Dumpling Salad
Many of you loved my green spring dumpling soup… Did you know you could make dumpling salad, too? Perfect for a busy night, when you only have 20 minutes to make a nourishing meal!
I love dumplings in all of their shapes and sizes… Mainly because each dumpling is like a meal in itself. Wrapped in some delicious form of carb, you get a mix of veggies, it often features mushrooms or tofu.
And so, while the dumplings take care of your nutritional needs, all you need to worry is how to serve them in the most satisfying way. I’m about to introduce you to a new way to eat your dumplings… in a dumpling salad!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everything about this recipe makes your life easier. It’s quick, it uses semi-ready ingredients, and the prep is minimal.
- You get an excellent mix of veggies, carbs, and aromatics like ginger and garlic. The result is a beautiful salad packed with Asian-inspired flavors.
- Whether you have a busy lifestyle, hate spending time in the kitchen, or are learning to cook… Simple recipes like this dumpling salad hit the perfect balance of nutrition and ease.
- Budget-friendly? I’d say so! A bag of veggie dumplings and coleslaw mix can make four servings of this salad. Depending on your location, it may even be cheaper than buying individual vegetables.
Key Ingredients
- Dumplings are the star of the show. You can use any vegan dumplings of your choice (like potstickers or wontons with vegetables, mushrooms, or tofu). Plus, you can cook your dumplings any way you want, from steaming to air frying!
- Coleslaw mix will save you some time. It typically includes cabbage and carrot, but occasionally you may also get some onion or herbs.
- Green onions and cilantro are a common feature in Asian cooking and perfect for this dumpling salad.
- Soy and sesame dressing includes aromatics like garlic and ginger, as well as chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.
Hack It!
- I used store-bought coleslaw mix for convenience, but you are more than welcome to prep your veggies at home. Shred cabbage, carrots and (optional) onions that add up to a total of about 350-400 grams.
- If you’re one of the “lucky” people who taste soap in every cilantro dish, please omit or use parsley instead.
- For soy allergies, check the dumpling ingredients to ensure they don’t contain soy. Swap soy sauce for liquid aminos. If you have a sesame allergy, swap for peanut oil and crushed peanuts to garnish your salad.
- Gluten-free? Use dumplings made with rice paper or tapioca. You can even make a smaller version of my zero-waste rice paper dumplings for this salad recipe. Regular soy sauce usually contains gluten, so swap it for tamari or liquid aminos.
- Adjust the level of spice to your preference by tweaking the amount of sweet chili sauce and chili oil.
How to Make Vegan Dumpling Salad
Step 1: Cook your dumplings according to package directions. I prefer to bake or air fry them, but you can also steam then pan fry to brown.
Step 2: While the dumplings cook, combine your dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl.
Step 3: To a large bowl, add the coleslaw, cilantro, and green onions. Make sure the bowl is large enough to accommodate dumplings once they are ready.
Step 4: Add the cooked dumplings, and pour the sauce over top and mix. Serve with sesame seeds and chili oil, as desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Firstly, you have to make sure that your dumplings are properly cooked. If you undercook or overcook them, the dumplings will be more likely to fall apart.
Secondly, be gentle!
Up to you. I think it tastes amazing immediately after you mix everything together. However, it’s also meal prep friendly, allowing you to store leftover servings in the fridge and enjoy the salad cold.
More Plant-Based Asian Inspired Meals
- Crispy Rice Paper Nori Dumplings
- Oven-Baked Vegetable Pancake
- Cold Sesame Noodles
- Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles
- Fiery Gochujang Noodles
If you love simple vegan meals like this one, you’ll have a blast with my cookbook, PlantYou Scrappy Cooking! Not only does it feature over 150 accessible vegan recipes, it also shows you how to reduce food waste and save money.
The Recipe: Dumpling Salad
Ingredients
- 300 gram vegetable dumplings or potstickers
- 370 gram coleslaw mix, or a similar amount of homemade mix
- 1 bunch cilantro, or parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bunch green onion, finely chopped
For the dressing
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 thumb ginger root, minced
To serve
- Sesame seeds
- Chili oil, optional
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Jar or small bowl for the dressing
- Mini whisk
- Air Fryer or another way to cook dumplings
Instructions
- Cook your dumplings according to package directions. I prefer to bake or air fry to make them crispy, but you can also steam then pan fry to brown. I air fried mine at 400F for 10 minutes.
- While the dumplings cook, combine your dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl.
- In a large bowl, add the coleslaw, cilantro, and green onions. Add the cooked dumplings, and pour the dressing over top and mix. Serve with sesame seeds and chili oil, as desired. Best eaten immediately, but you could store in the fridge for up to two days.Â
Notes
- You are more than welcome to prep your veggies at home. Shred cabbage, carrots and (optional) onions that add up to a total of about 350-400 grams.
- For soy allergies, check the dumpling ingredients to ensure they don’t contain soy. Swap soy sauce for liquid aminos.
- If you have a sesame allergy, swap for peanut oil and crushed peanuts to garnish your salad.
- Gluten-free? Use dumplings made with rice paper or tapioca. You can even make a smaller version of my zero-waste rice paper dumplings for this salad recipe. Regular soy sauce usually contains gluten, so swap it for tamari or liquid aminos.
- Cook dumplings in any way you prefer – steam, fry, air fry etc.
