Snow day last January. School cancelled. Johnny bored by noon. Fridge had frozen potstickers from Costco and some dying bok choy I kept forgetting about. Threw it all in a pot with chicken broth. Figured worst case we'd order pizza. Twenty minutes later we were eating this potsticker soup that tasted like real food. Dumplings got soft and fat. Broth got rich from the pork grease. Even that wilted bok choy came back to life. Johnny ate two bowls. Asked if this was a real recipe or did I just wing it. Winged it. But it worked so I've made it like thirty times since.
Why You'll Love This Potsticker Soup
Made this enough to know why it beats everything on busy nights. Takes twenty minutes start to finish. Most of that is waiting for broth to boil. You're not doing anything. Drop dumplings in and sit down. Frozen potstickers cook right in the soup so skip frying or steaming. One pot, done.
Uses freezer and pantry stuff. Bag of dumplings lives in my freezer always. Broth sits in the cupboard. Whatever vegetables are dying in the drawer work. Johnny eats it and there's vegetables in it. Broth tastes good because dumpling guts leak out while cooking. Free flavor. Leftovers are great next day. Dumplings soak up broth overnight, get better. Can't mess it up. Burned garlic once, fine. Forgot soy sauce, still ate it.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Potsticker Soup
- Ingredients You'll FOR Potsticker Soup
- How To Make Potsticker Soup Step By Step
- Smart Ingredient Swaps
- Tasty Ways to Make Potsticker Soup Different
- Equipment for Potsticker Soup
- Storing Your Potsticker Soup
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Time to Skip Takeout Soup Night
- Related
- Pairing
- Potsticker Soup
Ingredients You'll FOR Potsticker Soup
For the Potsticker Soup:
- 1 bag (24-30 count) frozen potstickers or dumplings
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 cups bok choy, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced thin
- Handful of spinach or baby greens
For Serving:
- Extra sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Chili oil or sriracha for heat
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Crispy fried garlic or shallots
- Cooked rice noodles for heartier soup
- Soft-boiled egg on top
- Extra frozen dumplings if feeding more people
- Splash of rice vinegar for tang
How To Make Potsticker Soup Step By Step
Build the Soup Base
- Pour chicken broth and water into large pot over high heat
- Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the cold broth
- Bring everything to a rolling boil, takes about 5 minutes
- Lower heat to medium once it's boiling hard
Season the Broth
- Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil
- Taste the broth and add more soy sauce if it's bland
- Add sliced green onions, save some for topping later
- Let simmer while you prep vegetables
Add Vegetables First
- Toss in sliced carrots first since they take longest to soften
- Add mushrooms after 2 minutes
- Throw in bok choy or cabbage after another minute
- Vegetables should be slightly tender but still have bite
Drop in Frozen Potstickers
- Add frozen dumplings directly from bag, don't thaw them
- Gently stir so they don't stick to bottom of pot
- Let cook for 6-8 minutes until they float to the top
- Dumplings are done when wrappers look translucent and soft
Finish and Serve Hot
- Add spinach or greens in last minute, just wilt them
- Taste broth again and adjust with more soy sauce or sesame oil
- Ladle into bowls making sure everyone gets dumplings
- Top with extra green onions, sesame seeds, and chili oil
- Serve immediately while soup is steaming hot
Smart Ingredient Swaps
Dumpling Options:
- Chicken potstickers instead of pork (lighter taste)
- Vegetable dumplings instead of meat (works fine)
- Wontons instead of potstickers (cook faster, 4 minutes)
- Gyoza instead of potstickers (same thing really)
Broth Changes:
- Vegetable broth instead of chicken (for vegetarian)
- Beef broth instead of chicken (richer and darker)
- Half broth half water (if you only have one box)
- Miso paste whisked in (makes it miso potsticker soup)
Vegetable Swaps:
- Napa cabbage instead of bok choy (cheaper usually)
- Regular cabbage instead of bok choy (chop it small)
- Kale instead of spinach (takes longer to wilt)
- Whatever's dying in your fridge (honestly just use it)
Flavor Adjustments:
- Coconut milk instead of some broth (creamy potsticker soup)
- Fish sauce instead of soy sauce (more funky)
- Tamari instead of soy sauce (gluten-free)
- Skip ginger if you don't have it (still tastes good)
Oil Options:
- Regular sesame oil instead of toasted (less flavor)
- Skip sesame oil completely (still works)
- Chili oil instead of sesame (spicier)
- Olive oil in a pinch (not traditional but whatever)
Dumpling Options:
- Chicken potstickers instead of pork (lighter taste)
- Vegetable dumplings instead of meat (works fine)
- Wontons instead of potstickers (cook faster, 4 minutes)
- Gyoza instead of potstickers (same thing really)
Broth Changes:
- Vegetable broth instead of chicken (for vegetarian)
- Beef broth instead of chicken (richer and darker)
- Half broth half water (if you only have one box)
- Miso paste whisked in (makes it miso potsticker soup)
Vegetable Swaps:
- Napa cabbage instead of bok choy (cheaper usually)
- Regular cabbage instead of bok choy (chop it small)
- Kale instead of spinach (takes longer to wilt)
- Whatever's dying in your fridge (honestly just use it)
Flavor Adjustments:
- Coconut milk instead of some broth (creamy potsticker soup)
- Fish sauce instead of soy sauce (more funky)
- Tamari instead of soy sauce (gluten-free)
- Skip ginger if you don't have it (still tastes good)
Oil Options:
- Regular sesame oil instead of toasted (less flavor)
- Skip sesame oil completely (still works)
- Chili oil instead of sesame (spicier)
- Olive oil in a pinch (not traditional but whatever)
Tasty Ways to Make Potsticker Soup Different
Creamy Potsticker Soup:
- Add one can coconut milk after broth boils
- Makes soup rich and creamy with slight sweetness
- Cut back on water so it doesn't get too thin
- Johnny likes this version best when he's sick
Spicy Potsticker Soup:
- Stir in tablespoon of chili paste or gochugaru
- Add sliced jalapeños with the vegetables
- Top each bowl with extra chili oil and sriracha
- My version when Johnny's not eating with me
Noodle Potsticker Soup:
- Cook rice noodles or ramen separately and drain
- Add cooked noodles to bowls before ladling soup
- Makes it way more filling, counts as full meal
- Good when feeding teenage boys who eat everything
Pioneer Woman Potsticker Soup Style:
- Brown potstickers in pan first before adding to soup
- Gives crispy bottoms even though they're in broth
- Takes extra five minutes but worth it
- Fancy version when people come over
Equipment for Potsticker Soup
- Large pot or dutch oven (holds 8+ cups)
- Wooden spoon for stirring
- Sharp knife for chopping vegetables
- Cutting board
- Ladle for serving
Storing Your Potsticker Soup
Refrigerator Storage (2-3 Days):
- Cool completely before putting in container
- Store in airtight container in fridge
- Dumplings soak up broth and get mushy after day two
- Reheat on stovetop over medium heat, add extra broth
- Keep broth and dumplings separate if making ahead
- Store cooked dumplings in one container, broth in another
- Combine when reheating so dumplings don't turn to mush
- This way it lasts full 3 days
Freezer Storage (Not Great):
- Dumpling wrappers get weird texture when frozen and thawed
- They fall apart and turn to mush
- Broth freezes fine but dumplings don't
- Better to just make fresh batch
Top Tip
- Johnny accidentally made this soup way better one night. He was helping and dumped in way too much sesame oil. Like three times what I normally use. I thought he ruined it. But that extra sesame oil made the broth taste richer. Almost nutty. Coated your mouth in this good way. Now I use more sesame oil than any recipe says. About two tablespoons instead of one. People always ask why mine tastes different from theirs.
- Our other trick came from being lazy. One night I was too tired to chop vegetables. Just ripped the bok choy with my hands instead of cutting it. Threw whole mushrooms in without slicing. Worked fine. Actually maybe better because bigger pieces don't turn to mush as fast.
- The best discovery was totally random. Had leftover rotisserie chicken one time. Shredded some into the soup after the dumplings cooked. Made it way more filling. Now I throw in leftover chicken or pork whenever I have it. Turns soup into actual dinner instead of just dumpling broth. Johnny says our version is better than the restaurant near us. That place charges twelve bucks for dumpling soup. Ours costs maybe four bucks and I make it in my pajamas.
FAQ
What veggies to put in potsticker soup?
Bok choy is classic and holds up great in hot broth without turning to mush. Mushrooms add that earthy taste and soak up all the dumpling flavor. Carrots give you some sweetness and color. Napa cabbage works if you can't find bok choy. Spinach wilts in like thirty seconds so throw it in last. Baby corn from a can is good if Johnny's eating because he thinks it's fun. Snow peas or snap peas add crunch.
Can potstickers go in soup?
Yes and it's actually genius. Frozen potstickers cook perfectly right in the broth. No need to steam or fry them first. Just drop them in frozen and let them cook for six to eight minutes. The wrappers get soft and slippery. Filling stays juicy. Some of the pork or chicken flavor leaks out into the broth which makes it taste richer. Way easier than the whole frying thing where you need oil and a separate pan.
What is the trick to potstickers?
If you're making them from scratch, the wrapper edges need to be wet so they seal tight. Press hard or the filling leaks out. For store-bought frozen ones like I use, don't thaw them first. Cook from frozen or they get sticky and gross. When frying, the trick is hot pan with oil, brown the bottoms, then add water and cover to steam. That's how you get crispy bottom and soft top. For soup like this recipe, just drop them in boiling broth and don't stir too much or wrappers tear.
Are potstickers and soup dumplings the same thing?
No they're totally different. Potstickers have thick chewy wrappers and ground meat filling. They're meant to be fried on one side and steamed. Soup dumplings, also called xiaolongbao, have thin delicate wrappers with soup broth inside the dumpling along with the meat. You eat soup dumplings by biting a small hole and slurping out the hot soup first, then eating the rest.
Time to Skip Takeout Soup Night
Now you've got everything to make potsticker soup that beats ordering delivery. From that snow day accident to Johnny's sesame oil dump, this recipe proves the best comfort food comes from winging it in your own kitchen.
Want more easy Asian-inspired dinners? Try our The Best Char Siu Chicken Recipe with that sticky glaze that makes everything better. Need crowd food that's stupid simple? Our Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe feeds everyone without stress. Or make our Healthy Sweet Potato Nachos Recipe when you want something filling that won't wreck you after.
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Potsticker Soup
Potsticker Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine broth, water, garlic, and ginger, then bring everything to a rolling boil.
- Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions to create a flavorful soup base.
- Add carrots first, then mushrooms and bok choy, cooking until slightly tender.
- Drop frozen potstickers directly into soup and simmer until soft and floating.
- Add spinach, adjust seasoning, and serve hot with toppings like chili oil and sesame seeds.
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