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Home » Recipes » Japanese Vegetable Recipes

Easy Vegan Dumplings Recipe (Vegetable Gyoza)

Published: Apr 30, 2023 · Modified: Jun 7, 2023 · Auther: Juri Austin

5 from 5 votes
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This is our family's favorite recipe, Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza). This simple recipe requires only vegetables, but it's delicious, flavorful, and so crispy. You might be surprised that it's meatless!

vegan dumplings

Gyoza (dumplings or potstickers in English) is a delightful comfort food and one of the most popular Japanese home-cooking recipes. All family members can assist in this recipe, and children typically learn how to make homemade dumplings in their kitchen. (I did too!)

Traditional gyozas contain ground pork, but our vegan dumpling recipe is different as it's meatless. The types of dumplings are less juicy than pork gyoza, but they are still delicious and flavorful.

    This recipe is for you if:
  • You love Japanese gyoza.
  • This is your first time to make Japanese gyoza.
  • You are looking for a vegan dumplings recipe.

All right, let me show you how to make it. If you want to check the recipe, kindly refer to the recipe card located below. Let's get started!

Jump to:
  • About This Recipe
  • 📋 Ingredients
  • Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
  • 🔪Instructions
  • Step 1: Make Gyoza Filling
  • Step 3: Cook Gyoza
  • Serve
  • Helpful Tips
  • Storage
  • What to Serve With
  • FAQ
  • Thanks for Stopping By!
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

About This Recipe

  • Vegetable-only dumpling filling
  • Vegan gyoza recipe
  • Season with homemade garlic ginger soy sauce

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

Ingredients for Japanese Vegan Vegetable Gyoza
  • Gyoza Wrappers
  • Vegetables: Nira (garlic chives), shiitake mushrooms, green cabbage. You can also use green onions, spring onions, and napa cabbage.
  • Salt: Regular or sea salt
  • Garlic ginger soy sauce: See below.
  • Potato starch: I always use potato starch in my Japanese cooking; however, you can substitute it with corn starch, tapioca starch, or wheat flour.
  • Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a nice nutty flavor to the dish, but you can substitute it with other types of oil, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.

Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce

Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce in a glass jar.

Before making the filling, we will need to make the garlic ginger soy sauce. This is one of the key ingredients for this gyoza, so let me explain how to make it first. You can also watch this recipe video for visual instructions.

Ingredients are soy sauce, ginger, and garlic cloves.

  1. Mince garlic and ginger: Finely mince garlic and ginger with a food processor (if you don't have a food processor, chop finely with a knife.)
  2. Put in a bottle: Put soy sauce, minced garlic, and ginger in a jar and stir.
  3. In the fridge: Keep the bottle in the fridge, and you can use it the next day.

The sauce will last in the fridge for 2-3 months. It makes for excellent stir-fry sauce, pairs well with fried rice, and adds a delightful savory flavor.

Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients

If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.

  • Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
  • Asian market
  • Whole Foods Market
  • Health food stores
  • Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon

🔪Instructions

Let me show you how to make it! Making gyoza consists of three steps:

  • Step 1: Make Vegan Filling
  • Step 2: How To Wrap
  • Step 3: Cook Gyoza

You can also watch this video to help you visualize the process.

Step 1: Make Gyoza Filling

How to make Japanese Vegan Vegetable Gyoza
  1. Cut Vegetables: Finely chop nira (garlic chives; can substitute nira with green onion) and cabbage in a food processor and transfer to a large bowl. Chop shiitake mushrooms in the food processor and transfer them to a small bowl. (If you do not have a food processor, cut the mushrooms into small pieces with a knife.)
  2. Drain: Remove excess water from the nira and cabbage. Place ½ teaspoon of salt in the large bowl, mix, and leave it for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze the vegetable juice with both hands.
  3. Season: Add shiitake mushrooms, potato starch, and garlic ginger soy sauce to the large bowl.
  4. Mix: Mix well to make the filling. (Please check the taste. Add more sauce if necessary.)

Step 2: How to Wrap

There are different ways to wrap gyoza, but I will introduce the basic one.

How to make Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza)
  1. Place the filling: Place the gyoza wrapper on your palm and place 1 or 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center.
  2. Use a little water: Put some warm water on your finger and trace the edges of the wrapper halfway.
  3. Make pleats: Fold it in half and pinch it with your thumb and index finger to make 4-5 pleats on one side.
  4. Make the bottom flat: Place the gyoza on your palm or cutting board, hold the rim, and lightly press it to make the bottom of the dumpling flat.
  5. Line up: Tweak the shape a little into a crescent moon and line them up.
vegan vegetable gyoza on a cutting board.

The pleats may not look perfect, but as long as the filling stays inside the wrapper, it's okay!

Step 3: Cook Gyoza

How to make Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza)
  1. Place gyoza: Put some oil into a non-stick pan and heat it on medium heat. Place gyoza one by one with some space between them. (If you pack it tightly, the wrapper will stick together, and hard to separate them later, so it is better to give them a little space.)
  2. Steam: Add ¼ cup of water, close the lid of the pan, and steam for 2 to 3 minutes until the water is almost gone.
  3. Golden brown: Open the lid, let the water evaporate, add sesame oil around the frying pan, and cook for one minute until golden brown.
  4. Check the bottom: Lift one piece and check the bottom of the gyoza. If it is a beautiful golden brown, turn off the heat, place a plate over the gyoza, and turn the frying pan over.

Serve

Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza)

Don't our finished dumplings look absolutely delicious?

They are extremely tasty on their own, as they are already seasoned. However, you can also enjoy them with a delicious dipping sauce, such as a mixture of soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar.

Our pan-fried dumplings have a nice crispy bottom and are so flavorful. These fluffy dumplings are so satisfying that you wouldn't think they are made with such simple ingredients! The best part is that they are perfect for everyone, particularly those following a plant-based diet.

Helpful Tips

Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza) served on a plate.
  • Since the filling contains only vegetables, the critical point is to remove the water from the vegetables. Failure to do so may result in difficulty wrapping the homemade wrappers.
  • If you have time, it's good to leave the filling in the fridge for one hour allowing the flavors to blend together.
  • To prevent the gyoza wrappers from drying out, it is better to cover with cling wrap or cook them right away after wrapping.
  • While cooking the gyoza, it's a good idea to check the bottoms for browning, but remember to be patient and avoid checking them too early.

Storage

If you don't cook right away, you can freeze gyoza.

Place gyoza side-by-side on a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the freezer. Once they become frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.

They will last for one month in the freezer. The good news is that when cooking these dumplings, there's no need to thaw them beforehand. Simply cook them as they are, straight from the freezer.

If you have the leftovers, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container, and finish eating by the next day. Since they won't be crispy anymore the next day, the best way is to eat them right after cooking.

What to Serve With

Why don't you try these recipes to have a full Japanese meal for dinner?

  • Japanese Steamed Rice
  • Eggplant Teriyaki
  • Daikon Miso Soup
  • Tofu and Seaweed Salad

FAQ

Are gyoza wrappers vegan?

Yes. They are made with flour, salt, some starch, and water.

Can gyoza be frozen?

Yes, you can. I usually wrap them beforehand, keep them in the freezer and cook them right before dinner or lunch.

Can gyoza be eaten cold?

Yes, it is not as good as a fresh crispy one, but you can eat it. You can also reheat it.

Thanks for Stopping By!

Vegan Dumplings (Vegetable Gyoza) served on a plate.

This is not a quick recipe and has a lot of steps. It requires a good amount of meal prep time to make gyoza, but it is worth doing it!

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of my family's favorite dishes. I hope this recipe is helpful and you will enjoy making homemade vegetable gyoza in your home.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this dumplings recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

More Japanese Vegan Recipes You Might Like

  • Tempeh Karaage
  • Tempeh Stir-fry In Teriyaki Sauce
  • Vegan Mapo Tofu
  • Japanese Vegetable Curry
  • Eggplant Teriyaki

📖 Recipe

vegetable gyoza

Easy Vegan Dumplings Recipe (Vegetable Gyoza)

5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Save Saved!
Prep: 30 minutes minutes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 25 pieces
Author: JURI
This is our family's favorite recipe, Vegan Gyoza (Japanese vegetable dumplings). This simple recipe requires only vegetables, but it's delicious, flavorful, and so crispy. You might be surprised that it's meatless!

Equipment

  • Frying pan 22 cm / 8.7 inches
  • Food processor
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 25 sheets Gyoza Wrappers
  • Sesame Oil , for cooking

Vegetable Filling

  • ¼ Cabbage, 250g
  • ¼ bunch of Nira, Garlic chives (15g)
  • 5 Shiitake Mushrooms, 75g
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce, see below
  • 1 tablespoon Potato Starch

Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce

  • 400 ml Soy Sauce
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 clove Ginger

Instructions

  • Cut nira and cabbage: Finely chop nira, cabbage in a food processor, transfer to a bowl, mix with salt and leave it for 10 minutes.
  • Cut shiitake mushrooms: Finely chop shiitake mushrooms in the food processor too.
  • Make the filling: Remove excess water from nira and cabbage, put shiitake mushrooms, potato starch, and garlic ginger soy sauce into the bowl, and mix well.
  • Wrap: Place gyoza wrapper on your palm, place 1 or 2 teaspoons of the filling, and wrap. (See the photo of how to wrap in the instruction section above.)
  • Pan-fry: Add sesame oil to a frying pan and heat it on medium heat, then place gyoza one by one.
  • Add water: Add ¼ cup of water, put the lid on, and steam for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add sesame oil: Open the lid, let the water evaporate, add some sesame oil around the frying pan and cook for one minute until golden brown.
  • Serve: Turn off the heat, place a plate over gyoza and turn the frying pan over.

Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce

  • Mince: Finely mince garlic and ginger with a food processor.
  • Put in a bottle: Put soy sauce, minced garlic, and ginger into a jar and stir.
  • In the fridge: Keep the bottle in the fridge, and you can use it the next day.

Video

Notes

  • Storage: They will last in the fridge for a day. You can also freeze before cooking. Place gyoza side-by-side on a tray, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the freezer. Once they get frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. They will last in the freezer for one month.
  • Substitute: You can substitute potato starch with corn starch. You can substitute nira with scallions (green onion).

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.8g | Protein: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 7.6mg | Sodium: 463mg | Sugar: 3.1g
Course: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: vegan, vegetable gyoza recipe
Did You Make this recipe?Please Leave a star rating!

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Comments

  1. Eurico

    May 23, 2022 at 11:37 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe Juri, it was my first time making dumplings so it took a little while, but it was worth it. Thank you.

    Reply
    • JURI

      May 23, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      Thanks Eurico! I really appreciate you trying this gyoza recipe. Yeah, you are right, it takes time to make them but homemade one is the best!

      Reply
  2. Veronique

    January 18, 2022 at 12:19 pm

    Longtime ago a friend showed me how to make gyozo wrappers, but I forgot ...
    Do you use glutinous rice flour or brown rice flour or white rice flour?
    Could you do a recipee on it?
    Thank you so much for your wonderful site Jury, it's a joy!

    Reply
    • JURI

      January 19, 2022 at 4:44 am

      Thank you for your comment, Veronique! Are you looking for a gluten-free recipe?
      If so, you can make the gyoza wrappers with white rice flour and potato starch. I can make the recipe for you:)

      Reply
  3. Alena

    December 02, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Hi, how much of the sauce are we supposed to put in? Is it just according to taste or like 2 tbsp?

    Reply
    • JURI

      December 02, 2021 at 7:03 pm

      Hi Alena, you are asking about dipping in a sauce? Yeah, it's up to your taste preference. Start with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and add more if it's light. I hope it helps!

      Reply
  4. Ann Mariko

    October 15, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe! Growing up, my mom always made gyoza with pork, but I was looking for a vegetarian gyoza recipe and this one is delicious! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • JURI

      October 16, 2021 at 4:04 am

      Thank you, Ann! I'm so happy to hear that!

      Reply

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