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Nov 7, 2018

Asian-Style Chicken Dumpling Soup

Asian-style Chicken Dumpling Soup - a hearty and meaty flavored chicken, bacon, and shiitake mushroom soup filled with Asian chicken dumplings.


I have been experimenting with making my own Asian dumplings, including making my own wrappers. I've been trying different flavors, including pork, shrimp, as well as chicken.

What I love about making these dumplings is that, while it's a lot of work to assemble them, you can freeze them in bulk, and then grab as many as you need to either fry, steam, or drop into soup straight from the freezer.


Shortcuts to Save Time:


The dough for these dumplings is pretty easy to work with, and wrapping the dumplings is pretty fun, even if your results are not perfect. While I made my own wrappers for these dumplings, you can also use store-bought gyoza wrappers to save a little time. I did that for these pot-stickers I posted last month.

The filling for these dumplings takes some planning because you have to prepare a lemongrass infused marinade that requires an overnight rest. If you want to really save time, you can make the soup with store-bought frozen dumplings. It's a great short-cut for a quick and delicious soup.

Another way to save time, but still make all of the components of the dumplings is to make the lemongrass marinade one day, make the filling the next day, and assemble and freeze the dumplings on the third day. You can freeze the dumplings for up to a month before making the soup.

If you can, enlist a friend to help wrap the dumplings. It's way more fun!

If you have more filling than wrappers, you can use it to make meatballs, sliders, or even taco meat.


Once you've assembled all of the dumplings, freeze them on a sheet pan, and then once they are frozen solid, place them in a freezer bag to use later straight from the freezer.

Once you taste this, chicken dumpling soup will have a whole new meaning.


November 12th is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day. Our theme, chosen by Stacy of Food Lust People Love, is Creative Chicken Soups. Make one of these creative chicken soups recipe to celebrate!


gyoza, Asian dumplings, soup, chicken soup, dim sum, jiaozi,
Soup, dim sum
Asian
Yield: 4 servings

Asian-Style Chicken Dumpling Soup

ingredients

Dumpling Filling
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed, smashed, and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1  bundle (50 grams) vermicelli mung bean noodles
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 cup finely chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons sriracha
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Soup
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 3 scallions, white and green separated, sliced thin on the bias
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced. 
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 16 ounces fresh or frozen dumplings
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Wrappers
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 cup cold water

instructions

To Make the Filling
  1. Combine the sugar, fish sauce, garlic, lemongrass, and 1 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the lemongrass is finely chopped. Store in an airtight container overnight. 
  2. Strain the marinade through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible. You will need 1/2 cup. 
  3. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Boil the noodle for 3 minutes, until just softened, drain, and transfer to the ice water. Once they've cooled, drain and chop the noodles. 
  4. Combine the chicken, carrots, basil, scallions, salt, sriracha, lime juice, cornstarch, 1/2 cup of the marinade, noodles, and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. Work the ingredients together with your hands until well-mixed. At this point, you can cover and refrigerated for up to two days. It's easier to work with when it's cold. 
Wrapper Dough
  1. Mix the flour and water in a medium bowl and mix with your hand until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Move the dough to the work surface and hand knead for 5 minutes, dusting with more flour if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. 
Assemble the Dumplings
  1. Knead the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is smooth, about 2 minutes. 
  2. Roll the dough into a rope that is about 15 inches long. 
  3. Cut the rope into 30 pieces and roll each into a ball. Pat them into flat rounds and then roll them into 3 1/2 inch rounds, with the edges thinner than the middle. Keep all dough you are not working with covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. 
  4. Put a tablespoon of filling in the middle of a dough round. Fold in half to form a half moon. Pinch one corner of the half moon together in the middle and then begin pleating the dough on both sides, making about 2 pleats per side until the dumpling is closed (see photo of pleated dumplings on the tray). One side should be flat and one side should be rounded. Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet. Use immediately for the soup, or freeze on the tray until solid, and then place in freezer bags to use later. You will have more dumplings than you will need for the soup. 
Make the Soup
  1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan. 
  2. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and heat over medium. Add the white parts of the scallions, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until the scallions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the shiitakes and cook for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown. 
  3. Add the broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the fresh or frozen dumplings and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the fish sauce and lime juice. Garnish with the scallion green parts and the bacon. 

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This recipe was adapted from multiple sources, including Hey There Dumpling!. Cook's Country Magazine, and The Breath of a Wok


Would you like to comment?

  1. You and my daughter Cecilie are on the same wavelength there in the LA area, Karen. She made homemade wrappers and then dumplings this past week too! What a beautiful, flavorful chicken soup! Great job!

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    1. Oh how fun! They really are a fun project. Thanks!

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  2. This soup is screaming my name Karen. It looks wonderful and isn't it a great feeling to just be able to go into the freezer for some homemade goodness?

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    Replies
    1. It is such a great feeling and totally worth the extra effort.

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  3. Going to have to try this. If it is anything like your quick beef pho, it is bound to be delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Awww. Thanks! I'm so glad you liked that one! This one is good too!

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  4. I've been meaning to make a pot sticker soup since last winter and never got around to it but seeing yours makes me as hungry for it as ever.

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  5. Wonderful soup, with homemade dumplings.. great Karen!

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