Do I need to thaw the potstickers before adding them to the soup? No. Add the potstickers straight from the freezer into the boiling broth and cook them 6 to 8 minutes, until the wrappers turn tender and translucent and the filling is hot through. Thawing first makes the wrappers soft and sticky before they hit the pot, so they're more likely to tear.
Why did my potstickers fall apart in the soup? Almost always a hard, rolling boil or too much time in the pot. Keep the soup at a steady boil, not a violent one, once the potstickers go in, and pull it off the heat at 8 minutes. Stir gently with a spoon rather than a whisk, and add the potstickers last so nothing else needs stirring around them.
How spicy is this potsticker soup? Medium-hot — the jalapeño, sriracha, chili crisp, and red curry paste all bring heat, and the coconut milk softens it into a warm, creamy burn rather than a sharp one. For a milder bowl, cut the sriracha and chili crisp in half and seed the jalapeño. For more, add chili crisp at the table.
I keep a bag of potstickers in the freezer at all times. They're my insurance policy for the nights when Brent and I get home from a long day in the kitchen and neither of us wants to think about dinner.
This soup is what happens when that bag meets a can of coconut milk and everything spicy in my pantry. Red curry paste, sriracha, chili crisp, a little sweet chili sauce — it sounds like a lot, and it is, in the best way. The broth ends up creamy, warm, and just spicy enough that you keep going back for one more spoonful.
The whole thing comes together in one pan in about half an hour, and the potstickers cook right in the broth. No thawing, no second pot. You've got this.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the red onion and jalapeño and sauté 2 minutes.
- 2Add the shiitake mushrooms, shredded carrot, minced garlic, and ginger. Sauté 2 minutes more.
- 3Add the chicken stock, then stir in the sriracha, sweet chili sauce, chili crisp, and red curry paste.
- 4Bring to a full boil and boil 5 minutes.
- 5Add the coconut milk, half the cilantro, and half the green onions, then the seasoned salt, bang bang seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder. Boil 3 minutes.
- 6Add the potstickers and potsticker sauce. Boil 6-8 minutes, until tender.
- 7Finish with the remaining cilantro and green onions.
- 8Taste and adjust — more fresh herbs, ginger, or seasonings and spices to your liking.
Make it yours
- Dial the heat: jalapeño, sriracha, chili crisp, and red curry paste all pull weight here. Start with half the sriracha and chili crisp, then add more at the end.
- Vegetarian: vegetable stock and vegetable potstickers. Check the red curry paste label — some brands use shrimp paste.
- Protein: chicken, pork, or shrimp potstickers all work. Pork gives the richest broth.
- Greens: a big handful of baby spinach or chopped bok choy in the last 2 minutes.
- Finish: a squeeze of lime and a pinch of sesame seeds brighten the whole bowl.
- Gluten-free: gluten-free potstickers, plus a read of the sauce labels.