Soup dumplings (小籠包, xiǎo lóng bāo) are most famously associated with Shanghai and Wuxi. They are famous for their delicate pleats, thin wrappers, and the burst of hot, savoury soup hidden inside. What makes them special is the clever use of aspic (meat broth jelly) in the filling. It melts during steaming to create the signature soupy centre.
They’re a favourite because they pack so much richness and comfort into one bite-sized dumpling. Whether served in a bamboo steamer at at a dim sum place or made at home for a challenge, xiaolongbao are a perfect balance of soft skin, juicy meat, and warming broth.
Aspic (Broth Gelatin)
Ingredients
Pork trotter is high in collagen, which breaks down during simmering into gelatin. This is what sets into a bouncy jelly and melts into soup inside the dumpling.
Ginger helps remove gaminess from the pork and adds a subtle warmth to the broth.
Spring onion adds a light, savoury aroma that balances the richness.
Cooking wine enhances depth and removes any strong pork odours.
Water acts as the base liquid for extracting collagen over time.
Salt is added at the end to season the broth once flavours have concentrated.
Instructions
Blanch pork trotter to remove impurities
Add pork trotter to a pot of boiling water with a few ginger slices.
Boil for 5 minutes until scum rises.
Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
Simmer ingredients to extract collagen
Add blanched trotter, ginger, spring onion, and cooking wine to a pot of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours until reduced to about 250-500mL and broth is rich and sticky.
If the liquid reduces too quickly before 3 hours, add a bit of warm water to prevent it from drying out.
Strain and set the aspic
Strain the broth and season with salt to taste.
Pour into a container and refrigerate overnight until fully set into jelly.
Dice the aspic for filling
Once set, chop the aspic into small cubes.
Keep cold until ready to use in filling.
Filling
Ingredients
Pork mince with a higher fat ratio keeps the meat tender and juicy after steaming.
Soy sauce adds umami and seasoning.
Cooking wine removes any porky smell and boosts depth of flavour.
Minced ginger cuts through the richness and adds brightness.
Salt helps season the meat directly.
Sugar enhances umami and rounds out the savoury flavours.
Sesame oil adds a finishing touch of aroma. It adds nuttiness and a silky mouthfeel.
White pepper adds a gentle heat without overpowering the pork.
Mixing in water helps the meat absorb more moisture and stay soft after steaming.
Aspic (chopped) provides the soup element once steamed and melted.
Instructions
Mix pork filling until sticky
Combine pork mince, soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger mince, salt, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper in a bowl.
Stir until fully mixed, add water and mix until mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
Fold in aspic gently
Add diced aspic and gently fold to distribute evenly.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to wrap.
Dough (Stand Mixer Version)
Ingredients
Plain flour provides the right chew and stretch for the wrapper.
Warm water help make the dough more pliable and easier to knead.
Salt (optional) enhances the flavour of the dough slightly, though traditional dough is often unsalted.
Instructions
Knead dough until smooth
Add flour, salt and warm water to the mixer bowl.
Mix with spatula until it forms a rough dough.
Knead with dough hook on low speed for 15 mins until dough is smooth and elastic.
Rest the dough to relax gluten
Cover the dough with a damp towel.
Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Assembling
Roll and portion the dough
Divide rested dough into 10g portions.
Roll into thin wrappers with thicker centres and thinner edges.
Wrap the dumplings
Place ~1 tbsp of filling into each wrapper.
Pleat and seal into a bun, keeping the filling cold to preserve aspic.
Prepare for steaming
Place dumplings on parchment or cabbage leaves in a bamboo steamer.
Let rest for 10 minutes before steaming.
Resting helps the gluten in the wrapper relax, which reduces tearing and improves texture.
Steam the dumplings properly
Steam over high heat for 8 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let sit for 2 minutes before opening the lid.
This gentle rest helps soften the skin slightly without continuing to cook the filling too much.
Serve immediately
Enjoy hot with a dipping sauce of black vinegar and ginger.
Full Recipe:
Ingredients
Aspic:
500g pork trotter (chopped into pieces for more collagen release)
6-7 ginger slices
2 stalks spring onion, chopped into segments
1 tbsp cooking wine
1.2L water
Salt to taste (adjust after simmering)
Filling:
250g pork mince
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
2 tsp ginger mince
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of white pepper
1-2 tbsp water
100g aspic (chopped)
Dough:
200g plain flour
100ml warm water (2 part hot water + 1 part room temp water)
Pinch of salt (optional, for flavour)
Steps:
Day before:
Blanch the pork trotter in boiling water with a few slices of ginger for 5 mins. Rinse clean.
Add trotter, ginger, spring onion and wine into a pot of water.
Bring to boil, then reduce to low simmer for at least 3-4 hours uncovered until it reduces to about 250-500ml and becomes a rich and slightly sticky broth. Add water if needed.
Strain and season lightly with salt. Pour into a container and refrigerate overnight until set.
One the day:
In a bowl, Combine all ingredients of filling except water and aspic. Stir until mixed and add water. Mix until sticky.
Fold in aspic (chopped or dice into small cubes) gently. Cover and refrigerate until wrapping.
Add flour and water to mixer bowl and mix until a rough dough is formed. Knead with dough hook on low speed for 15 mins until smooth.
Cover and rest for 30 mins at room temp.
Divide dough into 10g pieces. Roll into thin wrappers (thicker in the middle, thinner at the edges).
Add ~1 tbsp of filling and pleat into a bun.
Place on parchment or cabbage leaf in bamboo steamer and let it rest for 10 mins.
Steam over high heat for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 2 minutes before opening the lid.
Serve hot with black vinegar and ginger.