Easy Vegetarian Wontons | The Picky Eater

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My go-to vegetarian wontons recipe is perfect for anyone craving a quick and flavorful Asian-inspired meal. In this easy-to-follow guide, I’ll teach you how to wrap wontons filled with a tasty mix of tofu, cabbage, carrots, ginger, mushrooms, and spring onions, all ready in just 30 minutes. Ideal as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or simple weeknight dinner, this recipe promises to be a new favorite, complete with a soy and sweet chili dipping sauce to elevate your dining experience!

Who doesn’t love Chinese food?? I love making this veggie wonton recipe for my family. It’s super fun to make with kids and also happens to be easy to pull together on a weeknight!

Vegetarian wontons are made by filling soft rice wrappers with a vegetable mixture of small diced vegetables tossed in a sauce. They are then folded in the classic wonton shape and then steamed, boiled, or pan-seared.

Serve them with a dipping sauce and a side of fried rice, roasted broccoli, or sweet and sour soup. I guarantee, they will quickly become one of your favorite appetizers, light lunches or easy dinner options. So the next time you’re in the mood for Chinese cuisines, make this recipe and skip the takeout!

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🥘 Ingredients

These tofu wontons require simple ingredients easily found at most grocery stores! See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Veggie Wonton Filling

Extra Firm Tofu: Firm tofu is best since it holds its shape well and doesn’t fall apart easily. 

Mix Of Fresh Veggies: I used carrots, spring onions, garlic, ginger, cabbage and mushrooms for this vegan wonton filling, but you can use any combination of veggies you like. See my variations section below for more ideas!

Spices & Seasoning: I used a mixture of soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and toasted sesame oil to season the filling before wrapping it in the wonton wrappers.

Wonton Wrappers: Square wonton wrappers or round wrappers fold over the filling to make these vegetarian wonton appetizers.

Dipping Sauce

While you can use a store bought dipping sauce, I find that it’s so much easier, budget friendly, and more flavorful to make a homemade version! My sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and spring onions. You might recognize these ingredients from the filling seasoning – I like making a dipping sauce from the same ingredients used to coat the filling because it adds nice complimentary layers of flavor to this dish. 

🔪 How To Make Vegetarian Wontons

The first time I made veggie wontons at home, it was a little tricky to fold the wonton wrappers perfectly. If you haven’t made wontons before, I recommend buying a few extra wrappers to test out on your first batch, just in case you need to rewrap the wontons the next time! Here’s how to make them:

Get The Tofu Ready: Drain the tofu, press firmly in between 2 pieces of paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Using a fork, mash the tofu until it resembles breadcrumbs. 

Pulse The Carrots: Place carrot, white of the spring onion, garlic and ginger into a food processor and pulse several times to chop finely, ensuring not to make a paste. Scrape out and set aside.

Add The Rest Of The Veggies: Place the cabbage pieces and mushrooms into the same food processor bowl and pulse several times. Remove and set aside.

Saute The Vegetables: Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the carrot mixture and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage and mushroom and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Remove to a large bowl.

Add The Wet Ingredients: Combine the crumbled tofu, cooked vegetable mixture, and the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until everything is combined.

Assemble The Wontons: Place a wonton wrapper on a flat work surface, spoon a bit of the mixture into the middle of the wrapper, removing any air bubbles.

Wrap The Wontons: Using a small bowl of water or vegetable broth, brush around the edges of the wrapper or bottom corners. Fold into a wonton shape.

Steam: Bring a pot of water to simmering over medium-high heat. Arrange these no-meat wontons in a steamer basket lined with baking paper over a pot of water in a single layer and steam for 15 minutes. You may need to steam half of the wontons and then the other half if the basket isn’t big enough. 

Make The Dipping Sauce: While your veg wontons are cooking, mix together all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Serve: Serve your cooked wontons with the dipping sauce on the side.

💭 Expert Tips

Here are some important tips and simple steps to make sure your vegetarian wontons turn out perfectly on your first attempt!

• How To Streamline Prep: I like to cut all of my vegetables and get everything ready before filling the wontons and cooking them. This really helps with streamlining prep into more of an assembly-line style!
• Moisture Control Matters: Excess moisture in the filling can make your wontons soggy. If the veggie mixture ends up with extra water after sauteeing, squeeze the vegetables in a paper towel to remove any extra liquid so the wontons stay tightly sealed, before adding to a bowl with the tofu. Make sure to remove as much liquid as you can before filling the wrappers.
• Avoid Overfilling: While it’s tempting to add as much filling as possible, overfilling your wontons can lead to them breaking open during cooking. A teaspoon of filling is usually enough.
• Seal Properly: To prevent the wontons from opening up during cooking, ensure they are sealed properly. After placing the filling on the wrapper, dab the edges with water or a cornstarch-water slurry, then fold and press the edges together firmly to seal. Remove as much air as you can when folding the wontons so they won’t form bubbles while cooking. 
• Don’t Overcrowd the Pot: When boiling or steaming wontons, do not overcrowd the pot. Cook them in batches if necessary to ensure they cook evenly and don’t stick together.
• Cooking Method: For boiling or steaming, make sure the water is gently simmering, not rapidly boiling, to prevent the wontons from breaking apart. If frying, ensure the oil is at the correct temperature (about 350°F or 175°C) for a crispy exterior without absorbing too much oil.

📖 Variations

Here are some different ways you can make these delicious vegetable wontons. 

Vegetarian Wonton Filling Ideas: Try using different vegetables and filling ingredients like wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, green onions, ginger, a drizzle of chili oil, crispy napa cabbage, or bok choy. You can also add in black pepper or white pepper to make Sichuan spicy wontons. 

Sauces: Some other options to include in the sauce are rice vinegar, avocado oil, olive oil, mirin, or oyster sauce. 

Wrapping: These little parcels can be made with square wrappers and folded into a diamond shape. You can also use round wrappers, or Nasoya wrappers which come in a variety of sizes and shapes!

Cooking Method: This easy vegetarian wonton recipe gives instructions on how to steam the dumpling wrappers, but you can also deep fry, pan fry, boil, bake, and add them to a broth to make a vegetarian wonton soup. My favorite method really is steaming them!

Homemade Vegan Wontons: If you use vegan wonton wrappers, this recipe will automatically be vegan! Nasoya makes a great vegan wonton wrapper that I love.

👨‍👩‍👧 Serving Suggestions

Wontons are best served immediately after cooking while they are still hot and the wrappers are at their best texture. I love serving wontons as an great appetizer, main dish, or even added to a gingery broth to make vegetarian or vegan wonton soup. Here are some more ideas on what to serve with them!

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: You can keep wontons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days after cooking them. 

Freezing For Later: If you want to make a large batch, you can freeze wontons before cooking. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, freeze until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag. This will keep them from sticking to each other and allow you to take them out one at a time when you’re ready to eat them. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before cooking; just add a minute or two to the cooking time.

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