Dumpling soup is the most comforting food on Earth. A bowl of clear, fragrant broth with floating dumplings — it's medicine for cold days, sick days, sad days, any day. Here's the classic Chinese version, plus three variations from other cuisines.
The classic: Chinese dumpling soup (jiaozi tang)
This is the version your Chinese grandmother would make. Clear, clean, slightly fragrant broth with tender dumplings floating in it. Topped with scallion and a drop of sesame oil.
The broth (serves 4):
- 8 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but store-bought works)
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 scallions, sliced thin (for garnish)
- 2 cups napa cabbage or baby bok choy, roughly chopped
The dumplings:
Use our ultimate pork dumpling recipe or any of the fillings from our 15 dumpling filling ideas. Make about 30–40 dumplings.
Method
- In a large pot, combine stock, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and Shaoxing wine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the ginger and garlic with a slotted spoon.
- Add the dumplings to the simmering broth.
- When the dumplings float (about 4–5 minutes), add the cabbage.
- Simmer 2 more minutes until cabbage is wilted and dumplings are cooked through.
- Ladle into bowls, top with scallion and a drop of sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Three variations from other cuisines
Wonton soup (Cantonese)
Use wonton wrappers and a shrimp-pork filling. See our complete wonton soup recipe for details.
Pierogi in broth (Polish "pierogi zupa")
Polish pierogi served in a clear mushroom-based broth, often with fried bacon bits on top. Use our pierogi recipe with mushroom or potato-cheese filling. Substitute the chicken stock with mushroom broth.
Pelmeni in clear broth (Russian)
Small Russian dumplings served in clear beef-bone broth, traditionally with fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream. Use smaller dumplings (40mm) with a beef filling.
Pro tips
Don't crowd the pot. Cook dumplings in batches of 12–15. Too many at once and they'll stick together or unevenly cook.
Don't boil hard. Dumpling soup should simmer gently. Hard boiling can break the dumpling skins.
Make the broth ahead. The broth can be made up to 3 days in advance and reheated. The dumplings should be cooked fresh.
Use frozen dumplings. Make a big batch on the weekend, freeze them, and you're 10 minutes away from soup every weeknight. See our freezing guide.
What to serve alongside
Dumpling soup is a complete meal — but if you want sides: cold sesame noodles, smashed cucumber salad, or steamed vegetables. For dipping sauce for any leftover dumplings, see our classic dumpling sauce recipe.
Storage
Leftover dumpling soup keeps in the fridge for 2 days. The dumpling skins will soften over time — this is fine, they're still delicious. Reheat gently.