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Pan-fried vegan mushroom dumplings close-up
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5 from 2 votes

Mushroom Dumplings

These plant-based Chinese dumplings are filled with two kinds of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu. With aromatic herbs and savory seasonings, they are delicious pockets of fun textures and flavors. They can be steamed or pan-fried and keep well in the freezer.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 20 dumplings

Ingredients

  • 30 round dumpling wrappers
  • 2 Tablespoons oil plus more for pan-frying dumplings
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh ginger minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup bamboo shoots finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups brown mushrooms minced
  • 1 cup king oyster mushroom diced
  • 1 cup firm tofu drained and diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 green onions finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

Prepare the filling

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ginger and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bamboo shoots, brown mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and tofu. Sprinkle the salt over those ingredients. Cook and stir until the mushrooms release their liquid, that liquid evaporates, and the mixture is nearly dry, about 7 minutes. Add the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and stir, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the skillet, for 1-2 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Transfer the filling mixture from the skillet or a plate to cool. You can stir the mixture to speed this process up. Once the mixture is no longer steaming, stir in the green onion, nutritional yeast, and sesame oil.

Set up the dumpling station

  • Set up a dumpling wrapping station with the bowl of filling, a small spoon, a small bowl of water, the stack of dumpling wrappers, and a plate or tray to hold the finished dumplings. Place a damp paper towel over both the dumpling wrappers and the finished dumplings so they don’t dry out.

Wrap the dumplings

  • Wrap the dumplings one at a time. Hold the wrapper in your left hand and use your right hand to spoon an appropriate amount of filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Put the spoon down and carefully use your right hand to fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges of the wrapper together as shown. Press firmly so that the wrapper binds together at this point. Then use both hands, as you like, to press the edges together to seal the filling inside. You can form pleats if you want, but they are not necessary. If the first wrapper does not bind to itself very well, you can dip your right index finger in the bowl of water and use it to moisten the edge of the wrapper. Throughout the process, be careful not to let any of the filling get too close to the edge of the wrapper.
  • Once all the dumplings have been wrapped, you can either freeze them or cook them.

Cook the dumplings

  • To cook the dumplings, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the dumplings in a single layer. Cook until the bottom side turns golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the dumplings, add 2 tablespoons water, and cover. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom turns golden brown.
  • Depending on how many dumplings you make and on the size of your skillet, you may need to fry them in batches.

Cooking frozen dumplings

  • The method for cooking frozen dumplings is the same as above, but you’ll need to add more water, about 1/4 cup, and steam them covered for longer, 5-6 minutes total.

Notes

You can use a food processor to chop most of the ingredients. I recommend cutting the bamboo shoots and king oyster mushrooms by hand to preserve their textures.
Serve the dumplings with the dipping sauce of your choice. A common one is three parts soy sauce to four parts vinegar, with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and an optional splash of hot sauce or chili oil.
To freeze the dumplings, place them on a baking tray without overlapping and cover the tray with plastic wrap. Put them in the freezer for a day, then transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag. They'll keep in the freezer for up to a month. 
This recipe produces 20-25 dumplings. Feel free to adjust the quantities to make a larger or smaller batch. Click on the number of servings (dumplings) in the recipe and drag the slider and the quantities will adjust automatically.