Easy Potsticker Soup

Potsticker Soup is a cozy weeknight lifesaver, coming together with tender dumplings simmered in a rich, comforting broth. Soft, pillowy dumplings and a savory, mushroom-kissed broth make it feel like a slow-simmered meal in just twenty minutes. Versatile and family-approved, it works with pork, chicken, or vegetable dumplings, leaving each one tender but intact for a meal everyone will ask for seconds of.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Mushroom Soup Recipe or this Mexican Street Corn Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Think of it as comfort in a bowl with soft, pillowy dumplings in a savory, mushroom-kissed broth that tastes like it simmered all day in just twenty minutes. It’s endlessly versatile, working beautifully with pork, chicken, or even vegetable dumplings for a meatless twist. The broth soaks into each dumpling wrapper, leaving them tender but intact, for a cozy, family-approved meal everyone loves.

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Ingredient List

The Flavor Base:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (baby bella or white mushrooms work too!)
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated or minced ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

The Soup:

• 6 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth is amazing too)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 16–20 oz frozen potstickers (any filling you love!)
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced (keep white and green parts separate)
• 3 baby bok choy, ends trimmed and leaves separated
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings (but seriously, don’t skip these!):

• Chili crisp (my personal favorite!)
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Furikake
• Fried garlic
• Fresh cilantro
• Chili oil

Why These Ingredients Work

Shiitake mushrooms make any broth taste like you simmered bones for hours. I learned this from my mom who used to sneak them into everything. The ginger and garlic just smell good while they’re cooking, which makes everyone think you’re doing something fancy. Even my kids who usually hate vegetables will eat this because everything tastes good together. They don’t even pick out the mushrooms anymore.

I use vegetable broth because it’s usually what I have, but chicken works too. Sometimes I’ll use half and half if I have both open in the fridge. The bok choy gives you something green that doesn’t turn to mush like spinach does. I tried spinach once and it just dissolved into green bits floating around. Not pretty. My mother-in-law saw that and never let me forget it.

Scallions are mild enough that even my picky eater will tolerate them. I separate the white and green parts because the white parts take longer to cook and the green parts are just for color at the end. That sesame oil at the end? That’s what makes it taste like takeout. My kids think I ordered it from somewhere when I use enough sesame oil. Sometimes I let them think that.

The soy sauce is pretty important too. I use regular soy sauce, not the low sodium kind, because you need that saltiness to balance everything out. I tried it once with coconut aminos because I was trying to be healthy and it just wasn’t the same. My husband took one sip and asked what was wrong with it.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large pot or Dutch oven (at least 6-quart capacity)
• Sharp knife for slicing mushrooms and scallions
• Cutting board
• Garlic press or microplane grater
• Ladle for serving
• Individual soup bowls

How To Make Potsticker Soup

Cook the mushrooms

Heat oil in pot. Add mushrooms, cook until brown, about five minutes. Add more oil, garlic, ginger. Cook two more minutes.

Add liquid

Pour in broth and soy sauce. Bring to boil.

Add everything else

Put in frozen dumplings, white scallion parts, bok choy. Cook four minutes until dumplings float.

Finish

Turn off heat. Add sesame oil and pepper.

Serve

Put in bowls, add green scallions on top.

You Must Know

Don’t overcook the bok choy or it gets slimy and loses that nice crunch. Keep the dumplings frozen until you put them in the pot – thawed ones fall apart and make a mess. I learned this the hard way when I tried to be organized and thaw them ahead of time. They turned into mush and I had to start over.

Also, taste your broth after you add the soy sauce but before you add everything else. Some broths are saltier than others and you might need to adjust. I once made this with a really salty broth and didn’t taste it first. It was like drinking ocean water. Even my salt-loving husband couldn’t eat it.

Personal Secret: I keep a little sesame oil to drizzle on each bowl when I serve it. Makes people think I know what I’m doing. My sister-in-law always asks what my secret ingredient is and it’s just that extra drizzle of sesame oil on top. Sometimes I’ll toast some sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds and sprinkle those on too. Takes two minutes but makes it look restaurant-quality.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Sometimes I add rice vinegar at the end if it needs some brightness. Just a splash, maybe a teaspoon. Sriracha mixed with the soy sauce makes it spicy, which my husband loves but the kids hate. Leftover chicken from dinner goes in during the last minute. Rotisserie chicken works great for this – just shred it up and throw it in.

Don’t rush the mushroom step. Brown mushrooms taste better than pale ones. It takes about five minutes but it’s worth it. My kids like corn or snap peas added in, but that’s optional. I’ve also tried adding carrots but they take too long to cook so I skip them now. Plus my youngest picks them out anyway.

One thing I learned is to have all your ingredients ready before you start. This comes together fast once you begin and you don’t want to be chopping scallions while your mushrooms burn. I prep everything first and put it in little bowls like they do on cooking shows. Makes me feel professional even though I’m just making soup in my pajamas.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I mess around with this recipe all the time. Lemongrass and lime juice make it taste Thai. You can buy lemongrass at most grocery stores now, just bruise it with the back of a knife before adding it. My husband likes kimchi and that Korean chili paste stirred in. Sometimes I throw in whatever vegetables need to get used up – carrots, snap peas, corn. My fridge clean-out soups are usually the best ones.

Shrimp or tofu work if you want more protein. I add shrimp in the last two minutes so they don’t get rubbery. Learned that from overcooking them too many times. Tofu can go in with the dumplings. Coconut milk at the end makes it richer, which my sister does and it’s pretty good. Maybe half a can stirred in at the very end.

For the kids, I sometimes add a handful of frozen corn or edamame. They like the sweetness and it makes them feel like they’re getting something special. I’ve also tried adding some cooked ramen noodles to make it more filling, which works great for hungry teenagers. They’ll eat anything with noodles in it.

Make-Ahead Options

This is better fresh, but you can slice mushrooms and scallions ahead of time. Keep them in the fridge for a day or two. You can make just the broth part and add the dumplings when you reheat it. Sometimes I make a double batch of the broth base and freeze half for later. Saves time on busy nights.

If you’re planning to serve this for guests, you can prep all your vegetables in the morning and just keep them covered in the fridge. The whole cooking process only takes about twenty minutes so it’s not hard to make it fresh. I did this for a dinner party once and everyone thought I was so organized.

Leftovers last three days in the fridge. The dumplings get softer and absorb more broth, but my kids actually prefer it that way. I reheat it gently on the stove and sometimes add a splash more broth if it’s gotten too thick. Microwave works too but the vegetables get mushy.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Any kind of potsticker works – pork, chicken, vegetable, whatever. The pork ones are my favorite because they have the most flavor, but vegetable ones work great for my vegetarian friends. If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, regular white ones are fine. Baby bellas work too and they’re usually cheaper. Sometimes I use a mix of different mushrooms if I have them.

Get decent broth because that’s most of what you’re tasting. I made this once with cheap broth and it was awful. Learn from my mistakes. I usually buy the good stuff in the refrigerated section or use Better Than Bouillon paste, which keeps forever and tastes better than the boxed stuff. My mom swears by making her own broth but I don’t have that kind of time.

Don’t skip the black pepper at the end. It might seem minor but it really makes a difference. I use freshly ground pepper because it tastes better, but regular pepper works too. And don’t be shy with the sesame oil – that’s what makes it taste restaurant-quality. Some people think it’s too strong but those people are wrong.

Serving Suggestions

This works for dinner if you’re not super hungry. Add spring rolls if you want more food, or some of those crispy wonton strips from the salad section. I serve smaller bowls when people come over and they always ask how I made it. Steamed rice or bread makes it more filling – my teenagers usually want rice with everything. They could probably eat rice with ice cream if I let them.

The toppings matter more than you might think. Chili crisp adds heat and crunch and makes it look fancy. Sesame seeds taste nutty and make it look like you know what you’re doing. I also put out sriracha, more soy sauce, and sometimes some crushed red pepper flakes so everyone can customize their bowl. My kids like having control over their food.

For parties, I’ll set up a little topping bar with all the extras. People love being able to add what they want. Some like it spicy, some don’t. My mother-in-law always adds extra scallions because she thinks everything needs more vegetables. She’s probably right but don’t tell her I said that.

How to Store Your Potsticker Soup

Put it in the fridge covered for three days max. I don’t freeze this because the vegetables get weird and the dumplings fall apart. Reheat it on the stove over medium heat until it’s hot.

Allergy Information

This has soy, wheat from the dumplings, and sesame. Use gluten-free dumplings and tamari instead of soy sauce if you need gluten-free. Coconut aminos work instead of soy sauce too.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Are potstickers good in soup?

Yes, they’re actually better in soup than pan-fried sometimes. They get really tender and absorb the broth flavors. My kids prefer them this way now because they’re not as crispy and easier to bite. The filling stays hot and the wrappers don’t get tough like they sometimes do when you fry them. Plus you don’t have to stand there flipping them.

What goes with potsticker soup?

I usually serve this with spring rolls or some kind of bread. Steamed rice works great if you want something more filling. Sometimes I’ll make a simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar dressing. Those crispy wonton strips from the grocery store are good sprinkled on top too. My kids like everything better with something crunchy on it.

Can I use fresh potstickers?

Sure, they’ll cook faster – maybe two minutes instead of four. Fresh ones are actually really good in soup because they’re more delicate. Just watch them carefully so they don’t overcook and fall apart.

What if I can’t find bok choy?

Baby spinach works but add it at the very end because it wilts fast. Regular cabbage is good too, just chop it smaller. Napa cabbage is probably the closest substitute. I’ve used regular green cabbage and it was fine.

Is it spicy? Not unless you add spicy stuff to it. The base recipe is pretty mild, which is why I like having hot sauce and chili crisp available for people to add. My youngest can’t handle any spice but my husband dumps sriracha on everything.

Why is it called a potsticker? They’re called potstickers because when you pan-fry them traditionally, they stick to the bottom of the pot on purpose. That’s how you get the crispy bottom. The name just stuck even though we’re putting them in soup instead of frying them. My dad always thought it was because they stick to the pot when you cook them wrong.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear which toppings became your favorites!