My Kids Love This 4-Ingredient Dinner (and So Do I)

I don’t remember a time before Trader Joe’s carried its delicious, affordable gyoza. Currently priced at $3.99 per 16-ounce bag, they’re one of my favorite items to have on hand for a fast and simple meal. Whatever your preferred brand of frozen gyoza, potstickers, or other dumplings, I’m happy to share with you my favorite way to enjoy them.

Despite what my five-year-old might tell you, a pile of dumplings does not make for a balanced meal. Cabbage is my green vegetable of choice to pair with gyoza—when it’s sautéed with splashes of soy sauce and oyster sauce, it makes a flavorful and delicious base for a bowl. I halve, core, and cut the cabbage into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons. My kids have so much fun trying to pick up the “cabbage noodles” with their training chopsticks that they aren’t even thinking about having to eat their vegetables.

Once you’ve sliced your cabbage, it only takes about 15 minutes to cook this meal. It’s a bit of a balancing act, since you’ll be sautéeing the cabbage while the gyoza steam-fry in another pan. Set a timer so you don’t burn the bottoms of the gyoza. And when you add the water to the gyoza, have your lid ready in your other hand to cover the skillet immediately to avoid any oil splatters.

Easy Tweaks

Vegetables plus dumplings is a great formula and easy to vary based on what you have on hand. Bite-sized broccoli florets, cauliflower rice, green beans, or sliced asparagus can take the place of the cabbage. While I usually go for pork or chicken gyoza, just about any Asian-style dumpling can top your vegetables. Vegetable gyoza, potstickers, soup dumplings, and shumai are all good options.