GREEN DUMPLINGS
Dumplings are a favorite of many people. My kids can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. This of course is a problem for a family trying to eat gluten-free because most dumpling wrappers are made with...dough and gluten. Greens to the rescue, I reasoned!This recipe for GREEN DUMPLINGS is everything you want in a dumpling without the guilt —pretty, delightful, lip-smacking, simple and without the gluten. The combination of coconut aminos, ginger and sesame oil adds a wonderful twist of flavor. You earn bonus points because there is no gluten in the wraps, just pure nutrition from napa cabbage leaves. You can serve these to your family as often as you'd like and feel good about it both because of how easy they are to make, the awesome taste, as well as how healthy they are - no compromises here. My kids can also be messy eaters, but with these there's hardly any cleanup.Napa cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, a type of cabbage from the mustard family that is rich in folate, vitamins C and K and antioxidant plant compounds such as carotenes, thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. Napa cabbage can be eaten raw, but also fried, steamed, and even grilled. Did you know that Napa cabbage is one of the popular vegetables in Korean fermented dish kimchi? I developed a newfound love and respect for this lettuce-looking amazing vegetable.When choosing your Napa cabbage leaves for this dish, go with the leaves that are large enough to hold the filling (combining two leaves lengthwise to form a long one is also an option) and shouldn't have much tearing.Avoid stuffing too much meat into each dumpling; smaller sizes work best so that the cabbage complements the dumpling meat.Steaming these dumplings is one of the simplest ways to prepare them; they come out tender, moist, and flavorful. However, you can also bake these little guys for 20 minutes at 375 degrees and they will not lose an ounce of flavor.These green dumplings are best served warm, but they can also be served cold. You can also make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours to keep them fresh. It is possible to freeze them and cook without defrosting, but make sure to increase the steaming time by 5 minutes.Bon appetite! Your fork is waiting!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 532kcal
Equipment
- 1 steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 napa cabbage about 20 leaves of napa cabbage
- 1/2 tsp salt for the water, to blanch the cabbage
MEATBALLS
- 1.5 lbs ground pork
- 2 large carrots peeled and shredded
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 TBSP coconut aminos
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
SAUCE
- 2 TBSP coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Cut or trim the leaves off the cabbage. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Lower the heat and blanch napa cabbage leaves in hot water until they begin to wilt (it should take no more than 1-2 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Chop the onion and fry in the oiled pan until soft. Add chopped celery and shredded carrots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Let cool. In a mixing bowl, combine ground meat, salt, pepper, grated garlic, coconut aminos and cooked onion-carrot mixture.
- Fold napa leaf into rounded triangle envelope and stuff with 1 teaspoon of meat mixture. Alternatively, place 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture on one end of a cabbage leaf and roll it up. Steam wraps for 10 minutes or until fully cooked through.
- Drizzle the sauce over each wrap and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 1224mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5915IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 2mg