Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) Recipe (2024)

By Naz Deravian

Published Feb. 12, 2024

Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) Recipe (1)

Total Time
3 hours 30 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours 10 minutes, plus 1 hour resting
Rating
4(19)
Notes
Read community notes

Filled with seasoned pork and savory broth, these delicately pleated dumplings are a labor of love. The trick to getting the soup inside the dumpling is using aspic, a gelatin that forms when meat broth (traditionally made with pork skin and feet) cools and hardens into a jelly. Here, powdered gelatin is dissolved in chicken stock, chilled to set, then cut into small cubes and added to the filling. The pork and aspic are bundled up in the dough, sealed, then steamed, melting the aspic and filling the area around the pork with a heavenly, slurpable broth. Assembling the soup dumplings requires patience and practice, so solicit family and friends to join in on the work. Serve immediately with black vinegar and sliced ginger, and some chile crisp for a little kick.

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Ingredients

Yield:20 dumplings

    For the Aspic

    • cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
    • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, crushed with the back of a knife
    • 1scallion, cut into fourths and crushed with the back of a knife
    • 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine
    • 1teaspoon light soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • teaspoon white pepper
    • teaspoons/7 grams (1 envelope) powdered gelatin

    For the Scallion-ginger Water

    • 1scallion, thinly sliced
    • 1(½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped

    For the Wrappers

    • cups/150 grams bread flour, plus more for dusting

    For the Filling

    • ½pound ground pork, preferably 30-percent fat (see Tip)
    • 1(1½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
    • 1scallion, green and white parts, minced
    • 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine
    • teaspoons toasted sesame oil
    • teaspoons granulated sugar
    • 1teaspoon light soy sauce
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • teaspoon white pepper

    For Steaming and Dipping

    • Napa cabbage leaves, for steaming (optional)
    • ¼cup black vinegar
    • 1(½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
    • Soy sauce and chile crisp, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (20 servings)

82 calories; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 4 grams protein; 136 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Prepare the aspic: In a small saucepan, combine the chicken stock, ginger, scallion, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-proof measuring cup. You should have ¾ cup; if you don’t, add more stock until it reaches that volume, and if you have more, pour off the extra. Return the broth to the saucepan and taste to make sure it’s well seasoned.

  2. Step

    2

    Add ¼ cup cold water to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and stir until it dissolves; set aside for 2 minutes. Return the broth in the saucepan to a simmer over medium-high. Add the gelatin mixture, and stir until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Immediately pour the broth into an 8-by-8-inch baking pan, or similarly sized dish. Refrigerate, uncovered, until completely set, about 1 hour. This can be made a day in advance; once set, cover and keep refrigerated.

  3. Step

    3

    Prepare the scallion-ginger water: In a kettle or small saucepan, bring ¼ cup water to a boil. Place the scallion and ginger in a small, heat-proof bowl, then pour the boiling water on top. Set aside to cool while preparing the dough.

  4. Step

    4

    Prepare the dough: In a kettle or small saucepan, bring ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon of water to a boil; cool for 1 minute. Scoop the flour into a medium bowl. In a steady stream, drizzle 6 tablespoons of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing, until you have a shaggy dough. All the flour won’t be incorporated.

  5. Step

    5

    Knead the dough in the bowl until the dough comes together in a ball and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute. Add some of the remaining water, one drop at a time, if needed. Very lightly flour a clean work surface; transfer the dough and knead until you have a soft, smooth and supple dough, 5 to 8 minutes. Press a finger in the dough; it should leave an indentation and spring back fairly quickly. Place the dough in a resealable plastic bag, remove the air and seal, or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Rest the dough at room temperature for 1 hour.

  6. Step

    6

    Prepare the filling: Add the ground pork, ginger, scallion, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, light soy sauce, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and pour the scallion-ginger water through it; discard the solids. Using chopsticks, a fork or your hands, mix the filling in one direction, until the liquid is absorbed and the filling is well combined and sticky, about 5 minutes. Place uncovered in the fridge.

  7. Step

    7

    Remove the aspic from the fridge and slice it into thick strips (about 2 inches wide) in the pan. Peel them off the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Slice the aspic into thinner strips, then mince into small, square pieces. Add the minced aspic to the filling and mix until well distributed. Return the filling to the fridge while you prepare the wrappers. Be mindful that the filling cannot be made hours ahead; it will break down and start weeping.

  8. Step

    8

    Line a bamboo or metal steamer with parchment, napa cabbage leaves or cheesecloth (see Tip 2). Lightly flour a clean work surface and transfer the rested dough to it. Cut the dough in half; return one half back to the resealable bag, or place in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Using your hands, evenly roll the dough on the work surface into a 10-inch log. Cut the log into 10 equal pieces and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.

  9. Step

    9

    Working one piece at a time, gently press down on the cut side of the dough with the palm of your hand to flatten it. With a small dowel or rolling pin, shape the dough into 3½-inch-wide rounds. The center of the wrapper should be thicker than the nearly transparent outer edges to ensure the filling doesn’t spill out. Constantly rotate the round to roll it out evenly; this will take practice, but it gets easier with each round. Cover with plastic wrap and continue rolling the remaining pieces, lightly flouring the work surface and dowel as needed.

  10. Step

    10

    Fill and wrap: Line a sheet pan with parchment. Prepare a small bowl of water and place it nearby, along with paper towels, for your hands. Slightly cup your non-dominant hand and place a wrapper on it. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and press it down slightly. (A heaping tablespoon of filling makes for an abundant dumpling, but if new to wrapping, it will be easier with a slightly smaller scoop.) Using the thumb and index fingers on both hands, gently pull one side of the wrapper up to wrap and pleat, rotating the dumpling as you work. (It might help to use your non-dominant thumb to gently press down on the filling so it remains encased.) Twist and close the top, pinching off excess dough at the top. Place the dumpling on the parchment, cover with plastic, and continue filling and wrapping. Once all the wrappers from the first batch are filled, repeat the rolling and filling process with the remaining half of the dough.

  11. Step

    11

    Working in batches, place the dumplings about 1 inch apart in the prepared steamer. Fill a large pan or wok with enough water for steaming, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Make sure the steamer baskets are placed over the boiling water, and not in contact with it.) Steam the dumplings for 6 minutes; do not remove the lid while steaming.

  12. While the dumplings steam, in a small bowl, combine the black vinegar and sliced ginger. Provide spoons and individual small dipping bowls for everyone. Set out the soy sauce and chile crisp, if using.

  13. Step

    13

    Serve the dumplings immediately after steaming. To eat, place a spoon over the bowl and, using chopsticks, hold the dumpling over the spoon. Take a small bite out of the side of the dumpling to make a small hole (careful, it will be hot!), or use chopsticks to poke a hole in the dumpling to release the liquid into the spoon. After slurping the broth, dip the remaining dumpling in the sauce or drizzle it on top, if using, and eat it.

Tip

  • Tip: If you can’t find pork with 30-percent fat, ask the butcher to mix more fat into the blend available. It is necessary for a tender and juicy filling.

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19

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Debbie

Can these be made with dumpling wrappers found at Chinese groceries?

Jo

I have not tried this recipe yet but I recently experimented with store-bought dumpling (not wonton) wrappers, homemade XLB wrappers (Betty Liu: 'My Shanghai'), & homemade mandu wrappers (Maanchi.com). The homemade wrappers were far superior - I thought the Maanchi recipe had a very good taste but they were too chewy for XLB, whereas BL's wrappers were a little stiff to work with but produced beautiful results for XLB. The store bought wrappers gave the wrong texture for XLB but work in a pinch.

SF

You can make them with anything you want -- flatbread, Wonder bread, hot dog buns -- but then they won't be xiao long bao. I think the benefit of making these wrappers from scratch is that they're simply bread flour and water, which is much healthier than the laundry list of ingredients that tend to be in the store-bought wrappers (preservatives, yellow dye, etc.). To break up the effort a little bit, you could probably make and freeze the wrappers ahead of time, then thaw and finish the recipe.

julia

I’ve made plenty of dumplings before but never XLB, so have some experience, but active time for me was closer to 2 hours. My filling was also just mushy, not soupy at all. Followed all ingredients and instructions exactly, so not sure exactly what happened. They were incredibly tasty though, so while they didn’t turn out as XLB for me they were an excellent dumpling!

Natasha

I’d 2x or 3x the amount of dough so you can make the wrappers thick and make more. Recipe says it makes 30 but the directions only make 20. I had a lot of filling left over. I used beef bone broth from the store, simmered and reduced it down with the ginger etc. and added some MSG for a boost, it gelled up nicely in the fridge with no gelatin and tasted great. I’d freeze it a tiny bit before filling the dumplings next time. I added some butter to the ground pork to make sure it was rich. Yummy!

julia

I’ve made plenty of dumplings before but never XLB, so have some experience, but active time for me was closer to 2 hours. My filling was also just mushy, not soupy at all. Followed all ingredients and instructions exactly, so not sure exactly what happened. They were incredibly tasty though, so while they didn’t turn out as XLB for me they were an excellent dumpling!

rsunshine

it seems very labor-intensive. is it really just 20 minutes of work?

Martha

Better, and I believe more authentic, toss in some chicken feet or pig skin to the stock. All that collagen will thicken and gel beautifully. Black vinegar and ginger is all you need. I’ve been eating these for four decades and that the best accompaniment.

Frank

I'd put the aspic in an ice bath before putting it in the baking pan.

Debbie

Can these be made with dumpling wrappers found at Chinese groceries?

Spike

Yes, but these can sometimes be quite dry and fragile, prone to ripping as you stuff them, so you may need to experiment with a couple of brands to find ones supple and study enough. You may also have trouble getting the pretty twist at the top--for the same reason.

SF

You can make them with anything you want -- flatbread, Wonder bread, hot dog buns -- but then they won't be xiao long bao. I think the benefit of making these wrappers from scratch is that they're simply bread flour and water, which is much healthier than the laundry list of ingredients that tend to be in the store-bought wrappers (preservatives, yellow dye, etc.). To break up the effort a little bit, you could probably make and freeze the wrappers ahead of time, then thaw and finish the recipe.

Jo

Adding to my previous comment on the pros/cons of homemade wrapper doughs: The BL dough held bao pleats well, didn't tear, held the juice - but it was a more complicated dough. The Maanchi dough was very easy and this NYT recipe seems similar but allows more control of hydration & looks promising. In Step 10, if it's your first time making XLB - don't worry about how it looks. Pull/pinch the sides of the wrapper up and make a package. It will still taste wonderful.

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Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) Recipe (2024)

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