Steamed Rice Paper Dumplings (Vegan & Gluten Free)

These Steamed Rice Paper Dumplings are vegan and gluten free! They're packed full of flavour and delicious vegetables. They take less than 30 minutes to make, and are an absolute crowd-pleaser!

If you've been following me for a while now, you'll probably know how much I LOVE dumplings. And these steamed rice paper dumplings filled with a gorgeous veggie filling are some of my favourites. They're chewy, tasty, and the absolute perfect snack for when you're feeling peckish. They also happen to be vegan and gluten free (make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce!!).

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Quick - this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and is perfect for a weeknight snack.
• Vegan - all the ingredients used in this dumpling recipe are vegan. The filling is made from mushrooms, ginger, garlic, spring onions, tofu, carrot, gluten free soy sauce, and msg.
• Gluten free - one of my most highly requested recipes is to make a gluten free dumpling. Well, here's a really simple and easy one for you! By using rice paper as the wrapper, you're able to save so much time and effort and end up with a super tasty dumpling!

If you love dumplings as much as I do, why not check out my Cheat Bao Recipe, Spanish-Style Wontons, or my Spicy Ramen Rice Paper Dumplings?!

INGREDIENTS FOR STEAMED RICE PAPER DUMPLINGS

• Mushrooms - I've used chestnut mushrooms for this recipe and finely chopped them into little pieces. You could also use a food processor if you like!
• Ginger - fresh ginger is perfect for this recipe as it adds a freshness and spice to the filling. I used about an inch of ginger and then chopped it up really finely.
• Garlic - I've used fresh garlic cloves but feel free to use garlic powder if you don't have any fresh garlic.
• Spring onion - or scallions! This adds colour and freshness to the filling. Chop up the white and green parts of the spring onion into fine pieces and then add them into your mixture.
• Tofu - there are dozens of types of tofu, but the one I'm using for this recipe is extra firm tofu. You don't want the tofu to completely disintegrate, which is why you shouldn't use silken or soft tofu.
• Carrot - for a bit of colour and crunch!
• Soy sauce - make sure to use gluten free soy sauce if you're gluten intolerant. For those who aren't, feel free to use normal light soy sauce. Don't use dark soy sauce as this has a higher sodium (more salty) content and darker colour.
• MSG - this adds a wonderful umami flavour to the filling. You only need a tiny amount to make a big taste difference!
• Rice Paper - get rice paper from a large supermarket or from your local Asian supermarket. Once opened, make sure to seal and keep in a dry place.
• Chilli Oil - we love a good dipping sauce. You could make your own, but I love to simply dip my steamed rice paper dumplings into a mild chilli oil like Lao Gan Ma Chilli Crisp or Very Lazy Chilli Oil.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Mushrooms - if you're not a fan of mushrooms, that's okay! There are plenty more vegetables for you to use! I'd personally use some finely chopped cabbage or aubergine.
• Spring onion - feel free to sub this out for a white onion, red onion, or shallots. Just make sure to chop them really finely.
• MSG - if you don't have any MSG lying around, simply substitute it with a teaspoon of sugar.
• Chilli oil - I totally get it, this might be too spicy, or you just might not have it in your kitchen. If that's the case, make your own dipping sauce by combining 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (gluten free), ½ tablespoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon sugar, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes.

VARIATIONS

• Non-vegan - if you'd like to make this dish non plant-based, then feel free to add some chicken mince or pork mince into your frying pan with the rest of your filling ingredients. Fry for 10 minutes or until the mince is cooked through.
• Spicy - if you like heat, then I'd recommend adding fresh chillies into your filling mixture during the cooking process. Alternatively, if you don’t like spice, then make the chilli oil substitute dipping sauce above and remove the chilli flakes.
• Fried - another way of cooking rice paper dumplings is by frying them so that they're crispy. If you'd like to do that, simply assemble your dumplings, and then instead of steaming them, place them in a non-stick pan on medium heat and fry on each side for 5 minutes or until crispy and golden!

HOW TO MAKE STEAMED RICE PAPER DUMPLINGS: STEP BY STEP

1. MAKE YOUR FILLING

• Place your frying pan on medium heat and add in a drizzle of oil. Next up, add in your chopped mushrooms, ginger, garlic, spring onions, tofu, carrot, light gluten free soy sauce, and MSG. Fry for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
• Turn the heat off and set the pan aside.

2. ASSEMBLE YOUR DUMPLINGS

• Fill a large bowl with warm water and set aside.
• Grab one piece of rice paper and dunk it in your warm bowl of water so your whole piece is wet. Shake off any water and then place it down onto a clean dry chopping board.
• Slice the rice paper in half.

• Place a spoonful of the filling onto each half of the paper and then fold up into a little parcel. Repeat this step until you've run out of filling.

3. STEAM YOUR RICE PAPER DUMPLINGS

• Get some parchment or baking paper and cut it out into a circle the size of your steamer. Cut little holes into the baking paper too so that the water can evaporate. Place the baking paper into your steamer.
• Gently place your dumplings onto the baking paper, put on the lid, and steam your dumplings for 5 minutes.

4. SERVE UP AND ENJOY

• Serve up your dumplings with your dipping sauce of choice or chilli oil and enjoy!

STEAMED RICE PAPER DUMPLINGS FAQS

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

RECIPE