spring vegetable potstickers
It’s been over six years since I mooned here over a . Dumplings are kind of a for me; I am unwaveringly convinced that small pockets of food wrapped elegantly in a thin dough are among the universe’s most perfect foods; portable and petite, servings easily scaled, I dare you to find a nutritious food not improved by an adorable doughy package. The vegetable dumplings that I used to get at a chain of otherwise average west side Chinese restaurants were my all-time favorite; before they changed the recipe, I regularly rerouted my day to stop there for an order, and a beer. (Sidebar: Can we talk about how delicious a cold beer in a glass is with potstickers? No, different conversation, huh? Onwards!)
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 17 of 21 ingredients — the other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 17 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Canola | 1 tbsp (14g) | 124 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lima Bean | 1/2 cup (85g) cooked | 108 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Asparagus | 6 spears (90g) | 27 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Safflower | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Dumpling | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/4 cups chopped spring vegetables (such as asparagus, favas, peas, lima beans or more) (I used 2 1/4 cups chopped asparagus from 12 ounces stalks plus 1 cup cooked favas from about 1 pound fresh in their pods)
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as safflower, canola or peanut
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (from about 3/4 of a bundle, about 3 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, peeled minced (if using garlic chives, omit)
- 1 cup (about 6 ounces) firm tofu, chopped small (see Note up top for alternative)
- 1/2 cup garlic or regular chives
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 50 round dumpling wrappers (most packages contain 50)
- 2 to 3 scallions (or, remainder of bundle used for potstickers), thinly sliced (use some in sauce, some for garnish)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular or spicy toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water