If you’re a lover of spicy (perhaps fiery) Asian dishes and soups alike, you’ve just met your new best friend. When my partner Richard and I were visiting my friend Drew in Vancouver in 2019, he took us to this amazing dumpling house that’s since closed. They had the most AMAZING spicy dumpling soup there and I still talk about it. Perfect for those chilly months, this soup also clears up your sinuses! Now, this is definitely a spicier soup BUT in Jeff’s Tips in the recipe card below, I specify how to cut down on it or omit it completely (as well as a few other key tips you’ll want to pay attention to).
Instant Pot Spicy Dumpling Soup
Yield: 6
Instant Pot Spicy Dumpling Soup
If you're a lover of spicy (perhaps fiery) Asian dishes and soups alike, you've just met your new best friend. When my partner Richard and I were visiting my friend Drew in Vancouver in 2019, he took us to this amazing dumpling house that's since closed. They had the most AMAZING spicy dumpling soup there and I still talk about it. Perfect for those chilly months, this soup also clears up your sinuses! Now, this is definitely a spicier soup BUT in Jeff's Tips, I specify how to cut down on it or omit it completely (as well as a few other key tips you'll want to pay attention to).
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 minute
Additional Time
8 minutes
Total Time
19 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chili oil, divided (see Jeff's Tips)
- 5-10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (you can also use up to 1 pound of sliced white or baby bella mushrooms. See Jeff’s Tips if you don’t do mushrooms)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or crushed (I use Squeeze Ginger)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 6 cups vegetable broth (see Jeff's Tips)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low-sodium), tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 1 (16-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained (optional)
- 1 - 1 1/2 pounds frozen wontons, dumplings (or "potstickers") with fillings your choice (you can find these in the frozen section at most markets, Asian markets or Costco - I like to use a mini size but any size will do. See Jeff's Tips)
- 8-10 ounces baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons cold water (See Jeff's Tips)
- 1/3 cup chili garlic sauce OR sriracha (both are usually in the same section of your market)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced and divided
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I used half black and half regular)
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup of the chili oil to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and Adjust so it's on the More or High Setting. After 3 minutes of heating, add the mushrooms and ginger and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the rice vinegar and be sure to deglaze all the sticky browned bits caused by the mushrooms. Follow with the broth, soy sauce, white pepper (if using), bamboo shoots (if using) and frozen wontons or dumplings (See Jeff's Tips). Top with the spinach but do not stir. Secure the lid, hit Cancel and then hit Pressure Cook or Manual at High Pressure for 1 minute. Quick release when done.
- Meanwhile, mix together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Hit Cancel followed by Sauté and Adjust so it's on the More or High Setting. Once bubbling, stir in the slurry for 30 seconds and then kill the heat. The soup will have thickened-up nicely.
- Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of chili oil, chili garlic sauce (or sriracha), sesame oil, hoisin sauce, scallions and sesame seeds.
- Ladle into bowls and top with more sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.
NOTE: READ JEFF'S TIPS BEFORE BEGINNING THIS RECIPE FOR SPICE ADJUSTMENTS!
Jeffrey's Tips
This recipe, as written, is going to give you a 7-8 out of 10 in terms of spice factor. It is a pretty serious soup and will be the perfect remedy to a cold night or spicy craving! But since that's not everyone's bag, I've provided some options to make this friendly for all!
- If you don't want this soup spicy at all, leave out the chili oil, white pepper and chili garlic sauce. Instead, up the sesame oil to 6 tablespoons total. Add 4 tablespoons in Step 1 while sautéing the mushrooms and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons in Step 4.
- If you still want the soup spicy but prefer it less spicy, we'll reduce the chili oil and chili garlic sauce (or sriracha). Follow Steps 1 and 2 as is but taste the soup after it's done in Step 2. If you feel you want more spice but also have it not be super intense, start with 1 additional tablespoon of the chili oil and 1 tablespoon of the chili garlic sauce (or sriracha). From there, you can continue to add more of each spice by the tablespoon.
- If you don’t want mushrooms, just leave them out. Skip Step 1 and add the first 1/4 cup of chili oil along with the ginger and rice vinegar in Step 2 with the broth (or, if you don't want it spicy, omit the chili oil, white pepper and chili garlic sauce or sriracha - or follow the previous tip for it to just be less spicy).
- The 3:3 cornstarch slurry makes for a nice, thick soup as written. But should you wish it to be thinner, you can start with 1-2 tablespoons of a slurry instead.
- The longer the dumplings/wontons sit in the soup, the more they'll absorb the broth. This won't be an issue if serving the full pot at once. But if you plan on having leftovers, you can always add 1-2 cups more vegetable broth when reheating as well as adding additional chili oil and/or chili garlic sauce to compensate for the additional liquid. To that point, you can also have more control of your broth absorption by adding the exact amount of wontons/dumplings you wish to eat right away and having them bubble with the slurry in Step 3 for about 5 minutes until they're cooked. From there, store the remaining wonton/dumpling-free soup as is for leftovers with no worries about absorption! NOTE: Dumplings or "potstickers" (I hate that term by the way) tend to have thicker skins than wontons and remain pretty firm under pressure. Therefore, if using wontons instead of dumplings, they will likely be quite soft, delicate and melt-in-your-mouth if pressure cooked as written. If you prefer your wontons firmer and more al dente, waiting until adding them in Step 3 for 5 minutes will ensure this. Of course, you can also just boil or pan-fry them in some oil of your choice separately and add them to the soup at the end (if you don't mind the extra pan and work).
peg
oh my looks so yummy!! making this weekend and also shared recipe with daughter in law. Never heard of the squeeze ginger so picking that up ASAP.
Tony E
Hi Jeffrey – As of Nov 2 there’s no video linked to this recipe. Making it tonight for the second time. Yummmm! And Pheeeew! Love it. Thanks!
Jeffrey
I think it’s there now!
Louise Leise
My niece made this and it was wonderful!
Catherine Bridges
I have to say that I seriously appreciate these notes. It looked good until I read the description. Now I am anxious to try it!
Jeffrey
Always trust my recipes 😉
Melissa L Lenhardt
This soup was outstanding. We love spice and even though we skipped the chili oil it was still a bit too spicy. We used the white pepper and added a 1/4 a cup of the chili garlic sauce and it was still too spicy. Next time we will use a tbsp and taste it. I made my own Hoison sauce with PB sesame oil soy sauce and added a tip of miso soup starter. This was a fantastic broth OMG it’s a great soup and you can switch up the dumplings to what you want anytime. Well done Jeffret you did it again.
Jeffrey
Yay!!! I’m SO glad you enjoyed!
Kristal R
Whew boy! This was spicy spicy spicy! I used half the chili oil and about full amount of chili paste, and it was fire! I have a high spice tolerance too! Super flavorful and easy to make. Will definitely make again, just with less chili paste. Love those mini wontons from Costco for this!
Pat
This reminds me of Hot and Sour soup. looking fwd to making. Appreciate the tips to regulate the heat.
Charla Spinler
I am making my grocery list for this spicy soup. I do not have sesame oil is it OK to delete or substitute that with something else. I don’t use a lot of sesame oil or the seeds so I feel that they all just sit in my cabinet and not get used. not fond of sesame seeds as well will this make a difference in the flavor.
Dani
Charla – you don’t need the sesame oil at all! I always have it on hand and didn’t even add it just to cut down on using so much oil and it was still sooo good!
Beth Nelson
how do I change this so I can make this stove top?
Jeffrey
I suggest getting an Instant Pot 😉
Dee Tennyson
I made this last night. Very tasty and very quick recipe. Thank you!
Kristine
Yummy, Yummy, Yum!! Followed the recipe almost exactly, but added some diced chicken and stir fry veggies just because! LOL! Huge hit, delicious, and quite filling with the additions. Thanks for sharing 😁😁
Jeffrey
Fantastic!
Regina
made the soup today. Yes, on Christmas. I know, but living in Buffalo NY and being snowed in it is a perfect soup to have.
Britt
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit with my hubby who is feeling under the weather. This is definitely a keeper for our soup rotations!!!!
Michael Ferrell
Outstanding, LOVED it. I made it twice. The second time I pan fried the Won Tons, to make them more crisp and added to the soup when I was ready to eat. I like it this way since the first time the Won Tons became TOO mushy for me when I cooked them with the soup.
Jeffrey
SOUP-endous!
Suzie
Made this soup tonight and it was fabulous! Definitely spicy! I backed off on the 2nd round of chili oil, but still added the garlic Chile oil. Flavor was so good. Figure if it was too hot I would stir in a little coconut cream! Do you have nutrition details for this?
Mar
Thank you for this recipe It was perfect for a cold Canadian Winter day
I made it exactly to the recipe suggestions. Perfect Spicy heat
Mike
Listen, I like spicy food so I followed this recipe as outlined. While making it I had to open all the windows in the house because the chili oil was so overwhelming. When completed, I tried to eat a bowl but ended up throwing the whole pot away. It was way, way too spicy. My wife and kids couldn’t stop coughing hours after I threw it away. I’d suggest using sesame oil instead.
Jeffrey
Ah -I’m sorry to hear that but you were most definitely warned. It’s a shame you didn’t fully read the recipe on how to make it less spicy as this definitely could have been prevented.
Vicki Stevens
Delicious and PERFECT on a cold winter’s day! Thank you for creating so many scrumptious recipes…haven’t found one I haven’t loved yet!
Amanda J Singleton
Hi Jeffrey,
If I wanted to make less, say 4 cups of broth instead of 6 (we’re only 2 and not big fans of leftovers), would you recommend reducing the spicy elements by the same ratio, or by even more?
Best,
Amanda
Jeffrey
Yup! Reduce the spice ratio to the broth ratio!
Billie Williams
This soup is amazing! Your recipes/cookbooks are my cooking bible! Obsessed with the Instant Pot.
Jeffrey
So glad you enjoyed it!
Christy
I’m dying to try this as it sounds delicious!! I know it said to just leave the mushrooms out if one doesn’t do mushrooms (and I definitely don’t to mushrooms), but I’d there a different veggie that would work well instead?
Jeffrey
Any you like 🙂
Annie
I feel like matchstick carrots would be good!
Mike dunn
Don’t like spinach can I use cabbage instead? Any other suggestions?
Jeffrey
Kale
Pam
Onion
Steve
I made it. I love it. I left out the final 1/4 of Chili oil. It was still plenty spicy enough. In retrospect, I worry more chili oil might mask the wonderful flavor. I found out I did not have any Chili Garlic Oil. I substituted Chili with Black Bean Oil and 1/2 tbsp. of Minced Garlic. That worked wonderfully. 5 Stars!!
Ashley
Saw this recipe shared on a soup fb group and saved it to my Pinterest. I don’t have an instant pot but after reading the directions a few times and being familiar with a kitchen I figured I could get nearly the same result in a pot on the stovetop. I left out all the spicy ingredients and then we added siracha to our own bowls at the end. This is so good! I did two drops of siracha and that was enough heat for me because I’m a spice wimp!
Laura
Just made this—it’s really great! Very spicy but just perfect for a cold winter night. Another winner!!
Jeffrey
Terrific! Definitely one of my faves!
Jordan
Michael Jordan is the 🐐 of basketball, this recipe is the 🐐of spicy soups!
Jeffrey
This comment is everything. Especially coming from someone named Jordan.
Elizabeth Toma
Can you use chicken broth? not a big fan of veggie broth
Jeffrey
Of course!
Jenny
Made this last night and it was very good. My husband loves spice, but I can’t handle too much. I used Jeffrey’s tips for the milder version and was able to add more heat in step 3. My husband added extra Siracha to his. I wonder if anyone has ever tried this broth with like ramen and ground pork instead of the wontons?
Jeffrey
So glad you enjoyed!
Christy
Holy-moly – AMAZING! I don’t have a pressure cooker and so cooked on the stove – AMAZING! My husband had 4 full bowls. Used chicken broth because that’s what I had. This is a keeper!
Jeffrey
SO good, right?!
Megan
I made this tonight and the flavors were so on point! However for some reason my instant pot never came to pressure so the wontons were overcooked. Definitely will make again once I figure out what is up with my pot!
Jeffrey
Make sure your sealing ring/gasket is in there!
Gary Kaetzel
I’ve made this two or three times before and I think it tops your Hot & Sour Soup! I’ll be making this again when I finish what I made yesterday as I have a big bag of frozen dumplings in my freezer I want to use up! I may also use some dried shiitakes that I’ll reconstitute in hot water for a while but I may just press the easy button and get two or three boxes of fresh ones! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes! As always my absolute very very best to you, Richard, and Banjo! Take care!
Dana
This was so awesome! So authentic tasting!!! We love heat, so I followed the recipe as is…it was a little too spicy for us, but we still loved it. Next time we will reduce chili oil. Fantastic, easy recipe.
Gil B
Jeffrey, let me start off by saying that your recipes are all amazing and the step by step instructions are so easy to follow.
As a fan of your hot and sour soup recipe, and a lover of wontons, but also someone who loves the tofu in the hot and sour, any easy suggestions on how to combine these two recipes together? Would it simply be to use the hot and sour recipe but add in the chili oil with the mushrooms at the beginning and then add wontons before the spinach?
Thanks!
Jeffrey
Just add the tofu at the end! Enjoy!
Melissa
I just made your spicy dumpling soup for the first time tonight and OH EM GEE, it was heavenly!! It instantly became my favorite soup ever. To die for. I used your tips to back the heat off a bit and ended up adding 1/8th cup of chili oil and 1/8th cup chili garlic sauce in the last step and it was perfect! Thank you!!
Jeffrey
So glad you loved it!!!
Heather
can I use frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh? if so, when should I add it? Thanks!
Cole Weeks
Tried it, loved it, added more spice:). SO Good! Thanks!
Barbara
Jeffrey ….. which of your recipe books is this soup in … I can’t find it listed in any of the Table of Contents ……. I don’t want to print it out if its already in one of your books ….
Thank you!
Jeffrey
It’ll be in my next book!
Sarah
My husband is obsessed with this soup! I’ve modified it to our taste just a bit, less chili oil and no spinach (not allowed on a low oxalate diet).
Robyn
This was absolutely delicious. Soooo much flavor. I cut the spice way down as I have one daughter who prefers none. Added more after. This will be on rotation.
Jeffrey
So happy you loved it!
Sherry
Jeffrey, My hubby & I are complete opposites where hot & spicy is concerned, I love it, he doesn’t, the man rarely uses black pepper 🙄 I think it’s his Polish roots, the blander the better! If I wait til I bowl it up & then spice mine up will it be as good? thanks hon❤
hope Richard is feeling better 🤢💚