This easy gyoza soup recipe combines gyoza dumplings with crunchy baby bok choy, savory broth, and tender Korean rice cakes for a wholesome and comforting meal. When made with frozen dumplings, this recipe is so easy and perfect for a busy weeknight! I like to make this using either my Homemade Gyoza Dumplings, or Trader Joe's Pork Gyoza Potstickers. This recipe is on constant repeat in our home, and it's honestly one of my favorite meals.
I consider this recipe to be Korean and Japanese fusion, because it's inspired by Korean Dumpling and Rice Cake Soup (Tteok Mandu Duk). I love the combination of dumplings and rice cakes, but I prefer Japanese gyoza over Korean mandu dumplings. This soup also has a very different broth compared to Tteok Mandu Duk, which is typically made with beef broth. If you can't easily find Korean rice cakes, or just want noodles instead, Japanese udon noodles are a fantastic substitution for this dish.
FAQ
What are gyoza?
Gyoza are small Japanese dumplings that are typically pan fried and steamed, resulting in a dumpling with a crispy bottom and tender top. Pork and cabbage is one of the most common filling combinations, which is what I typically use.
Are gyoza gluten-free?
No, gyoza are not gluten-free. Gyoza wrappers are made with a wheat flour based dough. You may be able to find gluten-free frozen dumplings, which would be an easy substitution to make in this recipe.
Can gyoza be boiled?
Yes, absolutely, that's how they are prepared for this recipe!
Are potstickers the same as gyoza?
Yes, and no. Technically, "potstickers" is meant to refer to Jiaozi which are a similar Chinese pan-fried dumpling. However, Japanese restaurants in the US commonly refer to their gyoza as "potstickers" since many Americans are familiar with this word. Trader Joe's even labels their frozen gyoza as "Pork Gyoza Potstickers".
What does gyoza soup taste like?
This gyoza soup has a rich and savory taste. The broth has savory, salty, and aromatic flavors, balanced with just a touch of vinegar and sweetness. This recipe is not spicy, it's a mild but delicious meal.
How to make gyoza soup:
- Make your own dumplings or buy frozen gyoza from the store. This recipe include a link for my homemade pork and veggie dumplings, but you can use any kind you like! Vegan gyoza and vegetable gyoza are great options as well. You don't have to use gyoza, you can use Chinese dumplings or similar as well! Asian grocery stores are one of the best places to look for frozen dumplings, or to pick up dumpling wrappers.
- Chop your veggies: I use garlic, green onions (spring onions) , baby bok choy (pak choi), and lotus root. Some other topping options are sesame seeds, shiitake mushrooms, chilli flakes, tenderstem broccoli, or really any leafy greens.
- Prepare the soup broth and let it simmer over medium heat. This recipe uses chicken stock as the soup base, sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, MSG (optional), and a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor. Simiar recipes may call for miso paste, vegetable broth, chili oil, or thai red curry paste.
- In another large pot, bring water to a boil and cook your gyoza then transfer them to your serving dishes. If you're using noodles or rice cakes, cook those as well. Also cook any veggies you're using, if desired. I recommend using a slotted spoon to remove things from the pot.
- Strain the broth into the serving bowls, top with your choice of veggies and serve!
Key Tips - Gyoza Soup
Use premade frozen dumplings - homemade or store-bought!
- While you can make this soup with a fresh batch of dumplings, I pretty much exclusively use frozen dumplings that I've either made previously or purchased. I love to make a big batch of my Homemade Gyoza and freeze them for later use in this recipe.
- If I don't have homemade gyoza on hand, my go-to premade option is the Trader Joe's Pork Gyoza Potstickers. I've tried this recipe with a number of different frozen dumpling brands, and surprisingly the TJ's dumplings were my favorite. I buy the pork option, but they also have chicken, shrimp, and veggie available.
Use Korean rice cakes (but not the one's from Trader Joe's!)
- While I do recommend the Trader Joe's gyoza, unfortunately I don't recommend the Trader Joe's Korean Rice Cakes. When they first came out, I was so excited because I knew this would make Korean rice cakes accessible to many more people. I picked up a package right away and unfortunately when I prepared them they did not turn out like typical rice cakes. Korean rice cake should be very soft and chewy, but the Trader Joe's rice cakes didn't reach that texture no matter how long I boiled them for. The TJ's rice cakes remained very firm in the center, and I thought they were much worse than usual.
- Pictured below is the type of package I typically buy from my local Korean grocery store. They are located in the refrigerated section and come in 1.5 lb packages. I use half a package to make one batch of this soup. To save the remaining half, I transfer them to a vacuum sealer bag and seal, then store in the fridge until my next batch.
- Korean rice cakes come in multiple shapes, the ovalette shape is the perfect shape for soup, but you can use the stick shape if you already have them on hand.
If you use udon noodles, I recommend frozen udon!
- Frozen udon from a Japanese grocery store is very high quality, generally much better than dried or refrigerated udon noodles. If you're curious about exactly what I buy, please see the key tips section of my Miso Butter Noodles recipe for more info on my preferred udon noodles.
Use a little more stock for a brothier soup.
- I typically make this recipe with 4 cups of chicken stock, because that's what comes in one standard large carton. You can see from the images that this soup is very loaded with fillings. I think you still get a nice amount of soup to sip on when you use 4 cups, but if you want a little bit more broth, you can increase the quantity to 5 cups without losing much flavor.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
Dietary Restrictions - Gyoza Soup
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Use gluten-free frozen dumplings.
- Use rice cakes (already gluten-free) or gluten-free noodles, such as rice noodles.
- Make sure you're using gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari.
Make it Vegan & Vegetarian:
- Use vegan/vegetarian frozen dumplings.
- Use veggie stock instead of chicken stock.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. I've listed the serving size as ¼th of the batch, but there are two servings pictured in the bowl. I like to enjoy one serving of this recipe for a light lunch, or two servings for a hearty dinner.
Gyoza Soup
Ingredients
- 16 oz prepared gyoza dumplings homemade or store-bought (try with Trader Joe's Pork Potstickers!)
- 12 oz Korean rice cakes or similar quantity of udon noodles
- 6 oz baby bok choy leaves separated, cut into bite-sized pieces if desired
- 4 green onions white and green portions sliced thin and separated
For Soup Broth:
- 4 to 5 cups chicken stock or similar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or freshly minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon MSG optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the soup broth ingredients plus the white portions of the green onions in a medium-sized pot. Set over medium high heat until simmering, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the dumplings and rice cakes (or noodles). Do NOT cook the dumplings in the soup broth, there isn't enough liquid to boil them properly and their residue may affect the soup's taste and texture.
- As needed, rinse and gently separate the rice cakes in a bowl of water. Cook the rice cakes in the large pot of water until just tender (about 1 minute for the kind I use) then use a slotted spoon to transfer them directly to the serving dishes. If using udon noodles-- boil per package instructions, then strain and transfer directly into the serving dishes.
- Cook the dumplings in the large pot of boiling water until they are cooked through and begin to float, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked dumplings directly into the serving dishes.
- Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer and into the serving bowls, over top of the dumplings.
- Add the baby bok choy and the green portion of the green onion, and serve immediately. (I like to add my baby bok choy raw and let them cook in the soup, but if you want it cooked a bit more, you can boil them for a minute in the large pot of water)
Notes
Nutrition
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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
Jake S
This is so easy and so good! I made it with udon but i need to try to find some rice cakes to try because those look awesome.
Brit
Made this with the trader joes dumplings you recommned! So easy and my whole family loved it, thank you!
Jacqueline Schell
Awesome! So happy that it went well for you!