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I partnered with Bibigo USA to develop an elegant, spring-themed way to dress up their Chicken & Vegetable Steamed Dumplings. These dumplings are super convenient and already so presentable with their lovely pleats, so I wanted to come up with a way of serving them that supplemented but didn’t distract from the flavor of the dumplings. I decided to make a broth with springtime alliums—chives, onions, and leeks—celebrating their flavor when they are young, mild, and sweet at this time of year. I was very excited that the chives growing in my backyard had just started to blossom when I shot this recipe! I think their tiny little lavender-colored flowers are so pretty on top of this dish, don’t you?

Note: I developed this recipe before my city, as well as much of the country, adopted stay-at-home protocols for helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I acknowledge that fresh produce and specialty ingredients may be less available with minimized grocery store visits, but that dressing up some tasty frozen dumplings may still be very welcomed at this time. Here are some recommended substitutions for ingredients in this recipe:

• If spring onions are unavailable, scallions, also known as green onions, are a good substitute.

• Soju may be replaced by any sweet cooking wine. This ingredient can also be replaced with 1 teaspoon of sugar.

• Any prepared canned or boxed broth may be used for this recipe in place of bone broth.

And speaking of scallions, most store-bought ones still have their roots attached to the bulb, making them very easy to regrow at home. The next time you use some, cut off and reserve about a 2–3 inch piece on the bottom, including the bulb and roots. Place these bottoms in a tall glass and submerge the bulb and roots in water. Give them a little time and sunlight and you’ll see new green shoots start to emerge.

If you have a bit of outdoor space, I also recommend growing your own chives! I bought a little seedling plant maybe 7 years ago or so, when I first started planting vegetables in my backyard, and I have had a constant supply of chives ever since. Because they bloom and the seeds easily self-sow, I’ve had little chive plants pop up all over the place, and they have done really well when transplanted into pots or other parts of the garden. They would do great in a small pot on a sunny balcony, and then in the spring and summer, you’ll have beautiful little flowers to garnish with, too.

Ingredients

4 packages Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable Steamed Dumplings
1 large leak, washed and chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp soju
2 1/2 cups bone broth
2–3 chives, chopped

Procedure

In a large saucepan on low heat, combine butter, leeks, spring onions, and shallot. Allow to sweat gently for 5 minutes, then add garlic and stir. Cover and sweat for an additional 10 minutes, stirring halfway.

Stir in soju and allow most of the liquid to cook away. Then add bone broth and simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Prepare steamed dumplings according to package instructions.

Divide spring onion broth into 4 shallow bowls. Arrange 6 steamed dumplings in each bowl. Sprinkle chives on top to garnish.

Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!