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A high-protein cottage cheese dumpling bowl in ten minutes

By Philipp Chaykin

Master’s in restaurant and hotel management · 14 years in the U.S. restaurant market

Last updated October 29, 2026

Cottage cheese sounds like an odd partner for dumplings until you taste it with chili crisp and scallion. It acts like a cool, salty sauce under hot filling.

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Recipe

1 bowl10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 frozen chicken dumplings
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 teaspoon chili crisp
  • 1/3 cup shelled edamame
  • 1/4 cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1 scallion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Steps

  1. Steam the dumplings according to the package, usually 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Stir the cottage cheese with chili crisp and half of the scallion.
  3. Warm the edamame in the steamer for the last 2 minutes.
  4. Spoon the cottage cheese into a bowl. Add cucumber, edamame and dumplings.
  5. Finish with soy sauce and the rest of the scallion.

Why it works

Cottage cheese brings creaminess and salt, the dumplings bring meat and chew, and edamame and cucumber add crunch. There is no cooking beyond steaming the dumplings, which makes it a weeknight option.

We use chicken dumplings because they are the mildest. If you prefer plants, vegan dumplings work the same way. See the vegetarian and vegan guide for what to look for when you eat out.

Variations

Swap edamame for steamed broccoli. Use plain Greek yogurt for a smoother base. Add a spoonful of the dipping sauce over the top for acidity.

Make it ahead

Steam a batch of dumplings on Sunday, store them in a sealed container, and reheat in the microwave under a damp paper towel. Keep the cottage cheese and cucumber separate until you eat. Assembled bowls go soggy.

The bowl holds a lot of protein for a short cooking time. Check the nutrition labels on your dumplings and cottage cheese for exact figures, since brands vary.

Questions people ask

Can I use homemade dumplings?

Yes. Steam them fresh or cook from frozen using our freezing guide.

Is this really high protein?

Chicken dumplings and cottage cheese both contribute protein. Check your package labels for exact numbers.

Can I make it vegan?

Swap in vegan dumplings and a plant-based cottage cheese or tofu crumble.

Keep reading

This bowl works best with dumplings that have a little crunch, so the air-fried frozen dumpling method is the one to use if you have ten extra minutes. When you want something warmer and saucier from the same freezer bag, the one-pan dumpling curry bake feeds more people with almost no extra work.

On nights you would rather someone else did the folding, the soup dumplings and dim sum on the Ugly Dumpling menu with prices are the restaurant version of this idea, and the location directory shows the closest restaurant to you.