Steamed Vegetable Dumplings with Soy-Vinegar Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Pleated cabbage-and-shiitake dumplings that taste like the ones from a good dim sum cart, built on one non-negotiable step: salting and wringing out the napa cabbage so the filling stays juicy instead of soupy. Everything gets steamed over parchment in a plain metal steamer basket, then dunked in a sharp soy-vinegar-chili sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb napa cabbage, cored and very finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, finely diced
• 2 tsp neutral oil
• 1 medium carrot, grated on the small holes of a box grater
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (or 1/2 cup garlic chives)
• 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 7 oz firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

• 36 round dumpling wrappers (about 1 lb), thawed if frozen
• small bowl of water, for sealing
• 2 sheets parchment paper, for lining the steamer
• 1 tsp neutral oil, for the parchment

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp chili oil with crisp, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Toss the finely chopped napa cabbage with the 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes; it will collapse to about half its volume and weep liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the diced shiitakes and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until they stop squeaking, brown lightly, and give up their moisture. Spread on a plate to cool completely — warm mushrooms will steam the wrappers from the inside.
3. Squeeze the cabbage hard, a handful at a time, inside a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of cheesecloth. Twist and wring until almost no liquid comes out; you should end up with roughly 1 1/2 cups of tightly packed cabbage. Do not rinse it — the residual salt is the filling's seasoning.
4. In a large bowl combine the squeezed cabbage, cooled mushrooms, grated carrot, scallions, ginger, garlic, and crumbled tofu. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, and cornstarch. Mix vigorously with a spatula or your hand for a full minute, pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl until it holds together in a clump when squeezed. Taste a pinch (it's safe — no raw meat) and add a little more soy sauce if it's flat.
5. Set up your station: wrappers under a damp towel, a small bowl of water, the filling, and a parchment-lined sheet pan dusted with cornstarch. Hold a wrapper in your palm and place a rounded 2 teaspoons of filling in the center. Dip a finger in water and run it along the top half of the rim.
6. Fold the wrapper into a half-moon and pinch it closed at the center. Working from the center outward on one side, make 3 small pleats in the front edge only, pressing each pleat into the flat back edge to seal. Repeat on the other side. Set the dumpling seam-up on the pan and press the bottom lightly so it stands. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers, keeping finished dumplings covered.
7. Cut parchment circles to fit your steamer basket(s), poke 8 to 10 holes in each with a skewer or the tip of a knife, and brush lightly with neutral oil. Line the baskets. Bring 1 1/2 inches of water to a rolling boil in a wide pot or wok that fits your steamer.
8. Arrange the dumplings on the parchment about 1/2 inch apart. Cover and steam over the boiling water for 9 to 10 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and glossy and the filling is piping hot (165°F on an instant-read thermometer pushed into the center). Check the water level between batches and top up with boiling water as needed.
9. While the dumplings steam, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust with more vinegar for sharpness or more chili oil for heat.
10. Lift the parchment out of the basket and slide the dumplings onto a warm plate. Serve immediately with the soy-vinegar sauce, spooning a little over the first few dumplings so the tops don't dry out.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem