Potsticker soup is packed with onions, garlic, kale, and carrots. It’s a satisfying and warming soup for chilly days.
This vegan soup uses frozen potstickers. That means lunch or dinner is ready in no time.
Prefer something on the spicy side? Add a spoonful of gochujang or squeeze of sriracha for extra heat.
Potsticker soup with vegetables is a delicious semi-homemade recipe. It’s similar to wonton soup but with potstickers.
This soup is ready in just 30 minutes. And it’s a great way to repurpose those potstickers or gyoza you already have hanging out in the freezer.
Loaded with vegetables and warm dumplings, potsticker soup just oozes cozy.
It’s also a great one to lean on if you’re fighting a cold (along with these soothing soups and smoothies).
Potsticker soup squelches the sting of a scratchy throat. Plus, it’s loaded with garlic, onions, and kale for an extra antioxidant and nutrient boost. Good for what ails you!
It’s delicious on its own as a full meal, or served alongside vegan fried rice.
What dumplings should I use?
I like to use Trader Joe’s Thai Vegetable Gyoza. They’ve been a freezer-staple of mine for well over a decade.
And I still adore them. They’re on my list of 30 favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products. And they have a permanent spot on my Trader Joe’s grocery list.
Of course, Trader Joe’s Thai vegetable gyoza are great as a snack with tamari or hot Chinese mustard. And they always go over well with crowds – from kids to grandparents.
But they’re not just for snacking! They’re also a delightful soup addition. They’re packed with cabbage, carrots, chives, onions, and ginger.
That means when the potstickers break open in the soup, the thinly chopped vegetables inside come pouring out, adding a variety of textures to the soup.
But of course, if you already have a favorite frozen or refrigerated potsticker brand, use that instead.
How to make this easy soup
Start by sautéing onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a soup pot.
Once the onions and garlic are translucent and fragrant, add water, vegetable bouillon, gochujang (if using), and kale.
Bring to a simmer.
Now it’s time to cook the potstickers
You have options on how to prepare them!
If you like potstickers with crunch and extra texture, air fry them before adding to the soup.
Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes with a spritz of oil, stopping once to shake the basket.
(For appetizer-style potstickers, I usually air fry for 10 minutes solid. However, you might not want them quite that crunchy in a soup. It’s your call!)
If you prefer potstickers that are browned but still slightly soft in the middle, cook them in a skillet following package directions before adding them to the soup.
Brown one side of the potstickers in a skillet with a drizzle of oil. Then flip them, add a splash of water to the pan, lower the heat, and cover the skillet with a lid to steam them.
If you like very soft potstickers & the least amount of work possible, cook the potstickers right in the soup.
Add the potstickers directly to the broth to cook with the vegetables. Allow the soup to gently simmer for 10 minutes, until the potstickers are completely warm inside.
Ladle the soup into four bowls.
If you cooked the potstickers separately, put two potstickers into every bowl.
Garnish with spring onions.
Make it your own
Potsticker soup is easy to personalize to your own preferences.
- Change up the type of store-bought potstickers or use homemade.
- Instead of using vegetable bouillon & water as the base, try it with vegan miso soup, miso tahini broth, or your favorite store-bought broth.
- Add a bit of zested ginger with the garlic.
- Spice it up by adding a dollop of gochujang or sriracha.
- Swap out any of the vegetables with mushrooms, spinach, red bell pepper, or bok choy. (If you’re adding spinach, I recommend throwing in a handful just before serving, since spinach wilts fast.)
- Add a dollop of vegan kimchi just before serving for extra probiotics and flavor. (Be sure to read the ingredients first to make sure there aren’t any fishy ingredients.)
- Add a drizzle of sesame oil for nuttiness or a dash of brown rice vinegar for tartness.
How to store dumpling soup
If you’re saving this soup for later, remove the potstickers from it before refrigerating. Store them separately.
Otherwise, the potstickers will continue to soak up the liquid from the soup. If they’re left in the broth too long, the potstickers will be waterlogged & less than satisfying texture-wise.
Vegan potsticker soup
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon organic canola oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 5 cups water*
- 2 Tablespoons vegetarian Better Than Bouillon no chicken base **
- ½ teaspoon gochujang optional***
- 1 cup chopped curly kale loosely packed
- 8 vegetable potstickers I use Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza
- 1 spring onion sliced (garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a soup pot to a medium heat with organic canola oil.
- Saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery for a few minutes, until the onions are fragrant and becoming translucent.
- Add water, bouillon, gochujang (if using), and kale to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- If you prefer sturdier potstickers with more texture, cook them separately according to the package directions. I usually brown one side in a skillet with a little oil, and then flip, add a splash of water, cover, and steam them for a few minutes, until the water evaporates. If you like crunchy potstickers in the soup, air fry them at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes with a spritz of oil. Stop once to shake the basket.Or if you prefer softer potstickers and less work, add them directly to the soup pot to cook with the vegetables.
- Allow the soup to gently simmer for 10 minutes.
- Ladle soup into four bowls. If you cooked the potstickers separately, put 2 potstickers in every bowl. Garnish each bowl of soup with spring onions. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally posted January 2018. Content, recipe, and photos updated October 2019.
Susan
This sounds lovely. I love a good wonton soup, especially in cold weather. Granted our version of cold weather is not quite as extreme as yours! Hope you stay warm, and you’re feeling better soon!
Cadry
Thanks, Susan! I hope so too. I’m feeling about 75% right now. Hopefully it will be 100% in not too long.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I remember those TJ’s potstickers from when I was still eating gluten. I can imagine how delicious this soup is! Definitely perfect for this time of year.
Cadry
Yes, Trader Joe’s potstickers have seriously stood the test of time. They’ve been a staple in my freezer for a decade or more!
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, I could use a pot of this right now. I’m on the tail end of a cold, and pot sticker soup sounds like just what the doctor ordered!
Cadry
That sounds like a great plan! Those warm liquids are great for helping the sinuses and staying hydrated. I hope you’re feeling 100% again soon, Becky!
Jenn
This soup sounds so comforting and cozy. I love those TJ’s potstickers. Yummy!
Cadry
Thanks, Jenn! The TJ’s potstickers are the best, aren’t they? My freezer is incomplete without a bag.
Mel | avirtualvegan.com
What a great idea. I’ve never seen pot sticker soup before. Mind you I’ve never heard of pot stickers! I see you use gyoza. Is pot sticker just another name for gyoza? I need to try this!
Cadry
Thanks, Mel! I use the words potstickers, Asian dumplings, and gyoza interchangeably. But apparently, there are some subtle differences. Japanese gyoza are usually made with a thinner wrapper & more finely textured filling, while potstickers tend to be a little larger than gyoza. Regardless of the subtle differences, I’m sure any of the above would work in this soup!
Kristina
potstickers are Jason’s favorite thing, I cannot wait to make this for him! 🙂
Cadry
Excellent! I hope you both love it.
Sharon
I made this last night, and it was a big hit with my family. It was the perfect dish on a chilly and rainy night. I left out the celery and added a few sliced mushrooms. I’ve never seen my toddler eat something so eagerly! He kept asking for more. Great job!
Cadry
Oh, that makes my heart swell! I’m so glad to hear that this soup was a hit with your family, and especially your toddler. Thank you for letting me know, Sharon!
Jennifer
This will be a fabulous weekend lunch for my Veganuary meal rotation. The cold weather continues in the Twin Cities and here on the East coast, so hot soup is the perfect solution. ❤️🍲
Cadry
I couldn’t agree more. I’m craving all of the soup these days. I hope you enjoy it!
Sarah De la Cruz
We made this on Tuesday and it was delicious!!! We doubled it because we are voracious eaters! Virtually none leftover! Delicious recipe—such a creative idea!!!
Cadry
Ah, I’m so glad to hear that, Sarah! I’m happy that your family enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know!
Katie Koteen
I especially love that you aren’t expecting me to make my own potstickers! Yay for Trader Joe’s!!! Always to the rescue. Can’t wait to make this.
Cadry
Haha! Yes, I wouldn’t dream of asking you to make your own potstickers – especially since vegan wrappers are so hard to come by. Trader Joe’s to the rescue for sure! I hope you enjoy the soup.
Shell
I love this recipe. You told me about the pot stickers years ago and I have been enjoying them on the stove top and also the air fryer. The idea of putting them in a soup really seems to hit the spot this time of year!
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! I’m glad you’re also a fan of the Trader Joe’s potstickers. I bet you’d really enjoy them this way too!
Carol
This is a good healthy vegan recipe,I make it often with just an few modifications.i use 1 carton of T.Js ginger miso broth,1 no chicken bullion 5 cups water,5 leeks(just the white part)5 tsp pretty garlic, 1 baby bok choy,2 celery stalks,small carton of belle mushrooms cut in quarters,,1/8 cup of amino acids,2 tsp of garlic chili sauce,1/2 tsp white pepper,slightly under cooked(I like my veggies slightly crisp)I put 2 pot stickers in bowl and ladle broth on top,this recipe is double of original so probably 8 servings.
I really appreciated the original recipe it is good but I never cook anything without making it my own.so thank you for posting your recipe.
Alocasia
We had this last night. I had a leek that was going soft, so we used that in place of the onion. Delicious recipe. Thanks.
Cadry
I’m glad you enjoyed the soup, Alocasia! A leek sounds like a nice addition. Thanks for the feedback!
Julia
Made it twice so far! I found veggie bouillon to be expensive so I used a veggie stock powder instead (2 tbsp) and added a bit of mushroom powder for umami-ness. I dislike carrot and celery with a passion but you know what…I love it in this soup. Thank you for a new failsafe recipe!
Ashley
This is the perfect soup when your winter cold has you feeling under the weather. When I’m sick, I’ve started craving this food and nothing will make me feel better until I have a bowl of this. Chickens and noodles move over: wontons will nurse you back to health.
Shellie
Salivating. Can’t wait for dinner tonight. 🙂
If adding the gyoza directly into the soup should I defrost them first or will the 10 minutes do just that?
Cadry
You don’t need to defrost them first. You can add them frozen and then cook until warm, about ten minutes. Of course, if you’d prefer, you can defrost first, and then they will cook in less time.
I hope you enjoy your soup!
Shellie
We loved the soup. Delicious recipe. I just picked up a couple of bags of the gyoza from TJ’s in preparation for the soup again this week.
Cadry
That’s so nice to hear, Shellie! I’m glad it was a hit.