Soup Dumplings (halal)

Halal soup dumplings are hard to come by and everyone deserves to experience the magic of a soup dumpling at least once. So if you want to make them at home, you're in the right place.

Soup dumplings, also known as xiao long bao, is a type of Chinese dumpling. They are filled with a mixture of seasoned meat and a rich, gelatinous broth. When steamed, the broth liquefies, creating a delicious soup inside the dumpling that bursts in your mouth with each bite. The delicate, thin dough wrapper holds the flavorful filling and is usually served with a dipping sauce.

How to make soup dumplings without pork?

There are two key things that make a soup dumpling: the meat filling and gelatinous broth. Both of which are traditionally made with pork. To make these halal soup dumplings, two substitutions are made with some key ingredients.

Minced veal: Fun fact- the meat that is most similar in taste to pork is veal! or so google says because frankly I wouldn't know. Pork has neutral, mild flavour, thus the best substitute meat for this is veal as it also has a delicate and mild flavour. I usually find ground veal at my local grocery store vacuum sealed and ready to use. Alternatively, ask your butcher if they offer it.

Chicken feet: Yeah I know what you're thinking but relax. Put some big girl pants on and ask your butcher for some chicken feet. They are packed with collagen which help maintain skin elasticity, supports joint health, and promotes strong bones and cartilage. And it's the key ingredient in making a thick gelatinous broth for these soup dumplings.

Dumpling Wrappers:

Making your own wrappers is totally optional and you could cut this recipe time down by at least an hour if you use ready-made. But if you're like me and can't easily access dumpling wrappers or just prefer to make them at home, check out my dumpling wrapper recipe here.

How to cook?

Soup dumpling are very delicate so we must treat them with care. Unlike other dumplings that are seared directly in a pan or boiled, soup dumplings need the special and delicate cooking process of steaming. Ideally you have a dumpling steamer basket and that would be perfect. Or perhaps you're like me and don't have a lot of kitchen space so you limit gadgets to what's necessary. In that case, I would recommend my favourite multi-purpose pan which comes with a steaming basket- Just make sure to line the base with some parchment paper or cabbage so the dumplings don't stick.