I can’t say these are anything resembling authentic, but they are pretty damn tasty if I do say so myself. Generally I make these with whatever veggies I have lying around, but I’ll outline the ingredients of my most successful combination here. It may sound fancy and complicated making wontons, but honestly this is a pretty easy and fast dinner. Especially good for impressing guests and the like. Well, at least my guests gobbled these up shortly after I lay them in front of their faces at a party.
Disappearing Vegan Wontons
Ingredients
- 1 package won-ton wrappers Usually found in the refrigerated or freezer section of your Asian food store, I used Twin Marquis brand, which is vegan. Make sure the wrappers don't have egg in them.
- 1/2 block extra-firm tofu drained and pressed until extra water comes out
- 3/4-1 cup mushrooms any kind you like, diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 1 small zucchini/courgette diced
- 1 medium-sized carrot cut up very small
- soy sauce to taste
- sesame oil
- ginger fresh is best, but ground works too
- onion powder
- garlic minced
- 1/3 cup peanut butter smooth or chunky, the less sweet the better (optional)
- cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl crumble the tofu after it has been drained and pressed.
- Chop up the mushrooms, onion, pepper, zucchini, carrot and ginger (if using fresh) very small (see photo). I use a vegetable dicer for this, which makes it easier, but you don't need that.
- Preheat a sauce-pan on medium heat with a drop of sesame oil.
- Put the veggie/tofu mixture in there to steam with a cover on top for about 5-10 minutes.
- Take off the heat and press or spill out the extra water in the pan that came from the veggies. This ensures your mixture doesn't end up too liquidy.
- Put back over the heat and add some soy sauce, about a 1/4 cup.
- Sprinkle onion and ginger (if using powdered) in.
- Add the minced garlic and a dash of cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicey. If you want to make the peanut-sauce version, add in peanut butter now).
- Saute about 5 minutes more until peanut butter melts and everything is combined nicely. Your filling is done! You can even make a huge batch and freeze this for later if you want, it actually changes the texture of the tofu and makes it even more tasty.
- If you want, let the mixture sit in the fridge for a couple hours to marinate.
- Take one won-ton wrapper at a time and fill with about a tablespoon of filling.
- Fill a small bowl with warm water and tip your fingers in it to wet the edges of the wrappers.
- Fold two opposiet corners up and pinch together, then bring the other two corners up, pinching all four at the top until they stick together. This may take a few to perfect, but they'll taste yummy either way.
- Preheat a frying pan on medium with a bit of sesame oil and place all the won-tons so each one is touching the bottom of the pan.
- Cover with another pan (or cover if you have one big enough). Steam for about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook about 5 more minutes until the bottoms brown slightly.
- Remove from pan with a spatula. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice. A simple soy sauce works perfectly.
Chopped veggies and crumbled tofu.
Wonton ready to be folded up!
You can experiment with veggies and sauces here. I’ve used eggplant, celery, green onions, many different types of mushrooms, etc. Mushrooms are great because they absorb flavor well (same with tofu), but I think almost anything would work. You could even play around and make dessert won-tons, I’m sure. Maybe with some vegan cream cheese and fruit (apples or mangoes seem especially good).
Enjoy and let me know any variations you’ve tried!
I clicked on your text ads and got a coupon for vegan cheese! And made you monies!
also those look so good. I cannot wait until I have you at my cooking disposal 🙂
Mmm, I wanted to click on that too and get the free coupon, but I’m not allowed to click on my own ads, haha. Yay!