Mushroom Dumpling Soup with Greens

Rich miso broth brimming with tender tofu, mushroom dumplings, fresh greens and a bit of spice make this Mushroom Dumpling Soup an instant weeknight favorite.

This Mushroom Dumpling Soup recipe is adapted from George Meza’s recipe for Mushroom Dumplings in Katsuobushi Broth for Food and Wine.

I simplified his recipe by swapping his kombu-based stock with whatever kind of stock you have on hand. I strongly recommend homemade, as anything from a box will overpower the other delicious flavors in this dumpling soup. If you want to keep this recipe fully plant-based, make a quick and easy vegetable stock. You can use any veggie scraps you happen to have on hand, even peels and trimmings. And it only takes half an hour of simmering.

For meat-eaters, a rich homemade chicken or beef stock will also add a lot of body to this dumpling soup recipe. Here’s a helpful how-to on homemade chicken stock. If you can find them, I recommend using chicken feet in your stock. They contain a lot of collagen, which produces stock with a wonderful amount of body and flavor.

I also added cubed tofu to the soup for extra protein. The tofu helps make this recipe a perfect light, but filling lunch or dinner. I amped up some of the Asian flavors with miso, ginger and a bit of sriracha for spice.

How to Fold Homemade Mushroom Dumplings for Soup

After you make the easy mushroom filling for the dumplings, the fun begins. I find filling dumplings to be quite meditative. In fact, when I first made this recipe, we couldn’t stop making dumplings. We made way more than this soup could handle. Fortunately, dumplings freeze beautifully. If you also find yourself on a dumpling making spree, freeze any extras by arranging them on a baking sheet. They can be close together, but shouldn’t touch to avoid sticking together. Freeze them for about an hour, or until fully set. Then you can store them in a sealable container or freezer-safe bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.

To make the dumplings, start by recruiting helers. Many hands make light work, and like I said, dumpling making can be addicting. It’s up to you to go the assembly line route, or let everyone construct their own little pouches. Be warned that this method can lead to a lot of comparison, but the person who makes the rest of the soup gets the last word on who made the best dumplings, at least in my house.

Start by laying out a few round dumpling wrappers on a cutting board or work surface. Add a heaping teaspoon of mushroom filling to the center of each wrapper. Dab a bit of water with your finger around the outer edge of half of the circle of the dumpling wrappers. Fold the other half over, creating a cute little half moon shape and pinch tightly to close. You’ll know you overfilled your dumpling if mushroom stuffing gets in the way of sealing it. That’s bad news, as any dumplings not well sealed will pop open and share their contents with the rest of the soup when cooked. Avoid hazy soup by keeping your filling to an appropriate size and pinching with everything you’ve got!

Finishing Mushroom Dumpling Soup with Greens

Once you’ve pinched all of your dumplings closed, you’re ready to finish off this delightful soup. Be sure to chop the greens, if you’re using bok choy or kale especially. No one likes taking a bite of a tender leaf in soup, only to discover that it’s impossible to actually bite through. Spare yourself and your dinner companions the awkward bite struggle of whole bok choy leaves, and chop ‘em small.

Warm the stock in a large pot. When it comes to a light simmer, add the cubed tofu, greens and dumplings. Give everything a gentle stir, to ensure the dumplings don’t stick together, and continue to simmer until the dumplings float and the leaves are just tender.

Serve this delicate Mushroom Dumpling Soup with sriracha or chile oil for the spice lovers.

Ingredients

14 oz extra firm tofu
5 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
6 large oyster mushrooms, chopped
1 medium-size yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sriracha or chile oil, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (12-ounce) package round dumpling wrappers
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable, chicken or beef stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white miso
2 heads baby bok choy, large handful spinach or other hearty greens, chopped

Instructions

Drain the tofu and wrap in a clean dishtowel. Place something heavy on top, such as a large dinner plate and let the tofu sit to drain while you prepare the rest of the soup.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add half of the mushrooms, and cook, without stirring, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and continue to cook, undisturbed, until browned on all sides, about 3 more minutes. Place mushrooms in a medium mixing bowl, and repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining mushrooms. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until onion is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.
Add half of the browned mushrooms and ginger to the food processor with the onions and process into a paste. Finely chop the remaining browned mushrooms and transfer back to the medium bowl. Add the puréed mushroom mixture to the bowl. Stir in sliced scallions, salt, sesame oil, pepper and sriracha or chile oil until well combined.
Have a small bowl of water nearby. Fill the dumpling wrappers with a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom mixture. Use your finger to lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water; fold into a half-moon and pinch the edges together to seal. Try not to pile the dumplings on top of each other, as they tend to stick together.
Dice the pressed tofu.
In a large soup pot, heat the stock over medium heat. Stir in the soy sauce and miso, ensuring the miso is fully dissolved. When the stock beings to simmer, add the tofu, dumplings and greens and cook until the dumplings float and the greens are just tender.
To serve, divide the dumplings and broth between bowls. Add sriracha or chile oil, if you like.

Note: if you plan to save some of the soup to eat later, cook the mushrooms in a separate pot of simmering water. They may overcook if you leave them in the soup for too long.