Venison Dumpling Soup Recipe

I'm always down for a good soup but this one is something special. These little venison dumplings are packed with flavor and are fun to make! Each bite is a little flavor bomb with the ginger and shiitake filling. Served in a warm ramen-esque broth, it's the perfect comfort food.

What are dumplings?

There are a lot of names for these cozy little pockets of goodness - dumplings, wontons, potstickers, gyoza, I could keep going... Each Asian culture has its own version with specific elements (filling ingredients, size, preparation method, etc.) but they essentially all consist of a delicious filling (usually with meat) wrapped in a thin wrapper. I chose to call mine dumplings because they don't necessarily fall into a specific category. But that doesn't really matter. All that matters is they are delicious and you definitely want to make them!

How to make venison dumpling filling:

Making dumplings is a fairly simple process but it can be time consuming. But don't stop there! It's so worth your time and you'll be glad you made them! I like to use a shortcut by buying premade wonton wrappers. They're super easy to work with and have a great texture and flavor when cooked. There are a few basic rules I like to follow for making the filling for dumplings:

1. Make sure your filling has a fat source. You can either use a fatty meat like pork or if you use wild game, you can add in sesame oil. This helps keep the filling from drying out and getting tough.
2. Use raw meat in the filling. It takes a very small amount of filling to make a dumpling so it cooks fairly quickly. This is important because it makes the filling stick together better which is easier for wrapping and it helps the filling stay moist.
3. Use a few different aromatic ingredients to flavor the filling. Ginger and green onions are a great choice. Garlic is great as well. Chopped mushrooms add another layer of flavor and help the filling retain moisture.

How to wrap dumplings:

Dumplings can be made into many different shapes but I find that the easiest method is to make the round dumplings that look like a little bag that's been tied at the top. Here are some step by step photos for how to wrap dumplings:

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How to cook dumplings:

There are as many ways to cook dumplings as there are to make them. You can steam them, pan fry them, deep fry them, boil them, or a combination of a few methods. When using dumplings for soup, I like to pan fry them in a bit of oil until the bottoms are browned. Then, add in a few cups of broth, cover and steam for a few minutes. Remove the lid and let the broth reduce a bit. This method gives the dumplings a nice caramelized flavor while also giving them that chewy steamed dumpling texture. Bonus: you don't need any special equipment. But, I do like to use an electric skillet for larger batches so they can be cooked all at the same time.

Putting it all together:

Ok you have your dumplings, but how do you turn them into a soup? That part is pretty simple. I often have some ramen broth in the freezer leftover from previous meals like my Whitetail Ramen or Pork Belly Ramen but there are a few other options as well. You can buy store-bought ramen broth or concentrate. You can boil low sodium broth/stock with green onions, garlic, ginger, mushroom stems, bonito flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, etc. for 20-30 minutes to add some extra flavor to the broth. Strain the broth before using it and it will still be full of flavor!

For dumpling soup, you can leave at that: dumplings and broth. But I like to add some extra veggies to the broth for another layer of flavor and textures. For this soup, I sautéed some ginger with thinly sliced shallots and shredded savoy cabbage. The shredded cabbage adds almost a noodle-like element to the soup and is really delicious simmered in the broth. Once you have your broth with veggies, add the dumplings to each bowl and top with a few sliced green onions and red pepper flakes for a filling meal that's sure to impress!