Vegan Bunny Elle

Literal little satisfaction bombs – these pan-fried rice paper dumplings are golden crispy on the outside and filled with savory, juicy, and umami fillings inside. Everything used is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

There are few heat-intensive recipes I’m willing to make in the current over 100°F weather, and these rice paper dumplings are definitely one of them and they’re worth every little bit of effort you put into cooking – the amount of satisfaction is unmatched and it just hits the spot every single time.

The fillings are inspired by my previous personal favorite before I went vegan, which is pork and napa cabbages. It was not just my favorite, it’s my entire biological family’s favorite. Growing up, I have had homemade dumplings frequently on various occasions or just no special occasion at all, and my family is very creative with the fillings. However, whenever there’s a major holiday it’s gotta be pork and napa cabbages no question about it.

So to veganize that flavor and recreate the memory I used tofu and shiitake mushrooms instead of meat, and I can honestly they’re just as delicious, savory, umami, and surprisingly “meaty” with a hint of sweetness from the napa cabbages. But of course, these are even better because no one and nothing will suffer any harm from me enjoying this meal, not my own health, not other animals, and not the planet.

Traditionally, dumplings are made of wheat flour wrappers but I have to admit sometimes I’m just too lazy to want to handle flour and tend to the dough, so rice paper is a great quick substitute and they’re also gluten-free!

If you’re new at working with rice paper, please make sure to read the tips in this blog post first, that’ll prevent so many potential fails and make sure you succeed with your rice paper creation on the first try!

Easy Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings stuffed with Tofu and Napa Cabbage

Golden crispy chewy skin on the outside and juicy, flavorful, hearty and high protein fillings on the inside, these easy rice paper dumplings are the best hand food, snack, and lunch box item!

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Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

For the rice paper dumplings

• 10 rice paper or 20 if doing double wrapping
• 12 oz extra firm tofu
• 1/4 napa cabbage 4-5 cups chopped
• 6 oz shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 3 scallions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon coconut amino
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or corn starch
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil for cooking or other neutral tasting oil

For the chili oil dipping

• 2 teaspoon homemade chili oil see note for how to make
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut amino
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• Sprinkle of white sesame seeds

Method

 

1. Chop the napa cabbage and transfer to a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt and massage evenly, let it sit for 15 minutes while you prepare other veggies, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can, discard the liquid;
2. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat, fry off the scallions for a minute or two then add garlic, cook till slightly golden and aromatic;
3. Add in the carrot and mushrooms, keep stirring and cook till they’re soft and mushrooms have let out the moisture;
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan, stir to mix well and keep breaking the larger pieces down with your spatula till the mixture is even;
5. Add in the napa cabbage, season with the soy sauce, coconut amino, and rice vinegar, cook till all the veggies are warmed through and the liquid is mostly gone, you can add more salt and some black pepper to taste;
6. Stir in the arrowroot powder or starch, mix evenly, the mixture now should be sticking together well and not too wet, set aside to cool down for 10 minutes;
7. Dip a piece of rice paper in water for 2-3 seconds, shake off any excess water and place onto your work surface;
8. Add about 1-2 tablespoon fillings to the bottom edge, fold up and encase the fillings, then fold up the left and right sides to the middle;
9. Keep rolling forward like a burrito, until you reach the other end, and you can fry them at this step or double up;
10. To double, dip another piece of rice paper, place the roll onto the bottom edge, roll up and close with the same method, repeat until you finish all the rolls, you should be able to get 10 large dumpling rolls or more if you make them smaller;
11. In a nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat, pan fry the rolls till all sides are golden crispy, about 3 minutes for the first side then 2 minutes for the other side, check on them frequently so they don’t burn;
12. Mix all the dipping ingredients together and serve the dumplings hot, enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can use store-bought chili oil, but I highly recommend making your own! It’s super easy and the process is so enjoyable, you’ll end up with the most vibrant and aromatic chili oil ever! Follow this Easy Chili Oil recipe here.