By emma hynes
Vegans and vegetarians who were raised eating plant-based meals have the upper hand on novices. For foodies who are used to eating non-meat meals, there’s nothing to compare it to.
One of those startup meals to rival a meat-based dish could potentially be vegan soup dumplings, or xiao long bao. Learn how to make them in this plant-based soup starter pack.
2 cups of water 1 tablespoon of tamari 1 tablespoon of vegetable bouillon (paste) 1-1/2 teaspoons of agar agar
1-2/3 cup of all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons of neutral oil 1/2 – 3/4 cup of hot water
4 ounces of extra firm tofu 1/4 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms (hydrated in cold water, then finely chopped) 3 green onions (finely chopped) 1/4 cup each of cabbage and carrots (shredded and finely chopped)
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil 1 tsp of low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of sugar 1/4 tsp of white pepper 1/4 tsp of garlic powder 1/4 tsp of ginger powder
Boil the broth ingredients for one minute while stirring. Pour into a shallow pan. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes until the agar sets and is firm.
In a food processor, add the flour and process on high. Slowly add hot water and oil until a smooth ball forms. Knead the dough with your hands for a couple of minutes, then wrap it with a kitchen towel. Let it rest for one hour.
Mash the tofu in a bowl until crumbly. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, and mix well. Remove the agar from the refrigerator. Finely dice it into tiny cubes, and add half of it to the filling mixture.
Cut the dough into three equal pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a log measuring about ¾-inch thick, then cut it into 1-½ inch pieces.
Roll each piece into a 4-inch disk, leaving the center thicker than the edges for easy pleating. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of each dumpling wrapper. Top with 1 teaspoon of the remaining agar.
Pleat the edges to seal the dumpling. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Line a steamer with parchment paper. Steam the dumplings for eight to 10 minutes until lightly brown.
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