Easy Vegan Dumplings Recipe

These are the best homemade vegan dumplings you'll ever eat! Simple, satisfying, and loaded with fresh veggies, these crispy potstickers are the perfect family dinner or meal prep recipe!

You Will Love These

• They're LOADED with veggies, but still feel indulgent. My favorite meals are those that are filled with nutritious vegetables AND are super satisfying at the same time. These dumplings have a crispy, golden brown bottom with perfectly steamed sides and tender-crisp veggies inside. Serve them with my quick and easy ginger garlic soy sauce for a delicious, simple dinner that your family will love! If you’re looking for some more delicious plant-based meals, be sure to check out my Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup, Vegan Curry Ramen Noodles, or Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
• They are perfect for meal prep. You can make a batch (or even a double batch) of these vegetable dumplings and refrigerate or freeze them in containers of 7-8 potstickers so you've got a quick lunch that's just a few minutes in a saute pan away! These dumplings are definitely a labor of love, but they are worth every minute. Carving out some time for meal prep on the weekend means you've got an easy, homemade dinner ready at a moment's notice.
• These pan-fried dumplings are so much better than the store-bought dumplings in the freezer aisle at the grocery store! Store-bought dumplings never taste as good as they look and have you checked out the ingredient list on a bag of those lately? Make a double batch of these and keep some handy in the freezer for any time the craving hits! They have way more flavor than store-bought and while they take some time to put together, they are a much cheaper option too!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sesame Oil - The sesame oil is really going to add a ton of flavor to this vegan gyoza. You could use just olive oil in its place, but the flavor will be considerably different, so I highly recommend keeping sesame oil on hand. 
• Matchstick Carrots - You could also shred your own carrots but I love the ease of buying already cut matchstick carrots. 
• Cabbage - If you’re in a hurry you can grab a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix however, buying a head of cabbage and thinly slicing it yourself will always be less expensive. 
• Baby Bella Mushrooms - You could use your favorite mushrooms for these dumplings.
• Green Onions - The green onions are going to add a lot of fresh flavor to these dumplings - I do not recommend skipping this ingredient. 
• Fresh Ginger - While you could use ground ginger in place of the fresh ginger in this recipe, fresh is going to give you much more flavor. 
• Soy Sauce - You could also use tamari in place of the soy sauce in this recipe.
• Dumpling Wrappers - You can also use wonton or potsticker wrappers for this recipe if you can’t find dumpling wrappers specifically. 
• Vegetable Oil - I prefer to use vegetable oil to pan fry these dumplings because of its neutral flavor and high smoke point but canola oil would work as well. 

Instructions

Sauté carrots, cabbage, and mushroom.

Add green onion, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce along with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Cook for an additional minute. Then transfer the filling to a bowl and pop it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool completely.

While the filling is cooling, combine dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.

To assemble dumplings, wet the edge of the wrapper with water and add about a tablespoon of filling to the center.

Fold the wrapper in half, creating a half-moon shape.

Gently pat the bottom of the dumpling on the countertop to make sure it stands by itself. Continue with remaining filling until all dumplings are made.

Sauté dumplings in oil until golden brown and crispy, then add water, cover pan and let dumplings steam.

Remove the lid and allow the dumplings to get crisp on the bottom again. Garnish with cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Tips

• Don't let the wrappers dry out. As soon as you open the package, the wrappers will begin to dry. You can combat this by placing a clean kitchen towel over the wrappers and filling them one at a time. Place filled dumplings on a sheet pan or serving tray and cover them with another clean kitchen towel until you're ready to cook them.
• Round or square dumpling wrappers will work just fine for these vegan potstickers! I prefer the round ones myself, but sometimes the grocery store only has square ones. If you're working with square wrappers, you can fill them with slightly more filling and fold them into more of a pyramid shape. You will still cook them in the same way regardless of whether they're pyramid-shaped or half-moon dumplings.
• Don’t worry about making perfectly shaped dumplings. If you Google dumplings or potstickers, you’ll see there are a million different shapes and sizes. Don’t stress too much about how they look because they are going to taste amazing! Your first couple might turn out a little wonky, but by the end of the batch, you'll be a pro.

Freezing Vegan Dumplings

• I highly recommend making these vegan gyoza ahead of time and freezing them! I like to spend a Sunday afternoon making a double batch of these while I binge something on Netflix and sip a glass of wine. I find it to be very relaxing and I love having something kind of mindless to do with my hands while I'm catching up on my favorite shows.
• Place homemade (uncooked) vegan dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes. Then transfer to a large plastic Ziploc bag or airtight container and stick them back in the freezer. They will stay good for up to 3 months!
• When you're ready to eat, just follow the directions in the recipe card below as instructed. You may need to add just an extra minute or two of cook time, but even though they are frozen, they will cook up in no time! It takes very little heat to warm vegetables and penetrate the thin dumpling layer and since the filling is already cooked so you really just need to warm it through.

FAQ

Brief History of Dumplings

• As with many delicious foods, the history of dumplings is complex and fascinating. Almost every culture has some form of dumplings and in many cultures, they were created as a way to make a small amount of food go further.
• Typically made from a mixture of meat and vegetables, the first known recipe for dumplings is thought to have originated in Rome. However, Chinese cooks have been enjoying dumplings for years, first creating them more than 1800 years ago as a way to cure frostbitten ears! 
• In Chinese culture, dumplings are thought to bring wealth and good fortune and are a staple at Lunar New Year celebrations. While dumplings are a popular food enjoyed during the Lunar New Year, they are also an iconic symbol of Chinese culture.

Easy Vegan Dinners

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Recipe

This recipe was originally published in February 2019. It was updated in January 2021 to include process shots, step by step instructions, and tips for making perfect vegetable dumplings every single time!