Steamed Cabbage Dumplings
same juicy pork and shrimp filling you love in a classic dumpling🥬🥟 no wrappers, no folding technique to master. wrapped in blanched napa cabbage leaves, steamed until tender and served with ponzu and chili crisps, honestly so good i could drink the sauce 🫶
Ingredients
Filling
½ lb ground pork
½ lb shrimp, peeled, deveined & roughly chopped
3 shiitake mushroom, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
1 head napa cabbage, outer leaves separated
Optional: chili crunsh, ponzu
Serves 2-4
Prep time ~25mins
Cook time ~15mins
Cooking Instructions
Make the filling
In a bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, shiitake mushroom, carrot, green onion, and ginger.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Prep the cabbage
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch napa cabbage leaves in batches for 30–45 seconds until just pliable. Remove the cabbage from the pot with a strainer, set aside.
Roll & steam
Place a cabbage leaf flat. Add 1.5–2 tbsp of filling near the base. Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly. Place seam-side down. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
Arrange rolls seam-side down in a steamer basket. Steam over medium-high heat for 12–15 min until filling is fully cooked through.
Serve hot with ponzu sauce and chili crunch.
Tips & Notes
I usually use all the larger cabbage leaves and save the smaller pieces for another dish (it gets harder to roll the smaller they get!)
Blanch cabbage leaves just until pliable — 30–45 seconds max. Don’t over cook or the cabbage will fall apart.
Don't overfill — 1.5–2 tbsp per roll for a clean, tight wrap.
Place rolls seam-side down in the steamer so they hold their shape.
Naturally gluten-free if you swap soy sauce for tamari.
GREAT for MEAL PREP — i love having these in my freezer for a quick lunch. Instead of steaming them after rolling them up, freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they are spaced out so they don’t freeze together. Throw them into a freezer gallon bag once frozen and pop them into the steamer for 15-18 mins during the week!