These vegan potstickers are a delicious plant-based twist on the classic Chinese dumpling. My version incorporates a touch of creamy peanut butter mixed with sesame oil and soy sauce to coat the veggies inside the potsticker. The result is a super unique flavor bomb that you'll love!
Jump to:
Along with other Chinese staples I've made for Daily Dish like vegan Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce or crispy salt and pepper tofu, potstickers are an iconic Chinese dish. And, the good news is, they're so easy to make vegan!
My vegan potsticker recipe is packed with an umami-rich filling of mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and a creamy peanut sauce - all wrapped up in a perfectly pan-fried crispy dough bundle. Serve them alongside my tangy-sweet dipping sauce for the perfect vegan Chinese treat.
🙋Vegan Potstickers Vs Vegan Dumplings
What's the difference between a vegan potsticker and a vegan dumpling? Potstickers and dumplings are cousins in the family of savory filled dough pockets, but they have some distinct differences.
Potstickers have thinner, more wrapper-like dough made simply from flour and water. They get their name from the pan-frying cooking method where one side gets crispy and browned from sticking to the pot or pan. The fillings are usually cabbage or vegetable-based.
Dumplings, on the other hand, can have a thicker, doughier wrapper sometimes made with eggs. Instead of getting crispy, they're most commonly steamed or simmered. The fillings get more adventurous too - while potstickers lean veggie, dumplings can have meat, seafood, or even sweet fillings tucked inside. Check out these vegan edamame dumplings if you want to make the perfect vegan dumpling.
As for the shapes, potstickers are usually crescent-shaped while dumplings can take on all kinds of fun forms like purses, half-moons, or even just simple rounds.
And while potstickers originated in northern Chinese cuisine, the dumpling has origins across many Asian cultures like Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
👨🍳How To Make Vegan Potstickers
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped mushrooms, shredded cabbage, and grated carrots to the skillet. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, peanut butter and water. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Take a potsticker wrapper and place about 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Don't overfill the wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling to create a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. For instructions on making the pleat fold that I've made, see below.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, arrange the potstickers in a single layer in the skillet, making sure they're not touching each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Carefully pour ¼ cup of water into the skillet and immediately cover with a lid. Allow the potstickers to steam for 5-6 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are crisp again and the potstickers are fully cooked through.
- Transfer the potstickers to a serving plate and repeat the cooking process with the remaining potstickers, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
To Make The Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, chili flakes, minced garlic, and grated ginger until well combined. Taste the dip and adjust the seasoning to your preference. If you prefer it sweeter, add more maple syrup. For extra spice, add more chili flakes.
- If you want to, stir in chopped green onions and sesame seeds for a bit of added flavor and texture.
Top Tip
To keep your potsticker wrappers pliable, keep them under a damp towel.
⭐How To Fold A Potsticker
Folding a potsticker takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of the pleated shaped it goes pretty quickly:
- Place a round potsticker wrapper on a clean surface in front of you. It should be a thin, circular dough wrapper.
- Scoop 1-2 teaspoons of your desired filling (usually a veggie mixture like cabbage, mushrooms, etc.) into the center of the wrapper.
- Use your finger or a brush to lightly wet the edges of the potsticker wrapper with water. This will help seal the edges.
- Fold the wrapper in half to form a semi-circle shape, pinching the edges at the top center together first.
- Working from the top center down, firmly pinch and fold the edges together using small overlapping pleats/folds.
- As you pleat, use your other hand to cup and support the rounded bottom of the semi-circle pocket.
- Keep folding and pinching the edges together until you reach the end, ensuring the whole edge is tightly sealed.
- The finished folded shape should be a curved semi-circle with pleated sealed edges and an open rounded side facing you.
- Lightly flatten the rounded bottom so it can sit upright.
- Place the folded potsticker on a baking sheet and cover with a towel until ready to cook.
🍽️What To Serve With Vegan Potstickers
- Stir-fried veggies: A colorful stir-fry with veggies like snap peas, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms would be a great accompaniment to vegan potstickers. Season your stir-fry with garlic, ginger, soy sauce or tamari. You could also serve these with my popular vermicelli stir fry.
- Vegetable fried rice: Fried rice made with veggies like peas, corn, carrots and scrambled tofu would be a nice side dish to serve with these vegan potstickers.
- Miso soup: A warm bowl of miso soup with cubes of soft tofu, seaweed, and scallions would be great with these potstickers.
- Sauteed garlic-ginger greens: Quick sauteed greens like baby bok choy, gai lan, or spinach sauteed with garlic, ginger, and a splash of vegetable broth would make a great veggie side. You could also serve them alongside this bok choy soup.
- Spicy peanut dipping sauce: Dunk your potstickers in a creamy, spicy peanut dipping sauce.
❄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerator
These vegan potstickers make great meal-prep items that you can keep on hand. If you have any leftovers, let them cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. They'll keep nicely in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just reheat them in a skillet over medium heat with a little oil until crisped up again.
Freezer
If you want to stash away an extra batch for later, the potstickers can be frozen before cooking for longer storage. Arrange the uncooked, assembled potstickers in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop it in the freezer for about an hour. Once they're frozen solid, you can transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. They'll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. No need to thaw before cooking.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional potsticker or wonton wrappers are typically made with wheat flour, water, and sometimes a bit of salt. They're commonly vegan-friendly. However, it's always important to check the ingredients list on the packaging to make sure that there's no additional non-vegan ingredients added, like eggs. If you're unable to find them labeled explicitly as vegan, you can also try making your own wrappers at home using a simple mixture of flour, water, and a pinch of salt.
Gyoza and potstickers are both types of dumplings, but they originate from different culinary traditions. Gyoza is a Japanese dumpling that's made with a thinner wrapper. Potstickers are a Chinese dumpling with thicker wrappers that are pan-fried and then steamed.
More Vegan Chinese Recipes
5 Vegan Chinese Recipes For Lunar New Year
📖 Recipe
Vegan Potstickers
Ingredients
For The Filling
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup mushrooms finely chopped, shiitake or cremini work well
- 1 cup cabbage finely shredded
- ½ cup carrots grated
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
For The Assembly
- 1 package Vegan potsticker wrappers (usually available at Asian grocery stores)
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¼ cup water
For The Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes adjust to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated (optional)
- 1 tablespoon green onions chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped mushrooms, shredded cabbage, and grated carrots to the skillet. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, peanut butter and water. Stir until everything is well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables with the sliced green onions. Pour the sauce over the top and toss until the veggies are well coated in the sauce.
- Take a potsticker wrapper and place about 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Dip your finger in water and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling to create a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly to seal. If you want to make a pleat fold as I have, see the instructions in my blog post above.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, arrange the potstickers in a single layer in the skillet, making sure they're not touching each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Carefully pour ¼ cup of water into the skillet and immediately cover with a lid. Allow the potstickers to steam for 5-6 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are crisp again and the potstickers are fully cooked through.
- Transfer the potstickers to a serving plate and repeat the cooking process with the remaining potstickers, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
To Make The Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, chili flakes, minced garlic, and grated ginger until well combined. Taste the dip and adjust the seasoning to your preference. If you prefer it sweeter, add more maple syrup. For extra spice, add more chili flakes.
- If desired, stir in chopped green onions and sesame seeds for added flavor and texture.
Comments
No Comments