Burgundy Mushroom Vegetarian Soup Dumplings (Su Xiao Long Bao)
When dreaming about vegetarian soup dumplings, it was clear we wanted to make one that featured mushrooms. Not only are mushrooms one of the healthiest foods on the planet, but they are a bit magical, with the capacity to mimic the satisfactory flavors of beef without the drawbacks. Mushrooms are earthy, aromatic and when simmered with burgundy wine, forget about it, they are simply delicious.
So, what makes these mushroom soup dumplings special? Firstly, we simmer dried porcini mushrooms in the broth, giving beautiful mushroom flavor, without the hassle of cooking the mushrooms down for hours. Next, burgundy wine adds depth, giving a delightful tang to the broth, pairing perfectly with the mushrooms. Further, tomato paste and soy sauce add yet another flavor story to the broth playing on the fifth basic taste, umami. Lastly, caramelizing the onions with brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the broth making it—as it should be—delicious enough to sip on its own.
For these vegetarian soup dumplings, the filling is meant to complement the broth and not overpower it. After sautéing celery and carrot, herbs like parsley and scallions are added to the vegetables, providing a fresh counterpoint to the earthy depth of the soup. We found the balance between the earthiness of the broth and the freshness of the filling a perfect paring. Even better, these soup dumplings serve as a comforting vegetarian option that isn’t as easily found in soup dumpling recipes!
Below is a step-by-step description on how to make these mushroom soup dumplings successfully. Grab our dumpling kit and let’s get to work!
Burgundy Mushroom Vegetarian Soup Dumplings
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 28 Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Dough
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup boiling water
2 tsp. vegetable oil
For the Soup
1 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
½ onion, diced
¼ tsp. brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. soy sauce
¼ cup Burgundy wine
2 cups veggie broth
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 ½ tsp. agar agar powder (included in our kit)
For the Filling
8 oz cremini mushrooms roughly chopped
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
½ cup carrots, diced
¼ cup celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. scallions, minced
1 Tbsp. parsley, minced
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. salt
Step One: Make the Dough
Create a well in the center of the flour. Pour the boiling water and vegetable oil into the well.
Stir the flour and water mixture until it starts to come together and then press the dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. If the dough is particularly sticky add a pinch or two of flour, and continue to knead until the dough is workable and has a bit of stretch and pliability. The dough will get more stretch as it rests.
Place dough into a zip lock bag, removing any excess air, and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step Two: Make the Soup
Using a medium saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter into olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and brown sugar and cook stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and well-browned, about 8 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir until the onions are evenly coated and the paste begins to darken, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce followed by wine and deglaze the pan, cooking until the liquid reduces by about half, about 1 minute.
Next, add vegetable broth, porcini mushrooms, bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until broth reduces, 6-8 minutes. Discard solids, salt to taste and let cool for 15 minutes.
Measure 1 3/4 cup broth and return to sauce pan. Over medium-high heat, whisk in agar agar powder until fully dissolved. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Using a 9x13 dish, pour broth into dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. Carefully remove from dish using the wooden paddle provided in kit. Cut into 1/8 inch cubes, place in a bowl and refrigerate.
Step Three: Make the Filling
Toss chopped cremini mushrooms in soy sauce and set aside. Using a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Sauté chopped carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and sauté until juices just begin to release, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside to cool.
Once sautéed ingredients have cooled, add all remaining filling ingredients, except broth cubes to a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Mix in solidified broth cubes. Set aside in fridge until ready to fill dumplings.
Step Four: Assemble the Dumplings
Using both hands, roll the dough back and forth until it resembles a long narrow cylinder 14 inches long. Using a ruler, score the dough on the inch, into fourteen pieces. Once scored, cut the dough accordingly.
Taking one piece at a time, while covering the remaining pieces with a damp paper towel, roll out the dough into a circle until nice and thin, about 4 inches in diameter. Ideally the center will be slightly thicker than the edges. Rolling the dough thin is critical in creating pleats and achieving a good seal.
Tip: Avoid rolling out wrappers in batches so that the thin dough doesn’t dry out. Fill and assemble the dumplings immediately.
Place a full tablespoon of filling onto the rolled dough. Capture as much liquid in the filling as possible with each scoop by stirring the filling mixture and re-coating the ingredients with any liquid that has settled. Don’t be shy with the filling as a nice plump dumpling is ideal.
To pleat the dumpling closed, hold the wrapper (with filling) in a slightly cupped hand, using both sets of index fingers and thumbs to pleat and pinch the rim to form a satchel. Some may find it easier to leave the dumpling on the countertop.
Be careful to keep the filling in the center of the wrapper, nudging it to the center as needed. Once all the dough is brought to the top of the dumpling, pinch and twist the top together, making sure it is sealed and secure.
Place finished dumplings onto a parchment lined tray until you're ready to cook.
Step Five: Steam the Dumplings
Place the bamboo steamer in a skillet or sauté pan larger than 8”. Fill with about 2” of water.
Line the bamboo steamer trays with parchment liners and place the assembled dumplings in the steamer about ½” apart.
Steam each batch of dumplings over boiling water on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. We have found that 10 minutes is the sweet spot in our kitchen. Once steamed, enjoy straight from the steamer, being careful not to get scalded by the hot soup inside.
