30 Minute Meals
Dumpling Soup
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Yield
2 -3
🥟 Cozy up with a bowl of this quick dumpling soup! Fragrant lemongrass, ginger, and garlic infuse the broth while tender dumplings and fresh veggies make it a complete meal. Ready in under 30 minutes – the perfect cold-weather comfort food!
It is soup season! Is there anything more comforting than dumpling soup? Across the globe, cultures have perfected their own versions of this soul-warming dish – from delicate Chinese wonton soup to hearty Korean mandu-guk, elegant Italian tortellini in brodo to comforting German Grießklößchensuppe. There’s something magical about tender dumplings swimming in flavorful broth that speaks to our shared need for comfort and nourishment. As the weather gets colder, all you want is a hearty, comforting meal to warm you up, and I love this dumpling soup recipe because it won’t take all day, but it is so warming and delicious!
❤️ Why You’ll Love Dumpling Soup
- Easy: The keyword here is that these recipes are EASY! They won’t take you forever in the kitchen and are filling, healthy, and delicious.
- Nourishing: Soups are a great way to cram a bunch of healthy ingredients, vegetables, etc., into your diet in one big bowl.
- Quick: Ready in under 30 minutes for those busy weeknights when you need something warming fast.
🍲 Ingredients
Lemongrass – I used lemongrass for this dumpling soup to add a delicious, fresh flavor to the broth. Lemongrass helps to prevent the growth of some bacteria and yeast, and contains substances that can relieve pain, swelling, and even reduce fever if you’re sick! Its citrusy aroma adds a beautiful dimension to the soup, elevating it beyond ordinary broth.
Garlic – Garlic helps boost your immune system which is a necessity during cold and flu season. It can also help reduce your risk of certain diseases and has antibiotic properties. In this soup, both regular and black garlic provide layers of flavor – from sharp and pungent to sweet and fermented – creating a complex base for the broth.
👩🍳 How to Make Dumpling Soup
- In a small-medium soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Once warm, add minced garlic, minced black garlic, minced ginger and minced lemongrass. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Add chopped yellow squash and cook 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Add in frozen dumpling and stir to incorporate with other ingredients.
- Then add in vegetable stock (or vegetable bouillion and water) and tamari. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until frozen dumplings are just done cook time may also vary according to package directions). Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.
- Serve in bowls garnished with sliced green onion and (optional) dehydrated garlic.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Aromatics: Finely mince the lemongrass, garlic, and ginger for the most flavor infusion.
- Dumplings: Don’t overcook the dumplings – they should be just tender when done.
- Layering: Build flavor gradually by properly sautéing each ingredient before adding the next.
- Broth: For a clearer broth, simmer gently rather than boiling vigorously.
🗒 Variations
- Black Garlic: If you don’t have black garlic, substitute it with 2 cloves of minced regular garlic.
- Yellow Squash: Try 1 cup of julienned or chopped carrots or 1 cup of frozen peas.
- Dumplings: Any variety of frozen dumplings works well – pork, chicken, vegetable, or shrimp. If you have time, you can also make your own dumplings from scratch. Try this recipe, it will add that extra touch of love.
- Greens: Swap spinach with baby bok choy, kale, or other leafy greens you have on hand.
- Broth: The vegetable broth can be replaced with other broths for different flavor profiles. Try chicken broth for a richer taste, miso broth for umami depth, or coconut milk mixed with broth for a creamy Thai-inspired variation. For a Korean twist, use anchovy or beef broth, or for Chinese-style, try a clear broth with Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing) and white pepper.
🗒 Best served with
- Vegan Rice Paper Rolls with Peanut Sauce
- Sticky Sesame Lentil Meatballs
- Easy Pad Thai Recipe (Vegetarian)
- Easy Vegan Carrot Salad
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dumplings may absorb more broth as they sit, so you might need to add additional stock when reheating.
🤔 Common Questions
Soup dumplings are usually made with plain pork filling, with some versions containing a mix of pork and crab, but in the new and modern versions, you can find all sorts of fillings, including vegetarian. Traditional Chinese soup dumplings (xiao long bao) contain soup inside the dumpling itself, but in this recipe, we’re using regular dumplings in a flavorful soup.
You can usually find these in the frozen food section of your grocery store, particularly in the international foods aisle. Asian grocery stores offer the widest variety of options.
To make this soup more filling, you can add more protein by adding extra dumplings or more vegetables like mushrooms, corn, or diced tofu. You can also serve it with a side of steamed rice.
If you can’t find lemongrass, you can approximate the flavor by using lemon zest and a small amount of ginger, though it won’t be exactly the same.
Absolutely! Thinly sliced cooked chicken, shredded pork, cubed tofu, or even a soft-boiled egg work beautifully. Add cooked proteins in the last few minutes of cooking, just to heat through. For tofu, firm or extra-firm varieties hold up best in soup.
As written, the soup is mildly aromatic rather than spicy. For heat, add red pepper flakes, sliced fresh chili, or a drizzle of chili oil when serving.
For a more complex broth, try: 1) Roasting bones or vegetables before adding to your stock; 2) Adding a tablespoon of butter or sesame oil at the end; 3) Including umami boosters like dried mushrooms, kombu, or a splash of fish sauce; 4) Letting the broth simmer longer with aromatics before adding dumplings; or 5) Adding a spoonful of miso paste or gochujang for depth.
Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil of choice (olive oil or sesame oil)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cloves black garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 inch piece lemongrass, minced (remove hard outer casing before mincing)
- 1 cup chopped yellow squash (cut in halves or quarters)
- 10-12 frozen vegetable dumplings (or potstickers)
- 3-4 cups vegetable stock or 1 heaping tablespoon vegetable boullion for 3-4 cups water
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- optional garnish: dehydrated garlic
Instructions
- In a small-medium soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Once warm, add minced garlic, minced black garlic, minced ginger and minced lemongrass. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Add chopped yellow squash and cook 3-5 minutes until softened.
- Add in frozen dumpling and stir to incorporate with other ingredients.
- Then add in vegetable stock (or vegetable bouillion and water) and tamari. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until frozen dumplings are just done cook time may also vary according to package directions). Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.
- Serve in bowls garnished with sliced green onion and (optional) dehydrated garlic.
Delicious! Definitely will become a go to dinner staple!
I love this one so much!