Pot Sticker Soup

This is the Year of the Snake.

(Picture from About.com, Heather Cross)

Over 1.3 billion people in China and millions of Chinese around the world celebrate the first day of the

Chinese New Year- February 10, 2013.  It's the most important of Chinese holidays, kicking off a celebration that lasts for 15 days and culminates with the Lantern Festival. On this night of the full moon, families mingle in the streets carrying lighted lanterns, often creating a beautiful light display.

My Chinese Lantern given to me by my friends  Xiaopeng & Lei.

Each year is associated with one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.  For 2013, it's the Year of the Snake.

A month in the Chinese calendar spans a single lunar cycle.  The first day of the month begins during the new moon, when no sunlight falls on the lunar hemisphere that faces the earth.  A lunar cycle, on average, lasts 29.5 days, so lunar month can last 29 or 30 days.  Usually, there are 12 lunar months in a Chinese calendar year.  In order to catch up with the solar calendar, which averages 365.25 days in a year, an extra month is added to the Chinese calendar every two or three years.  As a result, Chinese New Year falls on different days each year.

(from EarthSky.org)

Pot Sticker Soup

I saw a recipe for Pot Sticker Soup in Better Homes and Gardens, namely,  New Years Day Dumpling Soup. I modified the recipe from the online version.  This soup makes a complete meal with the addition of some egg rolls to round it out.  It warms you up on a cold winter's evening.  It will be a great night to curl up in front of the fireplace and savor a hot, steamy bowl of this delicious soup.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of chicken broth
• fresh ginger, 1/2 inch piece (2 teaspoons grated)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded 
• 1- 10 oz. package frozen pot stickers with sauce
• 2 medium carrots or several baby carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch strips to make 1 cup
•  or 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 small bunch green onions, trimmed and diagonally sliced
• 8 ozs. fresh mushrooms
• 3 tbsp. corn starch 
• soy sauce to taste

Printable Version of recipe.  Pot Sticker Soup PDF

Gather the ingredients. 

Pour 2 cartons chicken broth into soup pot and bring to a boil.

Seed and finely dice the jalapeno pepper.

Cut white ends of green onion and slice green stem diagonally.

Reserve some of the green onion for garnish.

Finely grate fresh ginger to make 2 teaspoons.

Add green onions to boiling chicken stock.

Add diced jalapeno pepper.

Add fresh grated ginger.

Cut carrots into thin 2 inch strips.

Slice the mushrooms.

Add mushrooms to the pot.

Add carrots to the soup pot.

In a small bowl empty the seasoning packet from the pot stickers.

Stir 3 tablespoons cornstarch into the seasonings until well blended.

Add the frozen pot stickers into the pot.

Reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook covered for 8-10 minutes until pot stickers are heated through.

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup and simmer until  thickened.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with green onion strips.

Serve with egg rolls.
Happy Chinese New Year!

Enjoy!

These Good Luck Chopsticks in my blog were a wedding gift from my friends, Xiaopeng and Lei.
These particular chopsticks are a message of Good Luck when presented as a gift.  They mean harmonious and long-term marriage.  Two pairs of chopsticks represents faithful companion.
Chopsticks also mean pure friendship when presented to friends.
Thank you, Lei & Xiaopeng, for the lovely wedding gift.