Vegan wontons in spicy and sour broth. 丨酸辣素馄饨
Xueci Cheng
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Author:
Xueci Cheng
This recipe draws inspiration from Chinese temple cuisine (寺庙菜), particularly the vegetable stock and vegetarian meatball recipes inThe Comprehensive Guide of Chinese Sichuan Cuisine (中国川菜大观), a 1994 cookbook featuring more than 80 vegan and vegetarian dishes. Temple cooking often relies on tofu, seitan, and a wide range of vegetables not only to mimic the texture of meat, but also to showcase the natural flavors of the produce itself.
One ingredient I’d never thought to add to vegan dishes, however, is preserved vegetables. The recipes in this book use yacai, zhacai, and dongcai, three local varieties of preserved vegetables from Sichuan, in stocks and plant-based meatballs. It was a revelation: they bring incredible depth of flavor and a subtle crunch that makes each wonton so delightful. You can also add 1-2 teaspoons of yacai to the stock, too!
Ingredients
For the Vegetable Stock
- 200 g daikon radish, cut into chunks
- 1 small piece of kombu (3 g)
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60g bean sprouts
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500 ml reserved shiitake soaking liquid
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500ml water
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4 slices of ginger
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1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
For the Wontons:
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1 pack of wonton wrappers
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200g firm tofu
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5 dried shitake mushrooms ( about 20g)
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350g bok choy
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1 Tbsp light soya sauce
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1 tsp sesame oil
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½ tsp salt plus more to taste
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1 tsp sugar
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1 tsp yacai ( Sichuan preserved mustard greens)
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1 tbsp neutral oil
Sauce (per serving of 10 wontons)
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1 tbsp White Mausu peanut rayu
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1 tbsp black vinegar
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1 tbsp light soy sauce
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1 tsp sugar
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A drizzle of Sichuan pepper oil (optional)
Directions
- Remove the wonton wrappers from the freezer about 1 hour before wrapping.
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until fully softened, then drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms. Soak the tofu in boiling water with ½ teaspoon salt for 10 minutes, then drain well.
- To make the stock: in a medium pot, bring the shiitake soaking liquid and 500 ml of water to a boil. Add the daikon, bean sprouts, kombu, 2 slices of ginger, and ½ tsp Sichuan pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and repurpose the solids.
- Finely chop the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Separate the pak choi leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then add them to an ice bath. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a clean kitchen towel, then chop finely.
- In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium. Add the remaining 2 ginger slices and Sichuan peppercorns; fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove both with a slotted spoon. Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms to the infused oil and sauté for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. In a bowl, crumble the tofu. Add the chopped greens, mushrooms with their oil, and yacai, then season with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Place a wrapper in your palm and moisten the edges with water. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling into the center, fold into a triangle, and press to seal. With the point facing you, bring the two side corners together, overlapping them to create a little “hat.” Press firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wontons and cook until they float, then add some cold water, bring to a boil again. The whole cooking process takes about 2–3 minutes. For each serving, combine the chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and Sichuan pepper oil in a bowl. Ladle in some hot vegetable broth, add the cooked wontons, and spoon a little broth over top. Serve immediately.
