Cantonese Dumpling Noodles Recipe

Prepare filling

Coarsely chop the shrimp and then pulse 2–3 times in a food processor until just chunky (do not purée into paste). Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add ground pork if using. Stir in diced bamboo shoots, chopped shiitake mushrooms, sliced green onions, grated ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, white pepper, salt, and egg white. Mix with a spoon or by hand until combined and slightly sticky—this helps the filling hold together (about 1–2 minutes).

Assemble dumplings

Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center. Lightly moisten the wrapper edges with water, fold into a triangle or purse shape, and press to seal, removing air pockets. Optionally pleat the edges for a tighter seal. Repeat until all filling or wrappers are used (should make ~30–40 small dumplings). Place assembled dumplings on a lightly floured tray to prevent sticking.

Cook dumplings (if poaching separately)

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Add dumplings in batches, stir once to prevent sticking, and cook until they float and the shrimp/pork is cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water briefly to stop cooking if not serving immediately, then drain. If you prefer to cook dumplings directly in the broth, skip this step and add raw dumplings to the simmering broth as directed below.

Build broth

In a large pot, combine the chicken stock and dashi (or extra water) and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add sliced ginger, smashed garlic, scallion whites, and dried shiitake if using. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes to infuse aromatics.

Season and strain

After simmering, remove and discard ginger, garlic, scallion whites, and rehydrated shiitake (reserve the shiitake if you want to slice it and return to the broth). Stir in light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. For a clear broth, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot.

Finish broth with mushrooms & bamboo shoots

Add sliced fresh shiitake (from the earlier fresh mushrooms) and the diced bamboo shoots to the strained broth. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer so the vegetables heat through and deepen the flavor, about 3–5 minutes.

Cook dumplings in broth (preferred)

If you didn’t pre-cook dumplings, add the assembled raw dumplings to the simmering broth in gentle batches to avoid crowding. Simmer until dumplings float and are opaque throughout, about 3–5 minutes depending on size. If dumplings were pre-cooked, add them to the broth just to reheat for 1–2 minutes.

Prepare noodles and greens

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the noodles according to package directions until just tender (fresh noodles: 1–2 minutes; dried: follow package). During the last 30 seconds, add bok choy to blanch until bright green and tender-crisp. Drain noodles and greens well.

Assemble bowls

Divide drained noodles among 4 bowls. Arrange bok choy on top. Ladle the hot broth with dumplings, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots over the noodles so the dumplings sit on the noodles. Drizzle each bowl with a little soy sauce and sesame oil to taste; add a small spoon of chili oil if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced green onion if available.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra soy sauce, white pepper, and chili oil on the side.