The only authentic thing between me and wontons or dumplings is my love for them. Culturally, I shouldn’t even say, “You can make these yourself!” because true, from-scratch wontons or dumplings are a communal activity.
Someone makes the dough. Someone brings the filling. Someone rolls, another fills and folds, and yet another applies heat (for example) generally for the Lunar New Year. They’re analogous to tamales at Christmastime.
None of this means you can’t make them alone. You can even mix and knead your own dough! (Trust Maggie Zhu of The Omnivore’s Cookbook for that though.) Personally, I chose to purchase wonton wrappers from Nasoya for myself and my audience who may also be making these by themselves without easy access to an Asian grocery store.
Nasoya or Pulmuone Plantspired?
The answer to this question seems to be, “Yes.” As of May 2026, US-based Nasoya is in the process of shifting some of their products to South Korea-based Pulmuone. Ingredients like tofu and wraps more often bear the name Nasoya; prepared tofu and meals, Pulmuone Plantspired.
I still see both names on the latter. Yet whatever you call them – I’m honestly going to miss the shorter “Nasoya” – they are the reason for this recipe. My youngest loves their Korean BBQ Dumplings so much, she requested them for her birthday dinner!
My family, of course, disagrees on the best variety. Unlike Cafe Spice’s Channa Masala, I thus didn’t reverse engineer this filling as much as I looked to the ingredients lists on multiple packages for guidance and inspiration.
Was I Plantspired? Nasoyinspired? Nasoyinspired to Pulmuone some Plantspiration together? In any case, we all have the same favorite now.
Steamed Vegan Wontons
Description
These are technically easy and logistically tedious. Thankfully, they freeze well!
Look to Maggie Zhu of The Omnivore's Cookbook if you'd like to make your own dough. Regardless, make your filling first.
This recipe makes 2-4 dozen wontons. I find triangular shapes like the envelope hold more filling than rectangular ones like the ingot. Yvonne Oh of Souper Diaries explains how to fold both and more!
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce (optional)
Vegan Wontons
Instructions
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Make refrigerator and/or freezer space for Steps 2 and 11 if necessary.
Dipping Sauce (optional)
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In a small pot, whisk together dipping sauce ingredients. Set over med-hi heat. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to med and simmer while stirring constantly for 5 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
If making this recipe in advance, pour the dipping sauce into an airtight container. Let it cool about 2 hrs, until it's room temperature, then refrigerate it. You can expect it to last at least until the date on your soy sauce.
Vegan Wontons: Filling
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Place tofu and panko in a med bowl. Mash together with a fork, then set aside to allow panko to soften.
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Peel garlic and ginger. Finely grate both preferably using a rasp for 1 tsp (5 mL/g) each. Alternatively, mince and smear together using sides of a wide knife for 2 tsp (10 mL/g) of paste. Set aside.
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In a sm bowl, whisk together soy sauce through black pepper. Add prepared garlic and ginger, then set aside.
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Wash and finely grate carrot preferably using the sm holes of a box grater for 1-2 Tbsp (30 mL/10 g). Add to tofu mixture, but do not bother mixing yet.
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Trim root and dark green top off scallion. Discard root; reserve top. Mince white and light green parts, then add to tofu mixture. Wait until next step to mix.
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Scrape soy sauce mixture (from Step 5) into tofu-vegetable mixture. Mix well.
Vegan Wontons: Assembling
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Designate a work surface for folding. Surround with wrappers, a prep bowl of water, filling, a truffle scoop or 2 spoons, and a lg tray. Dampen 2 kitchen towels, then cover wrappers and tray. Throughout Step 10, keep unfilled and filled wrappers covered to prevent dry, cracked, and tough edges.
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Place a wrapper on surface. Dip a finger into prep bowl, then drag along edges of wrapper to moisten. If making rectangular shapes, position 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL/g) filling in center; triangular, 1 1/2 Tbsp (15 mL/g). Fold, then transfer to tray. Repeat until filling is gone.
My favorite shape is the envelope! It hold the larger amount of filling, and steams most evenly. Bring the bottom corner of your wonton wrapper up to the middle of your filling. Fold in the sides next, then gently press the top down. Pinch any gaps to seal. -
Freezing Option
Freeze finished wontons on tray 1-3 hrs, then move to a zip-top freezer bag. Steam and serve within 2-3 months.
Vegan Wontons: Steaming and Serving
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If necessary, bring dipping sauce (from Step 2) to room temperature.
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Fill bottom of a steamer pot with about 1 in (2.5 cm) water. Set over hi heat and bring to boiling.
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Meanwhile, cut parchment to fit steamer basket. Fold fitted parchment in half, then cut perpendicular to fold to create slits about 1/2 in (1.25 cm) apart. Line basket.
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Evenly arrange wontons seam side down in lined basket. Leave a little space around each one to avoid adhesion during cooking. Set over boiling water, then cover and reduce heat to med-lo. Steam fresh wonton about 8 min; frozen, 10.
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As wontons steam, slice reserved scallion top (from Step 7, if it's still available). Carefully transfer cooked wontons to a platter with chopsticks or a fork, then garnish with sliced scallion and serve with dipping sauce.
Note
Try some variations! Swap out some of the extra-firm tofu for another hearty ingredient such as cooked green peas or minced and sautéed mushrooms. And/or, add brunoised red bell pepper in place of the finely shredded carrot. Minced herbs like Thai basil or cilantro are wonderful flavor agents too!
This post makes me realize I don't explore Asian cuisine enough...
