Hot and Sour Dumpling Soup is a dish from Shaanxi Province. Plump dumplings are served in a piping hot bowl of spicy, sour soup seasoned with Chinese black vinegar.
This is a great recipe for anyone who loves sour foods like pickles or other fermented treats, like Justin, the newest member of our family who loves all things sour and savory!
It All Comes Together in the Serving Bowl!
It’s also convenient to make this recipe, as it’s for a single serving. It comes together in one bowl!
You can use the serving number slider in the recipe card to multiply it as needed. You simply add ingredients to an empty bowl, boil the dumplings, and then pour sizzling oil over the seasonings, followed by a couple of ladles of the hot dumpling cooking water to make the soup.
In other words, it’s my kind of recipe! Especially during lunchtime, I’m always looking for ways to reduce the amount of cleanup I need to do.
Just be sure you’re using a sturdy heat proof bowl (stoneware, sturdy ceramic, heat-proof glass like pyrex, etc.)
What are popular Shaanxi dishes?
While you may not know where Shaanxi is, you’ve definitely heard us talk about Xi’an, the city whose name has become famous thanks to its beloved biang biang noodle.
Over the years, we’ve shared recipes for a handful of other well known Shaanxi good eats!
- Rou Jia Mo – Chinese Hamburgers
- Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup
- Shaanxi Saozi Mian
- Cumin Lamb Biang Biang Noodles
- You Po Mian – Hot Oil Noodles
They are all favorites! Though, I do want to take this opportunity to do a shoutout—you need to try saozi mian if you have not done so. You are missing out! Every time I see the photo, my mouth waters and I get a craving.
A Tangy Soup Base
The key to this recipe is the sour soup. You absolutely must put a good amount of vinegar in order for the dish to taste right!
Thanks to hot and sour soup, a sour soup base shouldn’t be all that foreign of a notion for many of you. Black vinegar is one of the key ingredients for many dishes in Shaanxi cuisine. The flavor it creates along with soy sauce and chili oil is unlike anything else.
Note:
BOX: I’ve also found that a few drops of black vinegar adds so much to stir fries. It’s less sour—simply flavorful when used in this way. For example, our Chao He Cai 炒合菜 (Harmony Stir Fry) uses just a ½ teaspoon of black vinegar to give it more depth of flavor. And it’s not only black vinegar. This recipe for Sichuan Stir Fried Potatoes uses white vinegar, which you probably have in your cabinet. Just a little bit of acid can make a dish brighter and tastier.
Tips for Success
There is no limit as to the type of dumplings, nor the type of filling, that you can use. In Shaanxi Province, you’ll often see beef or lamb dumplings, whereas elsewhere in China, pork dumplings are most common.
We used pork dumplings to develop this recipe. You may want to add vinegar to your soup to taste, as fattier meats like pork will have more richness to cut through.
- Pork and Celery Dumplings
- Pork and Chive Dumplings
- Pork and Shepherd’s Purse Dumplings (AKA, the only recipe you really need for making dumplings with virtually any Chinese leafy green)
- Shandong Pork and Fish Dumplings (Jiaozi)
- Chicken Zucchini Dumplings
- Chicken Dumplings with Shiitake Mushrooms
- Vegetable Dumplings
If you’re not up to making dumplings yourself, you can also make this soup with your favorite frozen dumplings!
It’s worth noting that the dried shrimp flakes we call for, as well as the dried laver (seaweed) may not be to everyone’s taste, they do really add extra umami.
We call for 10-12 dumplings here. This is definitely a large serving, so you may find that this is also good for two not-so-hungry people or a snack instead of a full-blown meal.
Recipe Instructions:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for your dumplings. (If cooking more dumplings for more than one serving; use a larger pot)
Meanwhile, add the chili flakes and garlic to a large heat-proof soup bowl.
Heat the oil in a small pot until it just starts to smoke lightly, and then pour the hot oil over the chili flakes and garlic. Stir until well-combined.
To the bowl, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and sesame seeds.
Add the dried shrimp and dried laver, if using.
Time to cook your dumplings. Drop the dumplings into the boiling water while gently stirring the water to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Bring the water back up to a boil, and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on their size (or according to package instructions). Ideally, anytime the water comes up to a vigorous boil, add 1/4 cup of cold water to the pot. This cools down the cooking water and prevents the dumpling wrappers from overcooking and becoming starchy before the filling is cooked through. Another good way to do it is to cook them for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute after the dumplings float to the top of the water.
To serve, add 1 cup of the cooking water to the soup base in your bowl.
Then lift the dumplings out of the water using a strainer or slotted spoon, and drop them into the bowl.
Add the chopped scallion and cilantro, along with salt to taste. Enjoy!
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Recipe
Hot and Sour Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 10-12 dumplings (homemade or your favorite frozen dumplings)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili flakes (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic (minced, from 3-4 cloves)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 pinch dried shrimp flakes (xiāpí, 虾皮, optional)
- 1 small sheet dried laver (about the size of 3 quarters, optional)
- 1 tablespoon scallion (finely chopped)
- 1 large pinch cilantro (optional)
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for your dumplings. (If cooking more dumplings for more than one serving; use a larger pot.)
- Meanwhile, add the chili flakes and garlic to a large heat-proof soup bowl. Heat the oil in a small pot until it just starts to smoke lightly, and then pour the hot oil over the chili flakes and garlic. Stir until well-combined.
- To the bowl, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and sesame seeds. Add the dried shrimp and dried laver, if using.
- Time to cook your dumplings. Drop the dumplings into the boiling water while gently stirring the water to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the water back up to a boil, and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on their size (or according to package instructions). Ideally, anytime the water comes up to a vigorous boil, add 1/4 cup of cold water to the pot. This cools down the cooking water and prevents the dumpling wrappers from overcooking and becoming starchy before the filling is cooked through. Another good way to do it is to cook them for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute after the dumplings float to the top of the water.
- To serve, add 1 cup of the cooking water to the serving bowl, along with the dumplings. Add the chopped scallion and cilantro, and season with salt to taste. Enjoy!
