• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cadry's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Easy potsticker soup (with store-bought dumplings)

    Published: Oct 31, 2019 · Modified: Apr 22, 2022 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Potsticker soup. Asian dumpling soup with carrots in bowl.

    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.

    Vegetable gyoza in broth with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and kale.

    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?

    Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza on small plate by tamari and Chinese mustard.

    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.

    Step by step instructions

    Labeled ingredients for potsticker soup.

    Here are the ingredients you will need for this soup.

    Start by sautéing onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a soup pot.

    Celery, onions, carrot, and garlic sauteing in soup pot.

    Once the onions and garlic are translucent and fragrant, add water, vegetable bouillon, gochujang (if using), and kale.

    Kale, onions, garlic, and carrots in soup pot with broth.

    Bring to a simmer.

    Now it’s time to cook the potstickers

    Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza in air fryer basket.

    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!)

    Trader Joe's Thai vegetable gyoza cooking in skillet.

    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.

    Asian dumpling soup in bowl by garlic head and onion.

    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.

    Potstickers in soup in bowl.

    Vegetable potsticker soup in bowl by spoon.

    Vegan potsticker soup

    This brothy potsticker soup is soothing to a scratchy throat and loaded with vegetables. Add gochujang for a spicy kick of heat, or omit it to keep the soup on the mellow side.
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Asian, Vegan
    Keyword: semi-homemade, trader joe's
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 138kcal
    Author: Cadry Nelson

    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 green 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

    *If you'd prefer, you can make the soup with vegetable broth instead of water & bouillon. If you use broth, just omit the bouillon altogether.
    **Better Than Bouillon has a liquidy consistency similar to molasses. If you use a different type of bouillon, opt for one or two bouillon cubes instead.
    ***Gochujang adds some spiciness to the soup. Feel free to omit or add more, depending on your proclivity for heat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6815IU | Vitamin C: 29.5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

    Originally posted January 2018. Content, recipe, and photos updated October 2019. 

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan

      January 08, 2018 at 9:27 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 09, 2018 at 9:17 am

        Thanks, Susan! I hope so too. I’m feeling about 75% right now. Hopefully it will be 100% in not too long.

        Reply
    2. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      January 08, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 09, 2018 at 9:18 am

        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!

        Reply
    3. Becky Striepe

      January 09, 2018 at 10:19 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 09, 2018 at 10:57 am

        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!

        Reply
    4. Jenn

      January 09, 2018 at 11:14 am

      This soup sounds so comforting and cozy. I love those TJ’s potstickers. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 11, 2018 at 11:31 am

        Thanks, Jenn! The TJ’s potstickers are the best, aren’t they? My freezer is incomplete without a bag.

        Reply
    5. Mel | avirtualvegan.com

      January 09, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 09, 2018 at 2:40 pm

        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!

        Reply
    6. Kristina

      January 10, 2018 at 8:05 am

      potstickers are Jason’s favorite thing, I cannot wait to make this for him! 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 11, 2018 at 11:32 am

        Excellent! I hope you both love it.

        Reply
    7. Sharon

      January 10, 2018 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 12, 2018 at 9:49 am

        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!

        Reply
    8. Jennifer

      January 11, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      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. ❤️🍲

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 12, 2018 at 9:50 am

        I couldn’t agree more. I’m craving all of the soup these days. I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    9. Sarah De la Cruz

      January 11, 2018 at 11:56 pm

      5 stars
      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!!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 12, 2018 at 9:51 am

        Ah, I’m so glad to hear that, Sarah! I’m happy that your family enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    10. Katie Koteen

      January 12, 2018 at 5:47 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 13, 2018 at 10:06 am

        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.

        Reply
    11. Shell

      January 15, 2018 at 10:28 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 15, 2018 at 7:39 pm

        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!

        Reply
    12. Carol

      March 02, 2019 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    13. Alocasia

      March 06, 2019 at 10:15 am

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        March 07, 2019 at 5:59 am

        I’m glad you enjoyed the soup, Alocasia! A leek sounds like a nice addition. Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    14. Julia

      July 01, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    15. Ashley

      February 09, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    16. Shellie

      March 22, 2021 at 11:25 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Cadry

        March 22, 2021 at 12:01 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Shellie

          April 17, 2021 at 1:05 pm

          5 stars
          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.

          Reply
          • Cadry

            April 22, 2021 at 9:30 am

            That’s so nice to hear, Shellie! I’m glad it was a hit.

            Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (15 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

    Summer recipes

    • Irresistible dill pickle hummus
    • Green salad with blood oranges & peanut dressing
    • Tangy peanut salad dressing (vegan)
    • Buffalo hummus with vegan blue cheese

    Salads

    • Easy tahini dressing for salads, bowls, or falafel (vegan)
    • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (Just 5 ingredients!)
    • Vegan chef salad with seitan & avocado
    • Israeli couscous salad with olives & artichokes

    Summer cookout

    • Tofu satay with peanut sauce (air fryer, baked, or grilled)
    • BBQ jackfruit sandwiches (vegan pulled pork)
    • Bowtie pasta salad with chickpeas & artichokes
    • Vegan pasta salad with creamy mayo dressing
    Logos for sites where Cadry Nelson & Cadry's Kitchen have been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Cadry
    • Work with me

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Cadry's Kitchen