Soup | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

These I have gathered have gotten to be quite popular especially due to a semi viral “hack” about them on social media like Instagram and TikTok.

The hack is basically you cook these in chicken broth and drizzle with chile oil. So basically chicken dumplings in chicken soup. Almost like they were wontons.

I previously reviewed the other version of these that Trader Joe’s has, the more typical pork version of these dumplings. Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings. I thought I would give these Chicken Dumpling versions a try as well.

OK, they are decent as long as I really just think of them as another kind of dumpling and not specifically “soup dumplings” aka “xiao long bao” or XLB, those prized jewels of the Chinese dumpling art. I am a huge fan, a devotee of XLB. Any good xiao long bao as I previously mentioned in that other review about TJ’s Pork Soup Dumplings.

I made these chicken soup dumpling two ways. First, the simple, classic way of just steaming them, then enjoying with a dipping sauce. For what they are and what they cost, I would say they were not bad (If not really “soup dumplings”). Round chicken dumplings.

Next I wanted to try this viral hack going around…. So I also made them this time cooked in chicken broth.

Yes, cooking the dumplings in chicken broth gives these an edge. First, serving them this way makes these into more of a meal or “dinner” rather than being an appetizer or snack.

I actually had some of my own homemade chicken broth which I had made a few days before, and let’s face it that obviously helped improve the whole dish. Tip 1: use good chicken broth.

PROS- I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty I actually found the chicken filling in these dumplings. The filling is definitely a step up. Very rich and meaty tasting having a good amount of chicken and really being loaded with ginger. The ginger gives these a great taste. The filling in these is so much better, compared to the standard Trader Joe’s chicken gyoza/dumplings (plastic bag, $4). No comparison. These cost more and you can taste the difference. So for the upgraded chicken Filling, I give these a big plus.

CONS – Where these lose ground with me, are the actual wrappers. I wish they had better quality wrappers. The dough wrapper here just turned too soft and mushy too easily. Yes maybe thats just what sitting in hot soup does to them, though frankly I must have eaten a thousand bowls of steaming hot wonton soup in my lifetime and never find the wrappers as soft and mushy as these became. Second, the “chicken soup” in them? Minimal. At best. Not nearly enough soup inside (though if eaten in broth, this may be a moot point, I admit).

An authentic soup dumpling has perhaps a tablespoon or more of liquid. These had maybe a teaspoon if that? These are fairly flat, like little pucks while real XLB are round and a bit tall, so can fit more stuffing inside. Real XLB you can be picked up with chopsticks (see pic) – which is next to impossible with these Trader Joe’s “soup dumplings” as they just don’t have enough extra dough at the top, as you can see in this authentic Xiao Long Bao.

(what an authentic soup dumpling looks like, image from Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. See how much filling and soup they have?)

The fact is unlike many kinds of dumplings, xiao long bao don’t really freeze well. The wrappers are delicate. So real ones are almost always made fresh to order. As far as frozen xiao long bao, I’ve had them from supposedly high end vendors, but did not find any equal to eating them fresh in a restaurant by a long shot.

HOW TO COOK Trader Joe’s STEAMED CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS:

Steamed in Microwave: Follow the package directions to put them in the microwave for a little less than two minutes right in the tray they come in.

Stovetop: I made them in this traditional way, in a steamer basket. Steam for 8-10 minutes until very hot.

Cooking In Chicken Broth: If you are doing the viral hack of making these in chicken broth, unless you have some good homemade broth, I would suggest getting the best quality chicken broth you can buy. Most broth in cartons are just OK. Nothing like homemade. I have found the Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Chicken Broth to be “just ok”. FYI, The NY Times said that Target’s GOOD AND PLENTY broth was among the best of store bought chicken broths in a carton. Yes you would be adding a bit of soy sauce and chili oil which will give things a bit more of a taste. Rather than the typical carton broth which everyone is showing you they pour on these dumplings, I would suggest trying Trader Joe’s BONE BROTH (sold in the refrigerated case, $5). I have found that broth pretty good, closer to home made chicken stock than TJ’s carton broths. Real chicken broths gel up when cold from the collagen in bones. The TJ Bone Broth is a bit gelled.

https://momsdish.com/recipe/530/easy-homemade-chicken-broth

Add a bit of soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil (my chili oil of choice would be the real deal: Lao Gan Ma) over Trader Joe’s CHILI CRISP but it can do it a pinch.

Again if you think of these not really as XLB but as decent frozen chicken dumplings I would say these are worth trying, especially if you try the viral dumplings in soup with chili oil hack/recipe.

Trader Joe’s STEAMED CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS $3.49 (for six dumplings)

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Funny thing is a few weeks ago, my neighbor asked me to see if Trader Joe’s had Oyster Crackers. I told her I was pretty sure they didn’t but the next time I went there I would check for her. I checked TJ’s and nope, I didn’t see anything like them among the many, many kinds of crackers they offered. But I saw them at Fairway so I ended up buying oyster crackers there. I got sticker shock at the price, which was over $4 for a box.

Then funny enough maybe a week later, I’m looking around Trader Joe’s cracker section and saw the above on the shelf. Trader Joe’s “Soup and Oyster Crackers!” Did they read my mind? Is this a new product? Anyway TJ’s has them now and they are about 1/2 the price of the other ones I bought at Fairway.

What are Oyster Crackers you ask? A simple little round cracker shaped like an oyster kind of like a Saltine. I’ve seen them as long as I can remember, since I was a kid. They are a traditional American cracker, very popular for soups, chili, stews, clam chowder You used to usually get a pack of these if you ordered soup in a diner or restaurant. Pretty classic. Maybe they are even a bit Retro by now ready to become cool.