These French Onion Soup Dumplings put a tasty spin on a favored Chinese dish. Gruyere, chicken, and spinach-filled wontons are pan-fried and served in a rich and flavorful French onion soup broth. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
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When comfort foods collide, magic happens. So, when I saw a version of this dish made by Tieghan at Half Baked Harvest, I knew I had to give it a try. This dish combines homemade chicken dumplings inspired by xiaolongbao (Chinese soup dumplings) with warm and cozy French onion soup.
The combination of these two classics delivers an irresistible fusion of flavors the whole family will love. You can serve them as a hearty meal or as an elegant appetizer but consider doubling the recipe because French onion soup dumplings go quick!
What are soup dumplings?
Soup dumplings are a signature Chinese dish also called xiaolongbao or tang bao. The core recipe of these tasty bite-size buns is simple – a savory pork filling stuffed inside a delicate steamed dumpling served with a Chinese black vinegar sauce that’s rich in umami flavor. YUM.
Soup dumplings are typically filled with broth. And in order to make them, the broth has to be filled with enough collagen so that it gels. That way, it can go into the dumplings into a solid state. Then, when the dumplings are warmed, the broth softens and turns again to a liquid state.
I’m taking a shortcut here.
Instead of filling my dumplings with broth, I’m serving them in broth.
A really good broth is important here.
I like to use my homemade bone broth that I make in the instant pot or slow cooker. Or, use a good-quality beef broth or chicken broth.
Ingredients needed
Typically, soup dumplings are stuffed with minced pork and sometimes seafood. For this recipe, fresh gyoza or wonton wrappers are folded around a comforting filling that features:
- Ground chicken (or turkey)
- Spinach
- Gruyère cheese
- Garlic
These dumplings wouldn’t be complete without the signature French onion soup broth! You should be able to find most, if not all of these simple ingredients already in your cupboard:
- Beef Broth, chicken broth or bone broth
- Onions and garlic
- Dry white wine or dry vermouth
- Butter
- Flour
- Sherry or cognac
- Worcestershire sauce
- Thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper
How to make french onion dumplings
To make the French onion soup broth, caramelize the onions low and slow in a pot until they’re soft and have a dark golden-brown color. Add the garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with wine and sherry, then bring it up to a boil and cook until the liquid reduces by about half. Stir in the flour so the mixture thickens.
Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring it to a boil and then simmer over low heat while you finish making the dumplings.
To make the dumpling filling, combine the chicken, spinach, gruyere, garlic, soy sauce, green onions, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl.
Assemble the dumplings by adding a teaspoon of filling to the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little water, then fold and pinch the top to seal. Brush the bottoms with water and dip them into the sesame seeds to coat the bottom.
Cook the dumplings in a large skillet with vegetable oil until the bottoms are crisped and golden brown. Add water to the skillet, cover, and steam until the dumplings are cooked through.
Serve a few dumplings in bowls and ladle the French onion soup broth over top. Enjoy!
Recipe tips and tricks
- Is this your first time making homemade dumplings? Learn how to fold wontons using this helpful guide.
- Coating the bottoms in sesame seeds isn’t traditional by any means, but it adds a crisp, nutty layer and keeps the dumplings from sticking to the skillet. You can leave them out if you like.
- Sherry is an optional ingredient, but it adds incredible depth to the broth.
- To make this recipe gluten free, try to find gluten free wonton or gyoza wrappers, use tamari instead of soy sauce, and replace the all-purpose flour with gluten free flour.
- If you’d like to make the soup broth without alcohol, substitute more broth for the white wine.
FAQs
Yes! You can assemble and then refrigerate uncooked dumplings 1 to 2 days in advance.
Store leftover dumplings in an airtight container. Separate layers with parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Another option is freezing uncooked soup dumplings. To do so, freeze the assembled dumplings on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks. When it’s time to eat, cook the dumplings from frozen without thawing.
Soup dumplings are traditionally steamed. For texture, pan-fry the bottoms until brown and crispy, and then add enough water to steam them until the chicken filling is cooked.
You can submerge dumplings in boiling water to cook them, but the texture will be chewy rather than tender and firm.
What to serve with it
- Serve it as a starter with a steak, pork or chicken dinner.
- Arugula Salad
- Celery & Fennel Salad
- More → 35+ options for what to serve with French Onion Soup
Wine pairings
- Pair dumplings with a creamy Chardonnay or fruit-forward Red Zinfandel.
- For special occasions, Champagne or Prosecco is lovely with savory dumplings.
More Asian-inspired recipes
- Kung Pao Noodles
- Din Tai Fung Green Beans
- Lamb Dumplings in Spicy Ginger Broth
- Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
- Instant Pot Chicken Pho
- Tan Tan Noodles
Did you try this french onion dumpling soup?
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French Onion Soup Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 medium onions (halved, then thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
- 1 Tablespoon dry sherry (or cognac, optional)
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Dumplings:
- 1/2 pound ground chicken (or turkey)
- ½ cup spinach (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese (grated )
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
- 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 green onion (minced)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 package fresh gyoza wrappers (or wonton wrappers (30 wrappers))
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
To serve:
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
Instructions
To make the broth:
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 30-40 minutes.
- While the onions are caramelizing, begin assembling the dumplings (see below).
- To the caramelized onions, add the garlic and cook about 1 minute longer, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the wine and sherry (if using) to the pot and allow the mixture to come to boil over medium-high heat, until reduced by about half. Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.
- Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat, at least 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are ready.
Dumplings:
- In a medium bowl, combine the raw chicken, spinach, gruyere, garlic, soy sauce, green onions, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- To assemble: Add about 1 teaspoon chicken filling to each wonton wrapper. Brush water around the edges of the wrapper then fold the edges up around the filling and pinch to seal. Add sesame seeds to a small bowl or shallow dish. Brush the bottoms of the dumplings with water then dip in sesame seeds.
- Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Carefully add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and cover immediately. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes.
- Ladle broth into bowls, top with wontons and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
