If you don’t have time to cook, you’ll love this 5-minute Salmon Rice Bowl with Bok Choy made in the microwave! Microwave Salmon Rice Bowl For the quickest, flakiest, most perfectly cooked salmon – use your microwave! This whole meal, salmon and veggie…
If you don’t have time to cook, you’ll love this 5-minute Salmon Rice Bowl with Bok Choy made in the microwave! Microwave Salmon Rice Bowl For the quickest, flakiest, most perfectly cooked salmon – use your microwave! This whole meal, salmon and veggies cooks in 5 minutes, and it comes out perfectly every time! It’s my
These fresh and delicious Teriyaki Shrimp Quinoa Bowls seasoned with honey, ginger, and soy sauce are topped with avocado and a Mango-Cucumber Salsa. Teriyaki Shrimp Quinoa Bowls I love grain bowls. I usually gravitate to rice bowls, but I also love on…
These fresh and delicious Teriyaki Shrimp Quinoa Bowls seasoned with honey, ginger, and soy sauce are topped with avocado and a Mango-Cucumber Salsa. Teriyaki Shrimp Quinoa Bowls I love grain bowls. I usually gravitate to rice bowls, but I also love one with quinoa. This shrimp teriyaki bowl is perfect! To give the quinoa extra
If you love Thai food, you’ll love this easy Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp, the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and savory flavors!
Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
When I go out for Thai, I love getting coconut curry shrimp! Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp is a flavorful dish made with a blend of Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, and fish sauce. It’s delicious served over jasmine rice but you can also serve it over cauliflower rice. It is known for its balance of sweet, spicy and savory flavors and the creamy texture from the coconut milk. For more Thai inspired recipes you may also like these Drunken Noodles with Shrimp, and this Thai Shrimp Pineapple Stir Fry.
Here’s a great dish for those of you who love Thai-inspired flavors. If you’ve never used fish sauce before, don’t let the smell fool you. It blends with the other flavors and really adds to this dish.
Red Thai curry paste is a key ingredient in this dish and it is made from a blend of chili peppers, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and other spices. The paste is readily available at most supermarkets in the Asian section.
Red Thai Coconut Shrimp Variations
Add vegetables: Try a variety of vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, and carrots.
Aromatics and citrus: Some recipes may also include other ingredients like ginger, and lime juice to add additional flavor.
How To Serve
This dish is often served over steamed jasmine rice, but you can also serve it with noodles like rice noodles or even over quinoa or cauliflower rice as a low-carb option.
Easy Dumpling Soup is one of my absolute favorite things to throw together if I want a quick-and-simple homemade lunch or an effortless dinner that’s still wholesome, comforting, and budget-friendly. I’ve designed this recipe to be as versatile as possible, dressing up mostly store-bought ingredients, in order to scratch that “itch” for whatever takeout favorite I’m craving when ordering out isn’t on the menu.
What is dumpling soup?
Our version of dumpling soup is a quick, semi-homemade soup inspired by dumpling soups found in Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisines. The soup features a savory clear broth, delicate meat-filled dumplings, fresh greens, and an array of condiments to sprinkle on top. Here’s what you need for this Easy Dumpling Soup:
Frozen dumplings — You can find Asian-style dumplings in the freezer section, usually filled with pork, vegetables, shrimp, or a combination of those ingredients.
Broth — We fortified our vegetable broth with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil!
A handful of fresh greens — like sliced green onions, fresh spinach, or baby bok choy
Condiments — Use anything your heart desires! Try chili crisp, sesame seeds, black vinegar, cilantro, and more!
Is this an authentic recipe?
No, this is not an authentic dumpling soup, but we highly encourage you to read more about the wide variety and rich culture surrounding dumplings. Also, check out these recipes for authentic Chinese potstickers and Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), Korean mandu, and Japanese gyoza.
What kind of dumplings to buy
Most grocery stores offer a variety of frozen dumplings options of different sizes, shapes, and fillings (usually pork, vegetable, shrimp, or a combination of those flavors)—and any type of frozen dumpling will work for this recipe. If you’re operating on an extra-tight budget, visiting an Asian grocery store is a great place to find a wider selection, larger quantities, and even lower prices.
How to know the dumplings are fully cooked:
Frozen dumplings are usually on the smaller side, so they cook quickly when added to boiling broth. However, since our suggested cook time is only based on the handful of brands we’ve tried (and there are so many others!), I highly recommend consulting the package directions on your dumplings to ensure you are cooking them long enough—as well as checking the suggested serving size to make sure you are preparing enough for two people.
Are the leftovers ANY good?
I would not recommend saving these leftovers. As it sits, the dumplings will keep soaking up the broth until they bloat and then fall apart. Instead, just make the amount you think you will eat, which is why I’ve developed the recipe for two servings rather than four. Since it comes together so quickly, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you decided to make it twice in one night!
Take your Dumpling Soup to the next level
Some great flavor and topping additions for this soup are:
Cubed tofu, cooked chicken, or another prepared protein
Mushrooms, or other fresh or frozen vegetables
Half of a hard-boiled egg
Fish sauce
Kimchi
Cilantro
Mirin
Rice Vinegar or Lime Juice
Miso paste
A prepared sauce like Scheuzan chili oil, chili garlic sauce, sriracha, teriyaki sauce, or a prepared “dumpling sauce”
Sesame seeds, crushed nori, or a store-bought Furikake blend
My go-to Topping combinations
Plan to add any extra condiments and toppings directly to each serving bowl, so each person can mix and match them to suit their tastes. My go-to topping combinations are (per bowl):
Combine the vegetable broth, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and the white parts of a sliced green onion in a medium-sized pot. (If using, also add the fish sauce, pre-cooked proteins or tofu, and any fresh or frozen vegetables that need time to soften.)
Bring the broth up to a boil on medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the dumplings.
Cover the pot and allow the soup to come back up to a boil. Boil the dumplings for about 2 minutes or until they are cooked through. (Consult package directions.)
Turn off the heat and stir in the green parts of the sliced green onion and a handful of spinach.
Split the soup into 2 serving bowls and top with any desired condiments.
*You can use any flavor (pork, vegetable, chicken, etc.), but I prefer ones with pork and vegetables.**We use Better Than Bouillon mixed to make all of our broths. If substituted with a low-sodium broth, the final dish may need more salt. ***or baby bok choy
How to Make easy dumpling soup – Step by Step Photos
In a medium-sized pot, combine 2 cups of vegetable broth, 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and the white parts of a thinly sliced green onion (set the green parts aside for garnish), and cook over medium-high heat. You should also add the fish sauce now, if using — as well as any other extra ingredients that require some cooking time, like leftover cooked proteins from the fridge, tofu, mushrooms, or any other fresh or frozen vegetables that need time to soften.
Bring the broth up to a boil on medium-high heat. Once boiling, add 10 frozen dumplings. Cover and allow the soup to come back up to a boil. Boil the dumplings for about 2 minutes or until they are cooked through. (Check out the suggested cooking time on your dumpling packaging to insure this will be enough time to cook them all the way through — at the same time, also check the nutrition label to make sure you add the correct amount for two servings.)
Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and the reserved green onion slices.
Split the soup into two serving bowls and top each bowl with your desired garnishes. We chose to sprinkle ours with a few sesame seeds and a heaping spoonful of Sichuan Chili Crisp!
This quick and easy, Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken is made with ground chicken, ginger, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and sambal oelek – under 15 minutes! Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodles with Chicken If you want an easy way to get more veggies in your diet, I’m obsessed with these low-carb, gluten-free […]
This quick and easy, Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken is made with ground chicken, ginger, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and sambal oelek – under 15 minutes!
Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodles with Chicken
If you want an easy way to get more veggies in your diet, I’m obsessed with these low-carb, gluten-free hearts of palm noodles. They’re so healthy – you’re pretty much eating a big bowl of veggies! And they’re much better than zucchini noodles because they’re not watery and have a similar texture to noodles. I used hearts of palm noodles in place of pasta in this peanut stir fry and loved it so much I created this spicy chicken version. I have already whipped up this dish for lunch a few times.
Quick and easy Asian Lettuce Wraps are delicious! Made with ground chicken, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts with a spicy hoisin sauce. Asian Lettuce Wraps Some of you probably know how much I love using lettuce leaves as a wrap for everything from Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps and Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps to BLT Lettuce Wraps and Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce […]
Quick and easy Asian Lettuce Wraps are delicious! Made with ground chicken, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts with a spicy hoisin sauce.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Some of you probably know how much I love using lettuce leaves as a wrap for everything from Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps and Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps to BLT Lettuce Wraps and Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Tacos. They instantly make the dish low in carbs and calories and don’t interfere with the flavors of the filling. This Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe is no exception. Inspired by the restaurant, PF Chang and so delicious, I can’t wait for you to try them!
Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry is a quick and easy stir-fry with chicken breast, bok choy, red onion, peanuts and basil. Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry Ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and chili paste turn boring chicken breast into a delicious main dish that’s just right for dinner or lunch the next day. It’s perfect on its own or with […]
Confession: I’ve been spending way too much on sushi lately. But I don’t have the skill to make beautifully rolled sushi at home. So when that sushi craving hits, I just whip up an easy sushi bowl instead. It’s got all of the components of California roll piled into a bowl instead. They’re not fancy, for sure, but they’ll crush that sushi craving without leaving you $30 in the hole.
What is in a Sushi Bowl?
I kept this sushi bowl as simple as possible to keep the price low and to make it easy to prepare, but they’re very customizable! My sushi bowls had seasoned sushi rice, a few crunchy vegetables (carrot and cucumber), nori (seaweed), and crab stick. You can jazz these sushi bowls up and make them fancier as your budget allows.
Here are some other fun ingredients to add to sushi bowls:
Using short grain rice is really important for getting that classic sushi flavor and texture. Those little grains have a high starch content and a very different texture than long grain white rice. Packaged “sushi rice” carries a hefty price tag at regular grocery stores and can be quite expensive, so I suggest checking bulk bins, or better yet making a special trip to an Asian grocer.
Another option is to use Calrose rice, which is fairly common in U.S. grocery stores. Calrose is a medium grain starchy rice grown in California that still works really well for sushi bowls.
What is Imitation Crab?
Imitation crab is what you’ll find in California rolls and a lot of other Americanized sushi. It’s real white fish that has been shaped and flavored to resemble crab meat, but at a much lower price. You can usually find it in stick form, chunks, or flaked. It’s pretty tasty, IMHO, and very affordable!
Seaweed options
Adding a bit of nori (dried seaweed) really goes a long way toward making this bowl taste like real sushi. Luckily, “nori snacks” have become really popular the last few years. They are just smaller single-serving-sized packages of nori rather than the larger packs you’d typically use to roll a lot of sushi. I sliced up a few small squares of nori snack for each bowl and, boom! Done.
How to Store Sushi Bowls
These sushi bowls work really well for meal prep and stay good in the refrigerator for about four days. You definitely want to cool the rice as quickly as possible after cooking and before packing your sushi bowls so that the warm rice doesn’t wilt the vegetables. So after seasoning the rice, spread it out on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish then refrigerate until cooled before packing the sushi bowls into meal prep containers.
Place the uncooked short grain rice in a medium sauce pot. Rinse the rice well and drain off as much water as possible.
Add 2 cups of fresh water, place a lid on the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest, undisturbed and with the lid in place, for 10 additional minutes.
To prepare the sushi rice dressing, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. If needed, microwave for 15-30 seconds to help the sugar dissolve.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the toppings. Shred or chop the imitation crab, shred or julienne the carrot, slice the avocado, slice the cucumber, and break the nori snacks into smaller pieces. Stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl.
When the rice is finished cooking, sprinkle about 1/4 of the vinegar dressing over the rice, then gently fold or stir the rice to combine. Repeat the process until all of the vinegar dressing has been incorporated into the rice.
To build your sushi bowls, place about 1 cup of the seasoned sushi rice in a bowl, then top with crab stick, carrot, cucumber, avocado, a few pieces of nori, a pinch of sesame seeds, and a drizzle of the sriracha mayo.
Place 2 cups of the uncooked rice in a medium sauce pot. Rinse the rice well and drain off as much of the excess water as possible. Add 2 cups fresh water, place a lid on the pot, then bring the water up to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes (make sure it’s simmering the whole time). After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest, lid in place, for an additional five minutes.
While the rice is cooking, mix up the rice seasoning. This seasoning gives the rice its characteristic sushi flavor and glossy appearance. Combine 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp white sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. If needed, microwave the mixture for 15-30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
Sprinkle about 1/4 of the vinegar seasoning over the rice. Gently fold or stir the rice to distribute the dressing. Repeat this process until all of the dressing has been incorporated and the rice appears slightly glossy.Make sure not gently fold, rather than stir, the rice to prevent it from becoming mushy.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the sushi bowl toppings. Shred one carrot (use a large-holed cheese grater), chop one cucumber, slice one avocado and chop or break up 8oz. of imitation crab into small pieces.
Imitation crab is basically just white fish that has been shaped and flavored to resemble crab. You can usually find this in the seafood department or frozen seafood department of the grocery store. Nori snacks can usually be found in the International aisle of larger grocery stores. They’re usually around $2 per pack and contain several squares each!
Prepare a little sriracha mayo to go on the sushi bowls… Simply stir together 4 Tbsp mayo and 2 Tbsp sriracha. NOM.
Finally build your sushi bowls by adding about 1 cup of the seasoned sushi rice, then topping with some of imitation crab, sliced avocado, shredded carrot, sliced cucumbers, a few pieces of nori, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a delicious drizzle of sriracha mayo.
Seriously, SO GOOD.
Bonus: sushi bowls are a little harder to pick up with chopsticks than rolled sushi, so you can’t inhale them quite as quickly. Take time and savor that flavor. ;)
Korean-Inspired Salmon Tacos with Spicy Gochujang Slaw is a delicious way to switch up your fish taco game! Korean-Inspired Salmon Tacos I love my Korean BBQ-inspired marinade with chicken, but I wanted to try a slightly different marinade on fish. You all know how much I LOVE tacos and gochujang, so putting the fish in […]
Um, YUM! I just have to say that this Peanut Tofu is going to become a new staple in my house. It’s pretty easy to throw together, it’s a beautiful mix of colors and textures, and it’s absolutely deeeelicious! It’s definitely one of those meals that will give you that, “I can’t believe I made this myself” moment.
Freeze or Press Your Tofu
Lately, I’ve become a huge fan of freezing and then thawing my tofu before using it in a recipe. The freeze-thaw process changes the texture of the tofu, making it less jelly-like and more structured. The best part is that the texture change allows you to simply squeeze the tofu like a sponge to expel the extra liquid in seconds. To freeze the tofu, I just place the whole package (unopened) in the freezer, then the day before cooking I transfer it back to the fridge to thaw.
If you don’t pre-freeze your tofu, you’ll want to press it well before using it in this recipe. Either use a special tofu press or create one in your kitchen using items you already have on hand. I like to place the tofu on a rimmed baking sheet, then top with a cutting board and something heavy like a cast iron pan or a pot full of water. Let the tofu press for at least a half hour to get rid of the excess liquid.
Is This Peanut Tofu Spicy?
Yes, I used a lot of sriracha in the peanut sauce, so this dish has a decently spicy kick! While you can experiment with reducing the sriracha by half, I wouldn’t eliminate it entirely because the sriracha also provides extra acidity and garlic to the flavor profile, and the other ingredients would need to be adjusted to compensate.
How to Serve Peanut Tofu
I served my peanut tofu and vegetables over a bed of rice, but you could also serve them over rice noodles or even some cooked ramen.
Peanut Tofu
A spicy peanut sauce drenches pan-fried tofu and stir fry vegetables in these simple and delicious peanut tofu bowls.
Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have time to blend. Whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, and vegetable broth.
Press the tofu for 30 minutes to expel the excess water or use previously frozen tofu and squeeze the water out with your hands. Cut the tofu block into 24 triangles (12 squares, then cut diagonally into triangles).
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add the tofu pieces and gently toss until they are coated in the mixture.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the tofu and cook until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet then add the frozen stir fry vegetables. Cook over medium heat until heated through.
Add the cooked tofu back to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir to combine and heat through.
Slice any remaining lime into wedges. Top the peanut tofu with the lime wedges and fresh cilantro (if desired) before serving over cooked rice or noodles.
Notes
*Either press your tofu for 30 minutes before beginning the recipe, or freeze and thaw the tofu a day or two prior, then squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have a little time to blend. Whisk together ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 Tbsp sriracha, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ½ cup vegetable broth. Set the sauce aside.
Press one 14oz. block of extra firm tofu for about 30 minutes to expel the excess water (or freeze then thaw the tofu in the days prior and squeeze out the water by hand). Cut the thickness of the tofu block in half, then cut it into 12 triangles (when stacked) to make 24 pieces.
Next, whisk together 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch in a bowl. This will coat the tofu with flavor and help it crisp up a bit more in the skillet.
Add the tofu pieces to the cornstarch and oil mixture then gently fold until the tofu is coated in the mixture.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and cook until browned on each side (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Add another 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet, then once hot add one 16oz. bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. Continue to cook over medium heat just until the vegetables are heated through.
Add the cooked tofu back to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir everything to combine and heat through.
Cut any remaining limes into wedges. Top the peanut tofu with cilantro (if desired) and the lime wedges before serving.
