Sheng jian bao is a type of Chinese dumpling that’s fried and then steamed, with a savory filling. It’s similar to xiao long bao (soup dumplings) but with a partially leavened dough.
This vegan version is just as delectable and flavorful as the traditional pork one, with a jellied stock that melts into a hot broth, spilling out of each bite like any good soup dumping.
Read on to learn how to make it!
How to make vegan pan-fried soup dumplings:
Step one: prepare the jellied soup stock.
Place 1 ½ cups vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon agar powder into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour into a shallow dish and allow to set in the fridge, about 2-3 hours. (I recommend doing this in advance). You’ll be cutting this into small cubes and adding it to the filling later.
Step two: make the dough.
Combine flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir and in water a little at a time, kneading the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After it has risen slightly (but not yet doubled), place it in the fridge. The dough is called a “half-rise dough”– unlike dumpling dough, it contains leavening, but not as much as for a steamed bun.
Step three: mix the filling:
I debated between what to use for the filling– unlike my earlier potsticker vegetable filling, I wanted to replicate the meaty tenderness of pork as closely as I could for these soup dumplings, but I didn’t want to use seitan or TVP, which is highly processed. I found soy curls to be the perfect alternative. They’re a whole plant-based protein made with one ingredient– non-GMO soy beans– and are sold dried in the bulk goods section. All you need to do is re-hydrate the curls in water and they’re good to use.
Measure out dry soy curls and soak in a bowl of warm water for 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain/squeeze out excess water, and chop finely. Place in a large bowl along with minced shiitake mushrooms, oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ground pepper, and sesame oil, and stir well to combine.
Remove jellied stock from the refrigerator and dice into small ¼ inch cubes, then combine with the rest of the filling. Place prepared filling in the refrigerator while you make the wrappers.
Step four: assemble.
Place dough on a well-floured or greased surface. Fold in half, then in half again, stretching and rolling to form a rope. Using a knife, divide into equal portions (about 15g each). Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll out with a thin rolling pin until it is about 3 inches in diameter.
Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating in a counter-clockwise motion and pinching firmly at the top to seal. Place finished buns on a lightly greased surface and loosely cover while you make the rest.
If you want to freeze the buns at this step of the process, spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in freezer, then transfer frozen buns to a bag for long-term storage. You can reheat them by pan-frying in the same way as below.
Step five: pan-fry the buns.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place buns gently in the pan, leaving about 1 ½ inches margin, and fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Quickly pour ¼ cup water (or enough to cover the bottom third of the bun) and cover immediately to trap in steam. Reduce to a low heat and allow buns to cook for 5-8 minutes until water is evaporated and the sound of sizzling has stopped. Open the lid and sprinkle on sesame seeds and green onions, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up. Remove from pan and serve immediately.
Serve with a dipping sauce of black vinegar and chili oil, if desired.
If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!
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Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings / 生煎包)
Shanghai sheng jian bao / pan-fried buns, crisp-bottomed with a tender, savory vegan filling that melts in the mouth, soup-dumping style. Irresistibly delicious.
- Prep Time: 75
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Snacks & Appetizers
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
For the wrappers:
- 110 ml (7 tbsp) water
- 200g all-purpose flour (1 ⅓ cup)
- 1 tsp instant or quick-rising dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
For the jellied soup stock:
- 1.5 cups organic vegetable broth
- ½ tsp agar powder
For the filling:
- 1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 2 ½ cups soy curls,* rehydrated and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch thumb ginger, minced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
- chopped green onion, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the jellied soup stock:
- Place the vegetable broth and the agar powder into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour into a shallow dish and allow to set in the fridge, about 2-3 hours. (I recommend doing this in advance.)
Prepare the dough:
- Combine flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir while adding in water a little at a time, and knead the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After it has risen slightly (but not yet doubled), place it in the fridge to prevent it from rising further.
Prepare the filling:
- Measure out the soy curls and soak in a bowl of warm water for 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain/squeeze out excess water, and chop finely. Place in a large bowl along with minced mushrooms, oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ground pepper, and sesame oil, and stir well to combine.
- Remove jellied stock from the refrigerator and dice into small ¼ inch cubes, then combine with the rest of the filling. Place prepared filling in the refrigerator while you make the wrappers.
Assembling and frying:
- On a floured surface, flatten and press dough to remove air bubbles. Fold in half, then in half again, stretching and rolling to form a rope. Using a knife, divide into equal portions (about 15g each). Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll the dough out with a small rolling pin until it is about 3 inches in diameter.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating in a counter-clockwise motion and pinching firmly at the top to seal. Place finished buns on a lightly greased surface and loosely cover while you make the rest.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place buns gently in the pan, leaving about 1 ½ inches margin, and fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Quickly pour ¼ cup water (or enough to cover the bottom third of the bun) and cover immediately to trap in steam. Reduce to a low heat and allow buns to cook for 5-8 minutes until water is evaporated and the sound of sizzling has stopped. Open the lid and sprinkle on sesame seeds and green onions, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up. Remove from pan and serve immediately.
Notes
- *The cup measurement will vary from 1 ⅔ cups to 2 cups depending on flour brand, but I recommend weighing it out to be exact.
- I used regular vegetable broth, not low-sodium.
- Soy curls are made with one ingredient– non-gmo soy beans– and they’re minimally processed, unlike TVP (textured vegetable protein). I love them and I think they’re a wonderful meat alternative, similar to seitan but a lot cheaper and easier to work with. You can find soy curls in the bulk goods section, or packaged under the Butler brand.
- When frying, you can place the pleated side either facing up or down. I did the latter, but you have to make sure to securely seal the buns to prevent any juice from leaking out of the filling.
- Freezer option: spread the pleated (but not yet cooked) buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze, then transfer frozen buns to a bag for long-term freezer storage.
- To see how to pleat the buns, go to my Instagram page and view the videos saved in my story highlights.
Dani Noa says
Absolutely delicious! It’s still rather cold where I am and these were the perfect evening treat. However, the jellied stock ended up making the filling fairly runny which made the dumplings slightly difficult to pleat. I will certainly make these again and when I do, I will keep the stock cubes separate from the rest of the filling to prevent it from dissolving and make the dumplings easier to pleat!
★★★★
Ida says
You’re just amazing—this recipe is wildly good.
★★★★★