Tofu & Red Cabbage Dumplings

I had some red cabbage left over from the Kale Borsch that I made last week, and was wondering what I could do with it, when I suddenly remembered a dumpling recipe that I had used a few years ago. Traditional Chinese dumplings are made with napa cabbage and ground pork, but crumbled tofu works just as well. Using red cabbage adds some extra colour to the dish.

Tofu & Red Cabbage Dumplings

2 tablespoons & 2 tablespoons oil, seperated
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 scallions, chopped, green parts only
150g firm tofu, crumbled
1.5 cups red cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup white or brown mushroom caps, sliced
30 round (eggless) wonton wrappers
1/4 cup (60ml) water
Salt, to taste

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the scallions for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, scallions, and tofu. Turn to high heat and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and salt (if using) and continue to stir over high heat for another 2-3 minutes until the excess liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and ginger and mix quickly. Trasfer to a dish to cool.

Put 1.5 teaspoons of the vegetable mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper and moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold to make a moon shape, making a few pleats to seal:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in the saucepan and put in half of the dumplings. Cook both sides for ~2 minutes over medium heat until well browned; then repeat with the remaining dumplings and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Transfer to a dish and serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Serve alongside tofu soup, a stir-fry or a rice/noodle dish.

Peasant's Schi (Sauerkraut Soup)

Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage - think kimchi, only sour (instead of spicy) and vegan by default. Commonly used in Eastern and Central European cuisine, it can be found in German/Russian-style delis (and perhaps some well-stocked supermarkets). It is also used in a Russian soup called schi. Schi soup is one of the most popular soups in Russian (along with borsch), and there are as many different recipes/versions of it as there are households.

That said, there are a few basic components: cabbage or sauerkraut, meat (or, less commonly, mushrooms), and herbs such as dill or parsley, etc. Carrots and onions also make it into this soup often. The following is my vegan version of it, which is a more or less realistic take on what Russian peasants would've eaten when meat was less readily available.

Peasant's Schi

1 cup brown button mushrooms, thoroughly rinsed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/3 red bell pepper, sliced
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon & 2 teaspoons olive oil, seperated
1lb sauerkraut
1 small carrot, peeled
3 small-medium potatoes, peeled
5 cups "chicken" or "beef" broth
Handful of fresh dill, chopped
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
Cilantro as garnish (optional)
Vegan sour cream (optional)

1. Combined the thoroughly rinsed mushrooms, bell pepper slices, half of the onion (chopped), 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 cup water & vinegar in a bowl or jar and keep in your fridge to marinate, preferably overnight or at least until the mushrooms are very soft and slippery.

2. Put the sauerkraut, carrot, and potatoes in a shredder and shred slightly until the mixture is chunky but the vegetable pieces are very small.

3. In a deep pot, heat up the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and add the 1/2 remaining chopped onion and chopped dill. Let heat for a minute, stirring slightly, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the broth and shredded vegetable mixture from step #2. After a minute, turn the heat back up to high until it boils.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the lemon juice. Cut the marinated mushrooms into tiny pieces and add to the soup along with the rest of the marinade. Allow to simmer on ~medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with cilantro and vegan sour cream, if desired.

Makes 5-6 servings.