks and processing them in a food processor a few times.
• If you have access to Chinese chives I highly recommend using them instead of scallions.
• Don’t skimp on the oil for this recipe– it’s important for the flavor and mimics the fattiness of traditional meat dumplings.
• To see how I pleat the dumplings, go to my Instagram page and view the story under my story highlights. Or see a guide to pleating dumplings here.
• My favorite dipping sauce is a combination of Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar) + soy sauce + chili sauce.
• Optional step before frying: dip the bottom of each dumpling in water and then in a layer of white sesame seeds to coat.
• To freeze, place the potstickers on a tray (uncooked) to freeze individually, then store in a freezer bag.

More dumpling recipes:

• Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings
• Mushroom Potstickers

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!

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📖 Recipe

Pan-Fried Bok Choy Dumplings (Vegan)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Two-toned Chinese spinach dumplings, stuffed with a juicy mushroom and bok choy filling and pan-fried to a golden-brown crisp. 

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 60
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 35
• Category: Sides and Appetizers
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Dough

White wrappers:

• 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp cold water

Green wrappers:

• 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves, packed

Filling

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 inch thumb ginger, minced
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 cups Butler’s dried soy curls, rehydrated and chopped finely, or 1 14 oz block firm tofu, crumbled*
• 1 lb bok choy (or napa cabbage), finely chopped
• 1 ½ cup carrot, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, finely chopped, both green and white parts
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Filling seasoning:

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Make dough: 

   Prepare two bowls, one for the white dough and one for the green dough. Measure out flour and salt in the separate bowls. Make a well in the center of one, and gradually add the boiling water, stirring with a spoon until the mixture forms clumps, then add 1 tablespoon cold water and knead for 5 minutes until it forms a ball. This is the white dough.

   Blend spinach with ¼ cup boiling water. Strain the liquid into a mesh strainer and press to extract the juice. Discard spinach pulp. Add hot water to the green juice to form ½ cup liquid. Add to the second flour and salt mixture, and knead into a ball. This is the green dough.

2. To make filling, heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat and stir-fry onion and ginger until translucent. Add mushrooms and soy curls (or the crumbled tofu) and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add cabbage and carrots and stir-fry until most of the liquid from the vegetables is released. Stir in the rest of ingredients and remove from heat. Taste and add more salt or sesame oil as necessary (you want the filling to be quite salty/well-seasoned, as the flavor mellows in the dumplings). Place filling in the fridge to cool.
3. To make the dumplings, divide each color of dough into two portions, and knead well. Roll each white portion into a 1 inch rope. Flatten the green portions into two rectangular pieces, the same length as the white ropes. Wrap each white rope in the green piece, then pinch tightly to seal. Cut into small tablespoon-sized pieces, flattening each piece with the palm of your hand.  Dust the working surface with flour and roll each piece out into a flat disc. Add a generous amount of filling and pleat the edges, pinching tightly to seal.
4. Pan-fry the dumplings. Heat a layer of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan and fry until golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup water into the pan, cover to trap steam, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated, then remove cover, increase heat to medium-high and fry for a few more minutes, until the dumplings are evenly browned on the bottom. Serve immediately.

Notes

• *I prefer the texture of soy curls, as they’re meatier/chewier, but if you’re using tofu, be sure to press it to drain out excess moisture before you crumble it into the filling.
• My favorite dipping sauce is a combination of Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar) + soy sauce + chili oil.

Feel free to use pre-made dumpling wrappers for convenience— available frozen or refrigerated in Asian supermarkets— but I’ve included a dough recipe below for homemade wrappers. The dough only requires water, flour and salt, and it’s fun to shape the dough and roll out the wrappers. You can also try out these two-toned green and white dumpling wrappers for a striking presentation.

The name for pan-fried dumplings is 锅贴 (guo tie) in Chinese, which means “sticking to the pot.” The cooking method combines both frying and steaming. Initially covered with a small amount of water in the pan, the dumplings steam and become tender and juicy, but gradually, as the water continues to evaporate, they begin to brown on the hot surface of the pan, rendering the delightfully crisp, golden “bottoms” that give them their name.

Ingredients for the Potstickers:

Ingredients for the filling:

• Shiitake mushrooms.
• Finely shredded cabbage.
• Shredded or julienned carrot.
• Scallions. Finely chopped, both white and green parts
• Ginger.
• Onion.
• Soy sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil.
• Shaoxing cooking wine.
• Sugar.
• Ground white pepper

The filling is cooked beforehand; this is important for vegetable dumplings, since raw cabbage/carrots/mushrooms tend to release a lot of liquid when cooked. By pre-cooking and then seasoning the filling before wrapping, you ensure the dumpling is both juicy and flavorful.

Instructions

Make the dough:

Combine flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and gradually add the boiling water, stirring with a spoon until the mixture forms clumps. Cover and let rest for five minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and knead into a ball, then cover and let rest as you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

Heat oil in a large work or skillet over medium high heat and stir-fry ginger and onions until translucent. Add in chopped mushrooms and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes until liquid is evaporated, then add cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until most of the liquid from the vegetables is released. Add chives, wine, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and salt, and cook one more minute, then remove from heat. Taste and add more salt or sesame oil as necessary (you want the filling to be quite salty/well-seasoned, as the flavor mellows in the dumplings). Place filling in the fridge to cool.

Form the dumplings:

Divide the dough into two portions, and knead well. Roll each portion into a 1 inch diameter rope, and cut into small tablespoon-sized pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. Dust the working surface with flour and roll each piece out into a flat disc. Add a generous amount of filling and pleat the edges, pinching tightly to seal.

Here is a good tutorial for pleating a dumpling!

Optional step before frying: dip the bottom of each dumpling in water and then in a layer of white sesame seeds to coat.

Fry the dumplings:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup (or a thin layer) of water into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated, then remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp.

Enjoy immediately! For an easy dipping sauce, combine two parts Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar) with one part soy sauce and a dash of hot chili oil.

Notes for making Vegan Mushroom Potstickers:

• I used fresh shiitake mushrooms. You could also other varieties, but I recommend shiitake mushrooms as they have the most flavor.
• Instead of shredding the cabbage and carrots by hand, I simply chop them into rough chunks and process them in a food processor a few times.
• If you have access to Chinese chives, use them instead of scallions!
• Don’t skimp on the oil for this recipe– it’s important for the flavor and mimics the fattiness of traditional meat dumplings.
• To freeze, place the uncooked potstickers on a tray for 30 minutes to freeze individually, then store in a freezer bag.

More recipes with mushroom:

• Vegan Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings
• Crispy Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Fried Rice
• Creamy One-Pot Mushroom Miso Pasta

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!

Follow me on Pinterest and save this recipe for later!

📖 Recipe

Vegan Potstickers (Pan-Fried Dumplings)

Chinese potstickers filled with a delicious mushroom and vegetable filling. Pan-fried and then steamed, these dumplings are packed with flavor, with golden-brown, crispy bottoms.

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 60
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Wrappers

• 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup boiling water + 1 tbsp cold water

Filling:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
• 1 ½ cups finely shredded carrot
• 4 (around 1 cup) scallions, finely chopped, both white and green parts*

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine or rice wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt, to taste

Instructions

1. To make dough: combine the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and gradually add the boiling water, stirring with a spoon until the mixture forms clumps. Cover and let rest for five minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and knead into a ball, then cover and let rest as you prepare the filling.
2. To make filling: heat oil in a large work or skillet over medium high heat and stir-fry ginger and onions until translucent. Add in chopped mushrooms and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes until liquid is evaporated, then add cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until most of the liquid from the vegetables is released. Add chives, wine, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and salt, and cook one more minute, then remove from heat. Taste and add more salt or sesame oil as necessary (you want the filling to be quite salty/well-seasoned, as the flavor mellows in the dumplings). Place filling in the fridge to cool.
3. To make the dumplings, divide the dough into two portions, and knead well. Roll each portion into a 1 inch rope, and cut into small tablespoon-sized pieces, flattening each piece with the palm of your hand. Dust the working surface with flour and roll each piece out into a flat disc. Add a generous amount of filling and pleat the edges, pinching tightly to seal.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup (or a thin layer) of water into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated, then remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Notes

• I used fresh shiitake mushrooms. You could also other varieties, but I recommend shiitake mushrooms as they have the most flavor.
• Instead of shredding the cabbage and carrots by hand, I simply chop them into rough chunks and process them in a food processor a few times.
• If you have access to Chinese chives, use them instead of scallions!
• Don’t skimp on the oil for this recipe– it’s important for the flavor and mimics the fattiness of traditional meat dumplings.
• To freeze, place the uncooked potstickers on a tray for 30 minutes to freeze individually, then store in a freezer bag.