So I’ve been trying to eat less meat these days, right? And one of my favorite things in the world is dim sum. I mean, who doesn’t love those little carts of deliciousness? But finding good vegetarian dim sum can be a real pain. So, I set out on a mission to find some tasty meat-free options, and let me tell you, it was an adventure.
First, I tried making some myself. Yeah, you can make it at home. I searched around for some easy recipes, figured I’d give it a shot. I got all the ingredients – tofu, mushrooms, veggies, the whole nine yards. Prepped everything, which took forever, by the way. Chopping veggies, mixing fillings, it was a whole production. I decided to start with some simple dumplings. Got the wrappers, filled ’em up, and tried to fold them all fancy like they do in restaurants.
- They looked a bit of a mess, not gonna lie.
- Then came the steaming. I don’t have one of those cool bamboo steamers, so I just used a regular pot with a steamer basket.
- They stuck together, some of them fell apart, it was a bit of a disaster.
- But, you know what? They still tasted pretty good!
Next, I thought, okay, let’s hit up Chinatown. Surely, there’s gotta be some good vegetarian dim sum there. I walked around, popping into a few different spots. Some places had a couple of options, like veggie spring rolls or steamed vegetable buns. They were okay, but nothing to write home about. I tried some mushroom dumplings at one place that were pretty decent.
Then, I stumbled upon this little place tucked away on a side street. It had a whole section of the menu dedicated to vegetarian dim sum! I was so excited. I ordered a bunch of stuff. I tried these amazing tofu skin rolls that were packed with flavor, and some delicious steamed buns filled with this sweet and savory veggie mixture. And the best part? They had these crystal dumplings with a delicate, translucent wrapper and a flavorful veggie filling. They were so good, I ordered a second round!
Take Away!
So, what did I learn from this whole experience? Well, first of all, making dim sum at home is hard work. Second, there are definitely some hidden gems out there if you’re looking for good vegetarian dim sum. You just gotta be willing to explore a bit. And third, even if things don’t turn out perfect, it’s still fun to experiment in the kitchen. Now, I know some good spots and have a few go-to dishes when that dim sum craving hits. This whole vegetarian dim sum journey turned out to be a tasty success!