Easy Wonton Soup
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Homemade wonton soup is a comforting dish that combines delicious hand-folded wontons with a light and savory broth. The wontons are filled with a fragrant pork mixture.
We eat a lot of Asian food in our house because it’s one of my favorite things to make. I find it to be easy to make and a lot of the meals are ready in under 30 minutes.
While typically I choose to make something like Beef and Broccoli or Sweet and Sour Chicken, sometimes I like to try my hand at Asian soups. The soup I make the most is Hot and Sour Soup.
However, I wanted to make something different but with a similar base. The one soup I kept thinking of was Wonton Soup.
What are wontons?
Wontons are a type of Chinese dumpling made by wrapping a thin dough around a savory filling. The filling is usually made from pork or shrimp, ginger, garlic, green onions, and some type of sauce. They can be boiled in a soup, fried and served with a dipped sauce, or steamed.
When I was a kid and we would go to Chinese restaurants I would never eat anything except a bowl of pineapple and a bit of wonton soup. That makes this soup pretty nostalgic for me plus it’s a classic soup at most Asian restaurants.
The nice thing about this recipe is that the wontons can be made ahead of time and frozen. This means you can make a huge batch of wontons and use them for soup multiple times or you can make your wontons weeks in advance.
How do you freeze wontons?
I like to flash freeze my wontons. This simply means that I make them, put them on a baking sheet, and freeze for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes I remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 6 months. When ready to use simply place them in boiling soup for 5-10 minutes then enjoy.
When I made my wontons I decided to use ground pork because it really takes on the flavor of the seasonings you use. You can also use pork loin that is minces or shrimp that is minced.
Ingredients:
- chicken broth (you can also use vegetable broth)
- mushrooms (baby bella or white mushrooms are fine)
- water chestnuts
- green onions or chives
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
- garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- wonton wrappers (you can also use egg roll wrappers and cut them to size)
- ground pork (you can also use pork loin or shrimp)
- chile paste (optional if you don’t like spice)
- oyster sauce (a thick, brown sauce with a savory and slightly sweet flavor)
- fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
- corn starch
I usually make my wontons the day before I make the soup but you can make everything the same day, it will just take you longer.
Once the soup is boiling and the wontons are made you can put them into the soup and let them boil for 5-10 minutes or until they are cooked through and the pork in the center is hot as well.
How do you fold a wonton?
You can fold a wonton in one of two ways. The first way is simply fill and then bring opposite corners together so that they make a triangle. If you want to get fancy pull in two of the triangle corners to make a nurses cap look. Use water to seal the wontons.
This soup is simple but delicious. The mushrooms and green onions add flavor to the broth. The water chestnuts add a bit of crunch to the soup.
The wontons are definitely the star of the show. Spicy and savory pork is so flavorful in the center of the delicate dumpling. They add a heartiness to the soup.
How do you store the soup?
I like to store the soup broth in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I prefer to store the wontons separately in the freezer until I am ready to enjoy them. Then I simply put them in the boiling soup before eating.
We enjoyed our wonton soup with homemade egg rolls and store bought crab rangoons. We’ve also had it with fried rice when we want something a little heartier to serve with it.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Wontons:
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground chili paste
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
For the Soup:
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
- 1 8 oz can water chestnuts, chopped
- 5 green onions chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat cook the ground pork for 5-7 minutes or until it is cooked through.
- Add the soy sauce, chili paste, oyster sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic cloves and mix well. Heat for one minute.
- Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and add the cornstarch. Stir until well combined.
- Lay the wonton wrappers on a cutting board or other surface. Put a teaspoon of filling in each wonton, moisten the edges with water, and press firmly to seal into a triangle. Repeat until all the wonton wrappers have been used.
- To make the soup combine the chicken broth, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a large stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cover. Heat for 15 minutes.
- Before serving add the wontons to the boiling soup and cook for 5 minutes.
- Divide the soup between bowls and sprinkle with additional green onions if desired.
Notes
This looks very authentic! Great job! Thanks for linking to Foodie Friday. Not Your Ordinary Recipes