I love hosting casual vegan dinners with friends: everyone brings a dish, we eat, laugh, and occasionally break into a spontaneous yoga pose. For this gathering I made dumplings — a crowd-pleasing favorite — and decided to make them colorful. These vibrant dumplings are simple to make and a lot of fun to share.
Making dumplings vegan is straightforward, and coloring the wrappers with natural ingredients adds a playful touch. I prepared two different fillings; one of them was so good I didn’t write the exact quantities down, but it was unforgettable. Don’t let that put you off — the tofu, mushroom, and scallion filling below is hearty, flavorful, and satisfying. Feel free to experiment with your own combinations for fillings.
Natural colorings are easy to use and produce beautiful results. For red or pink, use beet powder or cooked beet juice. Purple or blue tones come from purple cabbage water. Spirulina makes a vivid green; mixed with turmeric it yields a bright lime-green. Turmeric alone gives a warm yellow. I enjoy creating multi-colored dishes and will likely write a dedicated post about natural food coloring because color is important in my kitchen.
There are three common ways to cook dumplings: steam, boil, or pan-fry into potstickers. I prefer steaming in a bamboo steamer because it uses no oil and feels light. Potstickers are another favorite because the bottoms get crisp while the rest stays tender. Serve these dumplings with a simple dipping sauce made from soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and thinly sliced scallions, or use your favorite hot sauce or condiment.
My background includes Surinamese Creole and Chinese home cooking, and I often recreate comforting dishes in vegan versions, adding color whenever possible. Some recipes are more challenging to adapt than others, but experimenting in the kitchen is part of the fun.
If you make these dumplings, I’d love to see your photos—share them on Instagram or leave a comment. It’s always inspiring to see how others put their own spin on my recipes.
Stay awesome and eat the rainbow!
Bless,
A.J.
Tofu – Mushroom & Scallion Dumplings
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Vegan
Ingredients
Dumpling Wrappers
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup very hot water
- Food color of choice (optional): beet powder, spirulina, turmeric, or purple cabbage water
Filling
- 2 onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cups tofu, crumbled
- 150 grams oyster mushrooms (or similar), sliced
- 4 dried mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped (shiitake or king oyster work well)
- 8 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
- Hot pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
Filling
- Soak the dried mushrooms in very hot water for about 30 minutes, then finely chop them. Make sure all filling ingredients are diced or crumbled into small, even pieces for easy folding and consistent texture.
- Heat a splash of oil in a pan, then sauté the onion, garlic, and chopped mushrooms for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the carrots, crumbled tofu, sliced fresh mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, five-spice, ginger, sesame seeds, scallions, and optional hot pepper.
- Cook the mixture until most of the moisture has evaporated and the filling is fairly dry. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow the filling to cool completely before using it to fill the wrappers.
Dumpling Wrappers
- To color dough naturally: for green, mix a pinch of spirulina with a little turmeric into the flour. For red or pink, add beet powder. For turquoise/blue hues, use water that has been boiled with purple cabbage (boil cabbage for about 15 minutes and strain; add a pinch of baking soda to intensify the color). Allow colored water to cool slightly before using.
- Combine the flour and any dry coloring in a bowl or in a food processor fitted with a dough hook. Slowly add very hot water in a steady stream while mixing until a rough dough forms. When cool enough to handle, knead until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but firm enough to hold its shape; add a little water or flour as needed.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth or place it in a sealed bag and rest for 15–30 minutes. After resting, knead briefly, then divide the dough and roll into small marble-sized balls. Flatten each ball into a thin round wrapper and spoon in a small amount of filling. Fold and seal the edges to form dumplings.
- Arrange filled dumplings on a parchment-lined tray. For storage, freeze the tray until the dumplings are firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to three months.
Cooking Methods
- To steam: arrange dumplings in a steamer lined with parchment and steam for a few minutes until cooked through (frozen dumplings take about 15 minutes).
- To boil: drop dumplings into boiling water and cook until they float and are cooked through.
- To make potstickers: heat a little oil in a skillet, add dumplings and cook for about a minute, then pour in a small amount of water and cover immediately. Steam for about 6–8 minutes until the water evaporates and the bottoms are crisp but not burned.
Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sliced scallions, or use your preferred condiment. These dumplings are versatile, freezer-friendly, and perfect for sharing.
