Soup dumplings, also known as Xiao Long Bao, is a delicious and traditional Chinese dish. These homemade soup dumplings are bursting with savoury flavours and juicy filling. Wrapped in soft, tender dough, and filled with gelatinised broth, these soup dumplings are perfect for a cozy dinner and you can easily make the dough from scratch!

Tip #1

Gelatine Preparation: Ensure the gelatine is fully set before chopping it into pieces. This makes it easier to handle and ensures that the broth remains inside the dumplings during cooking.

Tip #2

Dough Consistency: Achieve the perfect wrapper by kneading the dough until smooth and elastic. This will prevent tearing and help contain the broth effectively.

Tip #3

Sealing Technique: Take your time to pleat and seal the dumplings carefully to avoid any leaks during steaming. A tight seal ensures that all the delicious broth stays within the dumpling until you're ready to enjoy it.

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Soup Dumplings - Xiao Long Bao

Preparation Time: 1 hour | Chilling Time: 4 hours

Servings: 32 dumplings

Ingredients

Soup Gelatine:

2 cups chicken broth
3 teaspoons gelatine powder

Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water

Filling:

500g ground pork
1 cup finely chopped green onions
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

Warm the chicken broth, sprinkle the gelatine over it, and stir until dissolved. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate until set (about 4 hours or overnight). Once set, chop into tiny pieces.
Put 4 cups flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough for about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out 1 piece of dough into a thin log and divide into 8 pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, sugar. Mix well.
Lightly flour the dough pieces and roll out 1 piece into a thin circle roughly 4-inches (10 cm) in diameter. Keep the dumpling wrappers separated by adding a thin layer of flour in between and repeat with the remaining dough.
Place a small spoonful of the filling and chopped gelatine in the centre of each dough circle. Gather the edges of the dough circle and pleat them together at the top to enclose the filling. Ensure it is well sealed.
Prepare a steamer (lined with parchment paper with holes poked for steam). Steam the dumplings for about 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy your soup dumplings hot, being careful of the hot soup inside each dumpling.