By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(2,441)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Harness the crowd-pleasing power of dumplings in this hearty yet light main course salad. The base is simple and summery: Ripe tomatoes are lightly touched with salt, garlic and basil, providing a perfectly fragrant canvas for pan-fried potsticker dumplings. Salting intensifies the tanginess and fruitiness of tomatoes, while also coaxing out some of the juice, which becomes a light sauce for the dumplings. (Salting also works wonders for out-of-season tomatoes, meaning you could eat this salad all year round.) Use your favorite chile crisp as it is the dominant flavor in the dressing and will greatly impact the final dish; all brands of crisp will have different levels of saltiness and spice, so season accordingly.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2½pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), cut into roughly 1- to 2-inch pieces (at room temperature)
- 1garlic clove, grated
- ½cup basil leaves, torn
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal brand) and black pepper
- 1pound frozen potsticker dumplings (not thawed)
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
- 1 to 2tablespoons store-bought crispy fried shallots (optional)
- 3tablespoons chile crisp (or chile oil)
- 2tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
For the Salad
For the Chile Crisp Vinaigrette
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Place the tomatoes on a large serving plate or in a bowl. Add the garlic, half the basil leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
Step
2
To make the vinaigrette, combine the chile crisp, rice vinegar and soy sauce and whisk to combine. Taste and if it needs more saltiness, add ½ teaspoon more soy sauce.
Step
3
Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium high for 1 to 2 minutes until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and, working in batches, add the dumplings, flat-side down, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your dumplings contain meat, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes, or according to packet instructions). Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and continue cooking the remaining dumplings. (If you prefer to steam the dumplings, see Tip.)
Step
4
To serve, place the warm dumplings over the tomato salad and drizzle with the chile crisp vinaigrette. Toss very gently. Top with the crispy fried shallots (if using) and the remaining basil leaves. Serve either while the dumplings are still warm or at room temperature.
Tip
- To steam, arrange the dumplings in a steaming basket lined with baking paper or cabbage leaves, place over a pan of boiling water and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
Ratings
5
out of 5
2,441
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Becky Home-ecky
I need enlightening, what is Chile crisp? Where do I find it? ( what stores and what aisle?) Also where do I find crispy shallots? Is it something like the old fashioned onion crisps?
Kayla
Any recommendations for the best frozen dumplings?
Miriam
I invite people to explore their perception that MSG causes health problems. Doing some reading about it reveals that this idea has a racist history and there is not evidence that MSG is harmful. It’s an interesting and depressing history lesson. I’ve never noticed a reaction to eating MSG anyway, but once I read about it, it made me sad that Asian racism and mockery made their way all the way to food seasoning.
Ellen Morrison
Trader Joe’s dumplings are all good. I also like most dumplings labeled “gyoza”, preferring that style bc I lived in Japan. Ajinomoto is a good brand.
Anna
I love the Asian flavor of this dish. I think I may try an Italian version with mini cheese ravioli. Throw in a bit of pesto, good olive oil, olives, capers, grilled red peppers, and fresh ground pepper to taste. More ideas are popping into my head, but I will stop riffing now!
Tammy
Question about using/measuring chile crisp: Should I stir it up and then measure out a tablespoon, so that I get a mixture of the solid bits with the oil? Or does one tablespoon mean one tablespoon of just the oil? TIA
Kaydee
Wow, this looks like a quick meal with many possibilities! Looking forward to trying it. Vegetable pot stickers, here I come! Maybe some wilted spinach thrown in and will opt for low sodium soy sauce or tamari.
Anneliess Lush
Recipe for crispy fried shallots if you can't find in store:3 shallots sliced thin1/2 cup of vegetable oilCombine shallots and oil in medium bowl. Microwave for 5 min. Stir and continue to microwave 2 min longer. Repeat stirring and microwaving in 2-minute increments until beginning to brown (4 to 6 min). Repeat stirring and microwaving in 30-second increments until deep gold brown (30 sec to 2 min). Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel–lined plate, season with salt, drain for 5 min
ProblemChild
Nothing about this recipe should work but the dish all of these unexpected flavor combinations create is astonishingly delicious. I'm going to be making this all summer long. PS: Don't mess with the ingredients or proportions because you think you know better. You don't. Make this as written. You'll be so glad you did.
janet
Trader Joe’s frozen potstickers are excellent.
Steve H
I love Chili Crisp. Our local store has Momof*cku Chili Crunch, which is good, but my favorite is Fly-by-Jing. It has just the right amount of heat (not too much) and is also not too salty.
Megan S.
Lao Gan Ma is my favorite brand, if your town has a asian grocery, you may be able to find there, looks like it is also sold on amazon (at a markup). I buy it in Chinatown. Trader Joe's has a chili garlic crunch oil that I do not like as much, and Fly By Jing has a chili crisp that can be found it looks like at Target, as well as online.
Jane
I made this for lunch immediately after it was posted. I bought Mr. Bing chili crisp. I had “ROSTAD LÖK” fried onions from Ikea. I used the chicken cilantro mini wontons from Trader Joe’s. It was delicious. It is a great way to use up leftover or slightly past due tomatoes and basil. It also is one of the juiciest meals ever. It made an exquisite “sauce” that was designed to be sopped up with good bread. Long live the juice.
Claudia
Someone asked about gnocchi - I think Korean rice cakes would also be awesome here
Kirsti
It's a Chinese condiment made with crispy onion, chile and sesame suspended in oil. Adds an earthy kick. Find it in supermarkets in the Asian products aisle.
Kathleen
Now that local tomatoes are available, I just had to try this unique recipe. It was wonderful. I used PF Chang's frozen pork potstickers and hot chile oil (could not find chile crisp at my grocery store). The next time I make this, I will use about a quarter of the chile oil recommended and adjust it to taste. I found the 3 Tablespoons recommended in the recipe to be too hot. Despite this, this recipe is a keeper!
SBH
This was excellent. Received a lb. of heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil from my CSA box this afternoon. Used Trader Joe’s chili onion crisp, and TJ’s pot stickers that I already had on hand. Dinner was done in 15 minutes tops.A fabulous choice for summer - so good without even heating up the kitchen!
Audrey
Served over red cabbage. Very good
Helene
Why was I surprised that this was quite spicy? I probably didn‘t get the dumpling/chile ratio right. Mint worked well in place of the basil.
93209618
Needed something quick and easy for lunch and this fit the bill. Used chili oil and french fried onions b/c that's what I had on hand, plus added some boston lettuce that I had to use or lose. Delish!
Beeeeeees
For people who can’t find Lao Gan Ma chili crisps and the like at their supermarkets, or just have some time on their hands, you can make your own chili crisps very easily. Just toast some chili flakes and heat up some neutral oil, then pour the hot oil over the chili flakes and season! The oil should be very hot but below smoking point. You can adjust the heat with different kinds of chili flakes and different ratios of flakes to oil. Hope this helps!
LauraS
Any suggestions for a substitute for frozen pot-sticker dumplings? Not a common item outside of the US where I live.
rsp
I feed people with zero tolerance of any spicy heat; it's discouraging to see so very many recipes that center around that kind of ingredient. That said, it seemed that this delightful combination of ingredients could work with a substitute for the hot chile crisp. Recipes for homemade chile crisp do present that possibility. Many different flavor components: garlic, sweet red pepper shallot, smoked paprika, mushroom power, msg, sugar. Fry to get the crisp part. not chile crisp but perfect
John L
This is a link to one brand of Chile Crisp available on Amazon. Same brand is available in many Asian supermarkets, like HMart, Ranch 99, etc..https://a.co/d/0edF53fS
Beachdogz
Funny NYT didn't link to their own Chile Crisp recipe.
Nancy harmon jenkins
I can't find any frozen dumplings at my local supermarket. Could I sub Chef Boyardee cheese ravioli instead?
Sue
I think the Italian-seasoned tomato sauce would be a problem, plus the ravioli are already cooked and quite soft, so probably would not hold up. Maybe frozen tortellini, which may be easier to find where you are.
Titi
My favorite dumplings are Wei-chuan pork, shrimp and snow pea variety. They have a fresh "green" taste that most dumplings don't have because they tend to rely on cabbage. I get them at H-mart.
Leslie Mignault
Where are there "summer tomatoes" right now?
KDA
I've made this a few times and we're addicted to the dressing! Cucumbers make a good addition if you have some on hand.
Christa
Why would anyone want to blanket the natural flavor of genuine tomatoes with chile crisp and salr-heavy soy sauce unless all you have to work with are artificial imported strip-mined tomatoes in New York?
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