Recipe: Kale + Edamame Dumplings (Vegan)

Dumplings intimidate me. They seem so delicate and precise, I've always imagined them to be painstaking to make. When I consider that I've been making pierogi with my aunt and cousins for years, this fear seems rather silly. Pierogi are nothing more than Polish potato dumplings.

I have conquered my fear. Surprise! Making dumplings can be way easy. The recipe I followed, from Em at This Rawsome Vegan Life, creates a simple, almost-pureed dumpling filling made of lightly steamed kale and edamame with a touch of tahini, lemon, and garlic. I used my Vitamix and ended up with a thick bright green filling that was easy to scoop and shape in the dumpling skins.

I recently purchased this bamboo steamer for my kitchen and I couldn't be more pleased with how gently and efficiently it steams my vegetables. And now it steams my dumplings, too!

The use of store-bought dumpling skins is a time and effort saver in this recipe. If you're feeling ambitious, you can certainly make your own wrappers using any basic dough recipe you like.

The only part of Em's recipe I took liberty with was the dipping sauce, replacing her simple dipping sauce with my favorite basic soy ginger sauce.

These are so good. I want to make them again. Like now.

Kale Edamame Dumplings
Adapted, slightly, from This Rawsome Vegan Life
Vegan

Ingredients
Filling

• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped and lightly steamed
• 1 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Black sesame seeds (optional)

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• Sriracha, to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

About 20 dumpling skins (I used Nasoya won ton wraps, which I found next to the tofu in Whole Foods. If you live near an Asian grocery market or a specialty store, there is likely a wider selection of dumpling wraps to choose from.

Instructions

1. Make the filling. Blend all filling ingredients together in a food processor or blender until you get a chunky paste. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. 
2. Assemble the dumplings. Place a rounded tablespoon of filling onto each dumpling skin. Using your fingers with a few drops of water, moisten the edge of the skin halfway around. Fold over and pinch edges. If you have round dumpling skins, you'll have a half moon shape and you can create small folds along the edge. If you have square dumpling skins, as I did, you can fold into a triangle and bend the bottom corners toward one another to make a cute little purse.
3. Steam the dumplings until they're somewhat translucent (3-5 minutes). Garnish with some sesame seeds.
4. To make the dipping sauce, put all the sauce ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it.