I am so thrilled that I am featured on The Kitchn, a site for people who like to get their hands dirty while they cook.
Since Lunar New Year is around the corner, I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes from my cookbook.
A traditional Chinese New Year meal is incomplete without dumplings and a dish of nourishing and soothing Chinese soup, hence I’ve combined the best of both worlds into this pork dumpling soup.
This dish is a Cantonese delicacy and the dumplings are called Siu Kow in Cantonese, or literally “water dumplings.”
This recipe is also one of the 80+ recipes featured in my cookbook Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao (Tuttle, September 2011).
This pork dumpling soup is a perfect dish for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, which falls on January 23rd.
The dumplings are filled with the perfect ratio of ground pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, and wood ear mushroom so every bite is savory, luscious, and crunchy.
When shopping for the wrapper, try to find Siu Kow (Water Dumplings) wrappers in your local Asian store.
They are usually square in shape and are pale yellow in color.
The texture of the wrapper is thinner and more pliable compared to regular wonton wrappers.
If you can’t find them, wonton wrappers would work just fine.
Have a wonderful Golden Dragon year for those celebrating Lunar New Year!
Head over to The Kitchen now to see the complete feature.
Pairs well with:
Pork Dumpling Soup Recipe
Pork Dumpling Soup - juicy and yummy pork dumplings in a hearty chicken soup, the most comforting soups ever and you can make it at home.
Ingredients
- 20 Siu Kow or wonton wrappers
- 4 cups water (1 liter)
Chopped Scallions Filling:
- 1 small wood ear mushroom
- 6 oz ground pork (175 g)
- 4 oz shelled and deveined raw shrimp, cut into small pieces (100 g)
- 2 peeled fresh or canned water chestnuts, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, scallion
Seasonings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes white pepper
Soup
- 1 3/4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock (page 00) or 1 can (14-oz/400-g) store-bought chicken broth (425 ml)
- 1 cup water (250 ml)
- 3 dashes white pepper
- Salt to taste
- Garnishing
- 1 green onion, trimmed and cut into small rounds
Directions
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1Soak the wood ear mushroom with warm water for about 15 minutes. Cut it into thin strips.
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2Make the filling by combining the wood ear mushroom and all the Fillings and Seasonings ingredients together. Chill the filling in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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3To assemble the water dumplings, place a piece of the wrapper on your palm and spoon about 1 tablespoon filling onto the wrapper. Do not overfill. Dip your index finger into a small bowl of water and circle around the outer edges of the dumpling wrapper. Fold the dumpling over and finish by pressing the edges with your thumb and index finger to ensure that the dumpling is sealed tightly and there is no leakage. Repeat for the remaining wrappers and filling. Place the dumplings on a floured surface or baking sheet. Cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
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4Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Gently transfer the wrapped water dumplings into the boiling water and boil until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. You may have to boil the dumplings in more than 1 batch, according to the size of your pot.
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5Remove the water dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain the excess water, and cover them to prevent drying.
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6Bring to boil the chicken broth and water in another pot. Add the white pepper and salt to taste.
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7Transfer 3-4 water dumplings into a soup bowl, add some of the soup into the bowl, garnish with some chopped green onion and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
There are different sizes of Siu Kow or wonton wrappers in the market. Use 1 teaspoon of the Filling if the wrappers are smaller, which yields more dumplings.
Mary Bostow
I have tried so many different versions but this is THE ABSOLUTE BEST EVER!!! Thanks sont much for the recipe.
Ronnie
Do you have a recipe for Wonton soup?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, https://rasamalaysia.com/wonton-soup-recipe/. You can search all my recipes on the top of my site, SEARCH RECIPES box.
Richard
Never made dumplings but just followed this recipe and they turned out perfect. My (Chinese) mother in law approved so I’m happy! Very clear and easy to follow thanks!
Sue.
Rasa could you please tell me which oil you use in this recipe.
I love your recipes.
Rasa Malaysia
Vegetable oil.
Kerry
Could I substitute shitake mushrooms for the wood ear or would the flavor change drastically?
Rasa Malaysia
You can but wood ear will be the best.
monica
Hi, I was wondering if there were any dumpling wrappers that are gluten free or that are made out of rice flour? Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Sorry no idea about gluten free.
Dean Waterfield
I would certainly add a little five spice powder to the filling or at least a little grown star anise and a few choice shredded fresh veggies to the finished broth.
Rasa Malaysia
Dean, sure you can do that to your liking. For authentic Cantonese style pork dumplings, there is no five spice powder/star anise in the filling.
Nicole
Thank you for wonderful dishes. You inspire me & help me when I need confirmation in preparing my food. Love the look of these dumplings!
cooking.eating.carousing.
Hi Bee,
This looks amazing, I’m going to try this next week, I’m missing this dish we usually get in one particulkar chinese restaurant in indonesia, and it’s called shui jiao, which is probably the same thing.
Your dish however, is it called “Siu Kow” or “Sui Kow”? I presume it’s the latter and “Siu Kow” is just a typo?
tafino
I love dumplings! Looks stunning! happy new year for all chinese!! Great post!
Chameleon - Thai Restaurant Brighton
Happy new year :) delicious dish!
Terri @ Terri's Table
This looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
sue low
The picture looks so scrumptious……can’t wait to try. I love soupy recipes. Thanks.
Philip Khoo via Facebook
sounds delicious. the pics look tempting.
Philip Khoo via Facebook
sounds delicious. the pics look tempting.
Reem I Simply Reem
Wow this looks so delicious and comforting…
Wishing you and your family a beautiful New Year…
Ashish Chopra
I tried your recipe and slightly innovated it.I mixed smoked pork instead.It came out wonderful.Keep motivating obsessed foodies like me to cook.
Eating and Living - a Korean-American mom's home cooking via Facebook
Congrats, Bee! Looks delicious and comforting.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
Wow this is beautiful and delicious dumpling soup ever!
Renee Hale via Facebook
This sounds and looks mouth watering! I can not wait to try this! Thank you!!!
Chong Lam via Facebook
I ordered your cookbook a few days ago and should be expecting it tomorrow in the mail, one word comes to mind, excitement. The reviews for the book look wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing another recipe for the the Lunar New Year! Keep up the beautiful photography and your take on cuisine from the east!