• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Olives for Dinner

Vegan Recipes for Those Who Love to Cook and Eat

  • Recipes +
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers
    • Vegetable Sides
    • All Recipes
  • About
  • Umami Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Contact
Home » Vegan Recipes » Appetizers » Vegan Shumai

December 15, 2011

Vegan Shumai

POSTED BY: ERIN WYSOCARSKI | UPDATED ON: DECEMBER 15, 2011 | 11 COMMENTS

Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review
Lemongrass and Cilantro Shumai

The last time I paired lemongrass and cilantro with tofu in a dish, it created such a beautiful aroma and unique flavor that I wanted to use them all together again, but in a different way. So I blended these ingredients, along with a few other sweet and savory components, to create a filling for shumai. I couldn’t find any wonton wrappers that didn’t contain egg, so I decided to make them myself. The trick here is to get the dough as thin as possible, which allows the steam to permeate through to the filling, producing a soft and pliable texture throughout. It’s a bit of a process to make these, but you can assemble, steam and then freeze them in large batches—they will re-steam again perfectly.

Get This Recipe In Your Inbox

Share your email, and we'll deliver it straight to your inbox.
Plus, enjoy new content every week as a bonus!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Lemongrass and Cilantro Shumai

LEMONGRASS AND CILANTRO SHUMAI


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: olivesfordinner.com
  • Yield: 4 servings
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

for the wrappers

  • 1 cup pastry flour
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ener-G, whisked with 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 tsp salt

for the filling

  • 1 cup mirin
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 TB soy sauce or tamari
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2–3 lemongrass hearts, chopped
  • 2 tsp brown or palm sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1 block firm tofu, pressed
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 TB cornstarch
  • chopped scallions and ponzu sauce, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a glass pyrex dish, whisk together the first eight filling ingredients. Place the pressed tofu into the marinade, flipping it over to ensure it is well coated. Place in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight.

To make the wrappers

  1. Place the flours, Ener-G/water and salt into a mixer. Blend until the dough is smooth and pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl, adding a bit more water as needed. Remove the dough, roll into a ball and place in another greased bowl and cover with saran wrap. Allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.
  2. Separate the dough into four equal pieces. On a well-floured surface (I kept a small bowl of rice flour nearby), flatten the dough out as thinly as possible, using a rolling pin. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out perfect circle shapes, re-rolling any unused dough. Reroll each piece to maximize the thinness of the dough.

Next, prepare the shumai filling.

  1. Using a large skillet, saute the tofu over medium-high heat, until well browned. Place into a food processor. Saute the thinly sliced shallots until well browned and add to the food processor.
  2. Pulse several times until it is chunky but not overly smooth. Add in the cornstarch and pulse a few more times.
  3. Shape the tofu mixture into small 1- to 1 1/2-inch spheres. If it doesn’t adhere well, add a bit more cornstarch to the mixture. Place a sphere into the center of one of the pieces of dough. Gently gather the corners up around the sphere, leaving the tofu mixture partially exposed.

To steam and serve

  1. Place the finished shumai into a steamer basket lined with parchment paper or cabbage leaves and cover. Place the steamer into a wok or large skillet with several inches of water over high heat. Steam for 15-20 minutes, or until the shumai is soft and slightly transparent.
  2. Serve sprinkled with the green scallions and ponzu sauce.

Did You Love This Recipe? Please Leave A Rating Below!

follow @olivesfordinner on instagram for more

Filed Under: Appetizers, Vegan Recipes

Filed Under: Appetizers Vegan Recipes

Nice To Meet You!

Hi! I'm Erin and this is Jeff. I love creating vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat, and Jeff enjoys photographing them. We're so glad you're here!

Please check out our recipe index for more vegan recipes, interviews, and articles!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

 

Reader Interactions

LEAVE A COMMENT Cancel reply

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

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Comments

  1. Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan! says

    September 12, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    This recipe sounds so great (beautiful to look at, too)! My husband and I were just lamenting my lack of options when we go to dim sum. I literally uttered just last night, 'sigh. why can't vegan dim sum become a thing?'. thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      September 12, 2013 at 1:25 pm

      Vegan dim sum sounds divine … it should become a thing! : )

      Reply
  2. erinwyso says

    January 8, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Thanks Richa and Robert! xo

    Reply
  3. Richa says

    January 8, 2012 at 3:56 am

    those shumai look beyond gorgeous and love those thin wrappers.. so perfect.. i love love your creations!

    Reply
  4. Robert says

    January 3, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    Your shumais look beautiful and tempting! I'm surprised that wantans contain eggs, I always believed they are made from rice flour and water only.

    Reply
  5. erinwyso says

    December 16, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    Thanks Anne! : )

    Reply
  6. anne says

    December 16, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    These are gorgeous! I am really, really enjoying your blog. Thank you for sharing with us!

    Reply
  7. erinwyso says

    December 16, 2011 at 3:43 am

    Thanks Cara … So totally easy! Put on some good music and the wontons make themselves : )

    Reply
  8. Cara says

    December 15, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    You *made* your own wrappers??? Erin, why do you not live closer to me so you can be my cooking guru?? <–total serious question 🙂 These look FABULOUS! I'm so impressed with you.

    Reply
  9. erinwyso says

    December 15, 2011 at 3:45 am

    Thanks so much Caitlin! : )

    Reply
  10. Caitlin says

    December 15, 2011 at 2:21 am

    i swear, erin, your recipes yield the most beautiful food. these look so delicious and inspired.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Erin!

Hi, I'm Erin!

Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I whip up delicious vegan dishes that feature vegan seafood, comforting classics, and crave-worthy umami flavors. You'll discover fresh and creative recipes here—all made with plants!

Our work has been featured in VegNews, HuffPost, Bon Appétit, and more.

My partner, Jeff, loves to capture all the photos you see here. We call Boston home, sharing our space with our adorable rescue pup, Harper.

More About Us →
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Threads

Never Miss A Recipe!

Subscribe for more YUM.

As Seen On

I’m A Rouxbe Graduate!

Vegan Recipes for Spring

Seaweed pasta with vegan scallops served in black bowls, topped with sesame seeds and surrounded by seasoning ingredients.

Seaweed Pasta with Vegan Scallops

Vegan Scallops with Pea Puree and Watercress

Mushroom Scallops with Cashew Cream Sauce

Miso-Scented Portobello with Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Sautéed Miso Portobello Mushrooms

Grilled bok choy on a white plate with chopped oyster mushrooms.

Grilled Bok Choy with Oyster Mushrooms

A bahn xeo served with fresh herbs and lettuce.

Bánh Xèo Recipe – Crispy Vietnamese Crêpes

Two hands holding a poblano.

Creamy Poblano Sauce

A close-up of a fork twirling pasta coated in a silky white wine sauce with garlic, parsley, and olives.

White Wine Sauce For Pasta

Focaccia Topped with Mâche and Fresh Tomatoes

Focaccia Pizza

Search

Popular Posts

A plate with Boston Vegan Food Guide on it.

Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Boston

Two hands holding dough.

Best Vegan Food Blogs to Follow

Easy Focaccia straight from the oven.

Quick And Easy Focaccia

Two hands holding a glass mason jar of coffee sugar scrub.

Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub

A plate of vegan curry with mushrooms and cauliflower, with warm spices and a rich sauce.

Cauliflower Curry Recipe With Mushrooms

One hand holding a oyster mushroom taco, another squirting sauce over the top.

Oyster Mushroom Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Sauce

A whole head of firecracker cauliflower, basted with sauce in a cast iron pan against a dark background.

Firecracker Cauliflower

A top-down shot of sweet potato tempura and avocado vegan sushi rolls with pickled ginger against a dark background.

Sweet Potato Tempura and Avocado Rolls

Two hands holding a vegan lobster roll against a dark background.

Vegan Lobster Roll

Vegan shrimp, made from king oyster mushrooms.

The BEST Vegan Shrimp Recipe (Made With King Oyster Mushrooms)

A hand holding a crispy fried tofu sandwich.

Crispy Fried Tofu Sandwich

Two hands holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflower against a dark background.

Bang Bang Cauliflower (Vegan)

Footer

About

Olives for Dinner is a vegan food blog for those who love to cook and eat. You'll find fresh, creative, and delicious recipes here—all made with plants!

Search for recipes

Image Description

ALL RECIPES AND ARTICLES

Interviews

A photo of Amrita Levan, creator of the vegan blog, Crazy Vegan Kitchen.
A photo of Thomas Wehner, creator of Gastroplant.
Erica Korff, aka, Vegan Kween on Instagram, enjoying vegan food in Boston.
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

HOME ∙ ABOUT ∙ CONTACT ∙ PRIVACY

Copyright© 2025 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks