This is the hot, warming Chinese dumpling soup that you’ve been craving – packed with spice, meaty dumplings and a tangy, spicy broth. Taking just 10mins to cook, this is a great mid week lunch, or something for a lazy day that can be cooked quicker than it takes for a takeaway to arrive.
There are two ingredients specific to this recipe that are well worth seeking out: both the Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli oil (not overly hot but my all time favourite chilli sauce and very flavourful with both soy and garlic added to the recipe), and their “Sauce for dumplings” – an efficiently named heady mix of garlic, vinegars, sesame oil and soy. I recommend any light soy sauce for this recipe – giving you a pretty, deep caramel coloured broth (a dark soy will make your broth muddy). I tend to buy a few of the packs of frozen dumplings from my local Chinese supermarket and keep them in the freezer for when I need them. The Honor dumplings work well, and they also offer a huge varieties of flavours (some vegetarian also).
This recipe was in my usual style – something I made up as I went along – but the result was absolutely delicious and I’ve already had it again twice since. It’s the season where soups and broths really come into their own – I hope you enjoy this one!
Sabrina Goodlife.
Spicy, salty and warming - this easy broth with wontons is a perfect winter warmer.
Ingredients
- 1 pack frozen dumplings (8 dumplings, I used pork and prawn from the brand "Honor")
- Lee Kum Kee Chilli oil
- 4tbsp Lee Kum Kee Sauce for dumplings
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
- Half a clove of garlic (whole)
- A thumb sized chunk of ginger (unpeeled)
- Fresh chilli finely sliced
- 1 Spring onion finely sliced
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Put your dumplings on to boil. Treat them exactly how you would treat a ravioli/tortellini: into salted, gently simmering water. These take 10mins to cook. They stick to even nonstick pans so you will need to move them around or unstick them every so often (gently! With a wooden spoon).
- Whilst they are cooking: In a small saucepan, put the base of your broth: 3 tbsp light soy sauce (for a clear broth, dark will make your broth muddy), 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar and 4tbsp "Sauce for dumplings". Add a half a clove of garlic (whole) and a similarly sized chunk of ginger (unpeeled). Put to one side.
- Prepare your toppings: some finely sliced spring onions (the green), chilli, and sesame seeds.
- After 10 mins take the dumplings off the heat. Add a glug (about a mug and a half) of the hot dumpling water to your small saucepan of broth base. This will release flavours from your garlic and ginger.
- Drain your dumplings and place in a serving bowl. Pour over your broth (remove the garlic and ginger beforehand). Add copious amounts of chilli oil - if you dare - and the chillies, spring onions and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If cooking 2 packets of dumplings, ass 2 mins to the cooking time and remember to keep the dumplings moving.
If you're not a big fan of chilli, replace the chilli sauce with some chopped coriander and some fresh chilli (deseeded)
A Chinese soup spoon helps with somewhat dignified eating.