Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert€”we’ve got an all-dumpling, globally inspired menu to take you from morning ’til night.

Potstickers, gnocchi, perogies—the humble dumpling’s simplicity is what enables its boundless versatility. We’ve reached across continents and traditions to bring you five ultimate dumpling recipes so you can enjoy these doughy wonders for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

1. Bacon, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Dumplings

Soft egg-and-sausage-filled dumplings make a tasty breakfast nosh. This perogy-like dough could enclose any number of ingredients—to make vegetarian dumplings, sauté peppers, mushrooms or other veggies to use in place of the sausage, and omit the bacon.

2. Squash and Chickpea Dumplings

Similar to falafel, these soft vegetable dumplings are made with grated squash and chickpeas, browned like meatballs and simmered in tomato sauce. They’re delicious on their own or on a bed of grains, or omit the tomato sauce and serve as bite-sized appetizers.

3. Old-Fashioned Chicken Stew with Dumplings

Chicken stew is a classic vehicle for doughy dumplings that steam on top as the stew simmers. Similar to chicken pot pie with dumplings instead of pastry, it’s the ultimate comfort dish when the weather turns chilly.

4. Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai Soup Dumplings)

If you’ve ever been out for dim sum, you’ve likely tried xiao long bao—soup dumplings filled with a nugget of seasoned pork and a burst of warm broth. It’s a staple of Shanghai cuisine and something most people don’t make at home, because it’s no easy feat to get soup inside a dumpling. Except, that is, when the stock is chilled and gelled—add a cube or two of flavourful chicken gel as you fill your dumpling (the ham or sausage alongside adds flavour), and it re-liquefies as the dumplings steam. It’s like molecular gastronomy before that was even a thing.

5. Blackberry-Blueberry Grunt

Blueberry grunt is a classic Eastern Canadian dessert, named for the sound the dumplings make as they cook on top of a pot of simmering berries. To make on the stovetop, simmer fruit in a large, deep skillet until it starts to break down and release its juices, then drop the dumpling batter in spoonfuls on the surface, cover and cook until they’re springy to the touch. Or if you like crunchy, golden biscuits on top, bake in the oven. Make sure you have vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on hand to dollop on top.

Doughs and Don’ts

1. Avoid the Re-roll: Cutting and re-rolling the dough can make your finished dumplings tough. To eliminate scraps, roll the dough into logs, cut the log into pieces and then roll each piece.2. Wrap Hack: If dumpling wrappers don’t stick (most are coated with a layer of cornstarch), add another drop of water.3. You Better Shape Up: Made with flour and water, dumpling wrappers can be labeled as such, or as gyoza wrappers, which are round, and wonton wrappers, which are square. They can generally be used interchangeably—but their thickness varies slightly between brands and varieties.

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