Asian-style cooking is within reach with recipes as easy, cheap and healthy as these Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings. They have a super versatile vegetable filling as well as a little cheese that melts and is to die for (it’s not the most Asian-style thing but you know that I love cheese, and you can obviously omit it). Serve them with a soy-based sauce and voilà! A fun and healthy dinner to make any night of the week, or to serve up as appetizers at your next holiday party!
Some time ago I saw some rice paper dumplings on Instagram or TikTok from London Bruncher and the idea got stuck in my head until now. Thanks to two friends, Personal Xef and la Hogazana, I discovered an Asian supermarket in Barcelona where they have everything you can dream of, so a couple of weeks ago guess where Paula headed to.
The combo of sauteed mushrooms, cabbage, carrot and onion is a staple at home (with rice, in chicken breast rolls, in phyllo dough rolls, as a side… I still have to upload the recipes on the blog, I know, they are still on Instagram only), and I said… Well, let’s give this veggie mix a new life with the crispy rice paper dumplings. And to top it up a notch, I added a little cheese, which is fabulous in here, but as mentioned above you can omit it and make the recipe 100% vegan (or use vegan cheese).
They are pan-fried (barely any oil), resulting in a crispy roll but with the sides still soft. If you have never tried rice paper before, it gets sort of chewy once hydrated. When cooked on the pan it gets crispy so if you don’t like the chewiness, you can always cook them on all sides by turning the dumpling every now and then or even fry them completely. In any case, I highly encourage you to try these crispy rice paper dumplings, they surprise everyone who tries them.
Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings Ingredients
Today’s recipe, even if being Asian-style, calls for a list of ingredients that you will for sure be able to find in any big supermarket. At least in Spain though, if you can buy them in an Asian store they are usually cheaper. So, what do we need?
Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings
- Rice paper wafers: this is what will allow us to make the dumpling or roll. I have used the ones with a diameter of approx. 22 cm, but if you only find the small ones, no problem! If that’s the case, I recommend that you use 2 wafers per dumpling to make it more resistant.
- Vegetables: I have used white cabbage, onion and carrot. You can use the veggies you like the most, but for me this trio has that something that always reminds me of Asian cuisine (is it because of spring rolls filling?).
- Mushrooms: besides adding flavour, I find that they add texture to the vegetable mix. My preference for this recipe is to use chestnut mushrooms, which are meatier and their dark colour reminds me of the classic shiitake from Japanese cuisine (feel free to use shiitake if you find it).
- Cheese: a melting cheese like urgèlia (the one I used this time), havarti or provolone are fabulous. And you can totally omit it if you want a lighter dumpling version.
- Salt: we must season the filling.
- Olive oil: to sautée the mushrooms and vegetables.
Dipping Sauce
- Soy sauce: an essential salty and umami ingredient in many Asian dishes.
- Rice vinegar: an acid touch to compensate the fats in the sofrito and cheese.
- Sesame seeds: in addition to making the sauce prettier, they add crunchiness. I have used white sesame seeds this time, but you can use black or a mix of black and white.
- Spring onion: I have used the green part of the spring onion to add flavour and colour.
Tips & Tricks to Nail this Rice Paper Dumplings Recipe
- To prevent the dumplings from falling apart on the pan, if you use wafers smaller than 18 cm in diameter, I recommend using 2 wafers per dumpling so they have a double layer.
- It’s important to use a non-stick pan greased with a little oil so that the dumplings do not get stuck to it.
- Once hydrated, the dumplings are sticky, and even more between them. Make sure they don’t touch each other as you shape them and when you cook them on the pan, they should always have some space between them.
- When hydrating the rice paper wafers, read the manufacturer’s instructions first (usually they ask to soak the paper for 10 seconds). If you hydrate them too much, they can stick to the work surface and shaping the dumpling becomes a nightmare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t you add ginger?
I don’t add it because I don’t like the way it pairs with the cheese. If I weren’t using cheese, then I would add a teaspoon of minced or grated fresh ginger halfway through sauteeing the veggies, as I did with the chicken rolls or phyllo rolls.
Can I prepare the filling in advance?
Of course! You can make the filling up to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge or freeze it for later. Also, if you have leftovers because you don’t want to use it all to make the dumplings, you can always use it for other purposes as explained above.
More Asian-Style Recipes
If you make this Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Crispy Rice Paper Vegetable Cheesy Dumplings
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms - halved and sliced
- 1.5 onion - medium-sized, julienned
- 1/2 white cabbage - medium-sized, julienned
- 4 carrots - medium-large-sized, peeled and grated
- 20 rice paper wafers - 22 cm in diameter, see notes
- 250 g cheese - provolone, mozzarella, havarti or urgèlia, cut into 20 rectangles of approx 4.5 x 3 cm (a little more may be needed depending on the cheese variety you use. You can also omit it or use vegan cheese)
- Salt
- Olive oil
Dipping Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- White sesame seeds - to taste, optional
- Spring onion - to taste, green part julienned
Instructions
Vegetable Filling
- Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the mushrooms and sauté them until they take on a bit of colour.
- Add the onion, carrot and cabbage, sauté for a couple of minutes and add salt to taste. Sauté it all together over medium-low heat until the onion and cabbage are soft, around 20 to 30 minutes. If you see that the veggies stick to the pan, add a bit more olive oil. Finally, adjust saltiness and set aside.
Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl mix all the ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds and spring onion. Set aside.
Dumplings
- Hydrate a rice paper wafer as long as indicated by the manufacturer (usually around 10 seconds, see notes). Lay it out on a flat surface and fill it: on one end, leaving about 5 cm from the edge, place a rectangle of cheese and a spoonful of the vegetable mixture on top.
- Roll the dumpling as follows: fold the 5 cm rice paper bit over the filling, roll the filling with the rice paper once, and fold the left and right sides towards the opposite side (like an envelope). Continue rolling until you reach the end of the rice paper wafer. Set aside on a plate or board and repeat with the rest.
- In a non-stick skillet, brush a little olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Once hot, add the dumplings ensuring they do not touch each other. Cook them for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve the dumplings with the sauce while they are hot and enjoy!
Notes
- To prevent the dumplings from falling apart on the pan, if you use wafers smaller than 18 cm in diameter, I recommend using 2 wafers per dumpling so they have a double layer.
- When hydrating the rice paper wafers, read the manufacturer’s instructions first (usually they ask to soak the paper for 10 seconds). If you hydrate them too much, they can stick to the work surface and shaping the dumpling becomes a nightmare.
- It’s important to use a non-stick pan greased with a little oil so that the dumplings do not get stuck to it.
- Once hydrated, the dumplings are sticky, and even more between them. Make sure they don’t touch each other as you shape them and when you cook them on the pan, they should always have some space between them.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.