Tasty Sides: What Goes With Chicken Dumplings

What are good side dishes for chicken dumplings?

Hot and sour Chinese cabbage, cold cucumber and fungus salad, or tomato and onion salad are all great choices.

Hot and sour Chinese cabbage:

Shred the Chinese cabbage, sprinkle it with salt to draw out the moisture, then squeeze out the water and mix it with minced garlic, cayenne peppers, and white vinegar. Refrigerate it for half an hour before eating. The crispy texture can balance the denseness of the dumplings. If the dumpling filling is a bit bland, you can add half a spoon more sugar to enhance the freshness.

Tomato and onion salad:

Slice the tomatoes and cut the purple onions into fine shreds. Sprinkle a little salt and black pepper, and drizzle with a spoonful of olive oil. After the pungency of the onions is softened by the salt, it mixes with the tomato juice, which is especially appetizing.

If you want to have soup, try the wakame and tofu soup. Put wakame and tender tofu into cold water. After it boils, add egg flakes, and drop two drops of sesame oil before turning off the heat. The soup base is light but full of umami, and it won't overwhelm the taste of the dumplings when eaten together.

What sauce to eat with chicken dumplings?

The sauce to pair with chicken dumplings depends on the style of the filling. I always keep these four types of sauces on hand and can switch between them at any time:

Garlic, soy sauce and vinegar sauce is very common. Mix rice vinegar and light soy sauce in a 1:1 ratio, and add half a spoon of sesame oil to enhance the flavor. The garlic should be freshly grated and added to the sauce just three minutes before serving to prevent oxidation and bitterness. When dipping the dumplings, first touch the sauce and then touch the chopped chili. This creates more layers of flavor than mixing them directly.

For a Southeast Asian flavor, use lime and fish sauce dressing to cut the greasiness. Squeeze the juice of two limes and mix with two spoons of fish sauce. Add the chopped tender core of lemongrass and mint leaves. The key is to add one spoon of coconut syrup to balance the sourness and saltiness. When dipping, cover the dumplings with the leaf bits, which gives a fresher taste compared to ordinary vinegar sauce.

If you prefer a thicker texture, you can make peanut and sesame sauce. Dissolve unsweetened peanut butter in warm water, add white sesame powder and a little fermented bean curd juice. The secret is to add half a small spoon of apple cider vinegar, which can not only prevent the sauce from clumping but also bring out the sweetness of the nuts. This is especially suitable for fried dumplings.

Sometimes I also use yogurt and cucumber sauce. Mix Greek yogurt with grated cucumber, and add some dill and lemon zest. After refrigerating for half an hour, the texture thickens. Pour it directly over steamed dumplings. The coolness can balance the hot meat juice, making it a more special way of eating than just dipping.

What sides go with Asian-style chicken dumplings?

Try cold cucumber and jellyfish skin salad, spicy cabbage with bean sprouts, or stir - fried shredded potatoes in vinegar. These side dishes are crispy, appetizing and can relieve the greasiness of the dumplings.

Cucumber and Jellyfish Skin Salad:

Rinse the ready - to - eat jellyfish skin with water to remove salt. Then mix it with smashed cucumber pieces using rice vinegar, sugar and sesame seeds. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before eating. The crunchy texture is really satisfying. Remember to add some minced garlic to enhance the flavor.

Spicy Cabbage with Bean Sprouts:

Blanch mung bean sprouts for 30 seconds, squeeze out the water and mix them with cut spicy cabbage. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds and drizzle half a spoon of fish sauce. The combination of sour, spicy and the sweet taste of bean sprouts makes it hard to stop eating when paired with dumplings, one after another.

If you want to have hot soup, make a simple miso soup. After the water boils, add tofu cubes and wakame sprout. Dissolve one spoon of white miso before turning off the heat and sprinkle scallions. The umami taste of the soup can just complement the mild flavor of the chicken dumplings.

What accompaniments work with creamy chicken and dumplings?

Creamy chicken and dumplings pair well with side dishes that have a strong contrast in texture. I would highly recommend crispy pickled radish slices first. Cut white radishes into thin slices and pickle them with rice vinegar, white sugar, and a little salt for half an hour. They are sour and can cut through the greasiness.

Another option is to pan - fry zucchini. Choose tender zucchinis and cut them into slices. Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder, then pan - fry in a little oil in a frying pan until both sides are slightly charred. The soft and a bit fibrous texture can balance the creaminess of the sauce.

If you don't feel like cooking, simply pairing it with a rocket salad also works. Wash and spin - dry the rocket, then drizzle with yuzu juice and olive oil, and sprinkle with a handful of roasted pine nuts. The slightly bitter leaves can refresh your palate, and the aroma of pine nuts adds fun to chewing.

Can I serve chicken dumplings with noodles?

Sure, you can serve them together, but be careful not to make the whole meal too filling. I've tried several combinations, and the one with the best complementary texture is soup noodles + fried dumplings.

Recommended combination 1: Clear soup noodles with boiled dumplings

Cook thin Yangchun noodles. Make the soup base by pouring hot water over light soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. Cook the dumplings separately and then place them on top of the noodles. The lightness of the soup can bring out the freshness of the dumpling filling. Don't cook too many noodles; half a bowl is enough.

Recommended combination 2: Spicy and sour cold noodles with steamed dumplings

Cook buckwheat noodles, rinse them with cold water, and mix them with cayenne peppers, vinegar, and peanut butter. Eat the steamed dumplings separately by dipping them in garlic and soy sauce. The spiciness of the noodles actually sets off the mildness of the dumplings.

Precautions:

Avoid using heavy - flavored cooking methods at the same time. For example, if you pair noodles with a thick soy sauce and pork sauce with dumplings in spicy oil, the saltiness and greasiness will accumulate. If you must pair them with fried noodles, remember to add more bean sprouts or shredded cabbage to increase the freshness.

Is rice a good side dish for chicken dumplings?

Rice can be served with chicken dumplings. However, since both are staple foods, the combined starch content can easily make you feel full and bloated. It is recommended to adjust the portion size or the way of pairing.

A small amount of rice as a sidekick:

Scoop a small half - bowl of rice and pour some dumpling soup over it and mix. This is especially suitable for steamed or soup dumplings with plenty of soup. After the rice absorbs the soup, it becomes fragrant and soft, bringing a greater sense of satisfaction than just eating dumplings alone.

The mixed - and - upgraded method:

Make the rice into fried rice with egg, but use less oil. Add peas and diced carrots to increase the freshness. Fry the dumplings until the bottoms are crispy and place them separately from the fried rice. Eat a mouthful of rice and then a mouthful of dumplings for a more interesting alternating texture.

If you want to control your carbohydrate intake, you can replace the rice with cauliflower "rice". Chop the cauliflower and stir - fry until the moisture is removed. Season with soy sauce and scallions. The fluffy texture can balance the denseness of the dumplings, and the overall calorie burden is also much lighter.