Vegan Dumplings With Dipping Sauce

Filled with tofu, cabbage, carrot, and shiitakes, these vegan dumplings are the perfect accompaniment to your next Asian-inspired dinner. Don’t skip the sweet and savoury dipping sauce!

It’s always a bummer when you go to an Asian restaurant and realize that all the dumplings, wontons, and gyoza on the menu are filled with meat. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: make vegan dumplings at home!

These vegan dumplings are loaded with flavour and texture—chewy shiitakes, crunchy veggies, and crumbled tofu, all seasoned with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. They’re seared in a skillet, then steamed to perfection. You can make them for meal prep, but I’ll be honest: it’s pretty hard to resist eating them right away!

My vegan dumpling recipe is easy enough for anyone to make, regardless of their skill level in the kitchen. I’ll show you how it’s done step-by-step, but even if you struggle with getting perfect crimped edges, it’s no big deal—as long as the dumplings are securely sealed, you’re good to go.

Of course, you can’t serve dumplings without a delicious sauce for dipping, and the dipping sauce for these vegan dumplings is absolutely divine. It’s garlicky, tangy, slightly sweet, and as spicy (or not spicy) as you want it to be.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Dumplings: 

• Sesame oil
• Fresh ginger – Fresh ginger has a warmer, sweeter flavour than ground ginger.
• Garlic
• Shiitake mushrooms – You can substitute 4 large portobello mushrooms or 12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms if you’d like. 
• Extra-firm tofu – Drain and crumble the tofu; if you have time, press it too. (Learn more: How To Cook Tofu 101 + Best Tips on Making the Most Delicious Tofu)
• Carrot – You’ll need to shred the carrot so you can save yourself some prep time by buying it pre-shredded.
• Napa or green cabbage – Buy a cabbage and shred it yourself, or purchase bagged shredded cabbage.
• Soy sauce – You can also use tamari, low-sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
• Red pepper flakes – Omit these for milder vegan dumplings.
• Green onion
• Dumpling wrappers

For the Sauce:

• Granulated sugar – You can use brown sugar or maple syrup instead.
• Soy sauce 
• Garlic
• Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil adds a layer of toasty flavour to this dipping sauce.
• Chili oil 
• Green onion
• Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar – Chinese black vinegar is made from fermented black sticky rice. 
• Red pepper flakes

Are Dumpling Wrappers Vegan?

Yes, most store-bought dumpling wrappers are vegan-friendly. However, it’s best to double check the ingredient list on the package before purchasing. You can use traditional dumpling wrappers, wonton wrappers, or gyoza wrappers for this recipe, either square or round.

How to Make Vegan Dumplings With Dipping Sauce

By breaking down this recipe into stages, you can easily make it for a weeknight dinner. Prepare the filling the night before, or make the filling and assemble the dumplings. You can also make the sauce in advance.

Prepare the Filling

Cook the aromatics. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once the oil is fragrant, add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

Cook the mushrooms and tofu. Add the mushrooms and tofu to the Dutch oven and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often.

Add the next 4 ingredients. Stir the carrots, cabbage, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes into the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir often.

Finish the filling. Add the green onions and continue to stir. Cook until the liquid in the pot evaporates, then transfer the cooked filling mixture to a large bowl.

Form the Dumplings

Get started. Fill a small bowl with water, then place a single dumpling wrapper on a clean work surface. 

Add the filling. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling and place it onto the centre of the wrapper. 

Seal the dumpling. Dip a finger into the water. Drag it across half of the outside of the dumpling wrapper, around the filling. Fold the dumpling wrapper in half and gently seal the ends together, pressing out any air from the dumpling. 

Finish. Crimp the dumpling edges to create pleats or join and pinch the two edges together to create a hugged pillow shape. 

Cook the Dumplings and Serve

Sear the dumplings. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Arrange the dumplings in a single layer and cook until the bottoms are golden brown.

Steam the dumplings. Pour about 1/4 cup of water over the dumplings in the skillet and cover the pan. Once the water has cooked off, turn off the heat and transfer the dumplings to a serving plate.

Make the sauce. Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then season to taste.

Serve. Serve the cooked dumplings with sauce. 

Tips for Success

These tips will help you make sure your homemade vegan dumplings turn out perfect!

• Let the liquid cook off. Cook the filling until the vegetables are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. This will keep your dumplings from being soggy and bland.
• Be careful not to over-stuff your dumplings. Too much filling and your dumplings will be difficult to seal, or they may open up while you’re cooking them.
• Don’t use too much water for sealing. Your finger should be damp, but not dripping. If you use too much water, the edges of the dumpling wrapper won’t stick together.

Variations

Get creative and personalise your vegan dumpling filling! You can pulse shelled edamame in your food processor until it’s coarsely chopped and use that as a substitute for the tofu, or add some Thai basil to the filling for extra flavour.

You can also switch up the dipping sauce, or offer a few different options. Store-bought sweet chili sauce and plum sauce are great pairings with vegan dumplings!

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy these vegan dumplings as an appetizer, snack, or light meal. You can also make them part of an Asian-inspired feast by pairing them with recipes like Healthy Chow Fun Noodles, Vegan Fried Rice with Quinoa, and General Tso Tofu.

How to Store

Leftover vegan dumplings can be stored in a food-safe airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat the dumplings, you can either steam them in the microwave or skillet, or pan-fry them in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze vegan dumplings for future use! Before transferring them to a resealable bag, freeze the dumplings individually on a parchment-lined sheet pan. This will help keep them from sticking together.

For fast and even reheating, I recommend letting the frozen dumplings thaw in the refrigerator before warming them up according to the instructions above.

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan dumplings recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

More Vegan Appetizer Recipes

• How to Make a Beautiful Crudité Platter
• Vegan Southwest Egg Rolls
• Vegan Whipped Feta Dip
• Quinoa Pizza Bites

Vegan Dumplings With Dipping Sauce

Servings: 50 dumplings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Filled with tofu, cabbage, carrot, and shiitakes, these vegan dumplings are the perfect accompaniment to your next Asian-inspired dinner!

5 (from 8 ratings)

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Ingredients

Dumpling Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil, 42 grams
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, minced (15 grams)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Garlic, minced (25 grams)
• 4 Cups Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, rinsed and minced (approximately 4 large fresh shiitake mushrooms or 165 grams)*
• 1 14 ounce Block Extra Firm Tofu, drained and finely crumbled by hand (397 grams)
• 2 Cups Carrot, finely shredded (approximately 2 large carrots or 230 grams)
• 2 Cups Napa or Green Cabbage, finely shredded (approximately 1⁄4 head of cabbage or 275 grams)
• ¼ Cup Soy Sauce, 68 grams*
• ½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional (1 gram)
• 1 Cup Fresh Green Onion, chopped (80 grams)
• 50 Dumpling Wrappers, approximately 350 – 400 grams*

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar, 5 grams
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce, 30 grams*
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Garlic, minced (4 grams)
• 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil, 5 grams
• 1 Teaspoon Chili Oil, optional (4 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon Green Onion, sliced (4.5 grams)
• 1 Teaspoon Chinese Black Vinegar or Rice Vinegar, optional (5 grams)
• ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional (0.5 grams)

Instructions 

Prepare the dumpling filling:

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of sesame oil and heat until fragrant (approximately 1 minute).
• Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the mushrooms and tofu and cook for 5 – 8 minutes, stirring often. The mushrooms and tofu will begin to release water as they cook down.
• Add the carrots, cabbage, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the green onions and stir while cooking.Continue to cook until the majority of liquid has cooked off. Do not allow the vegetables to burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the dumpling filling to a large bowl to cool.

Form the dumplings:

• Place a single dumpling wrapper on a clean kitchen surface and scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of dumpling filling into the center of the wrapper. Have a small bowl of water nearby to dip your finger into. Using the water on your finger, drag it across half of the outside of the dumpling wrapper around the dumpling filling. Fold the dumpling wrapper in half and lightly press the ends together, pressing out any air from the dumpling before sealing it completely. You can now crimp the dumpling to create pleats along the top of the wrapper or join and pinch the two edges together to create a hugged pillow shape.

Cook the dumplings:

• Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of sesame oil. Heat the oil until fragrant (approximately 1 minute).
• Place the dumplings in a single layer within the skillet. Cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are a toasted golden brown color.
• Pour approximately 1⁄4 cup (60 grams) of water evenly over the dumplings in the skillet and cover the pan with a lid to steam. Once the water has cooked off, turn the heat off and remove the dumplings from the pan.

Make the sauce:

• Add all sauce ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and add any additional soy sauce, sugar, or chili oil if preferred.

Put it all together:

• Serve cooked dumplings with sauce and enjoy. Store cooked dumplings or dumpling filling in a food-safe airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes

• Mushrooms: You can substitute 4 large portobello mushrooms or 12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms (also known as Cremini mushrooms) in place of the shiitake mushrooms.
• Soy Sauce: You can use tamari, low sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos as a substitute for regular soy sauce if preferred.
• Dumpling Wrappers: You can use traditional dumpling wrappers, wonton wrappers, or gyoza wrappers for this recipe. I used the round dumpling wrappers but you can also use square wrappers.
• Sugar: You can use brown sugar or maple syrup as a substitute for granulated sugar.

Calories: 47kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 889IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: Asian

Course: Appetizer

Author: Jessica Hylton