Wonton soup is a Chinese dish of thin dumpling wrappers filled with seasoned pork and shrimp, cooked and served in a clear, fragrant broth. You make it by mixing the filling, folding wontons by hand, cooking them separately in boiling water, then serving them in a ginger and scallion infused broth.
Wontons themselves date back over a thousand years in Chinese cooking and appear across nearly every regional cuisine in some form, though the light, clear broth version is most associated with Cantonese cooking. It's a dish found everywhere from street stalls to formal restaurants.
It's comforting, relatively quick once you get the folding technique down, and a good project for involving other people in the kitchen since folding wontons is easy to do together.
What Actually Matters
Cooking the wontons in a separate pot of plain boiling water rather than directly in the serving broth is what keeps the final broth clear and clean tasting instead of cloudy and starchy. The wrapper sheds starch as it cooks, and that starch belongs in the discard water, not your broth.
The Recipe
Serves 4. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- 20 wonton wrappers
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 6 medium shrimp, chopped
- 1 scallion, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch of white pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 inch ginger, sliced
- 1 scallion, for the broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, for the broth
- Salt, to taste
- Baby bok choy, for serving
Method
- Mix the pork, shrimp, scallion, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.
- Place a teaspoon of filling in each wrapper, wet the edges, and fold and seal into wontons.
- Simmer the stock with the sliced ginger and scallion for 10 minutes, then season with soy sauce and salt.
- Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the wontons 4 to 5 minutes until they float and the filling is cooked through.
- Blanch the bok choy briefly in the same water.
- Divide the wontons and bok choy among bowls and ladle the hot broth over.
Nutrition (Per Serving, Estimated)
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 320 | 22g | 12g | 28g |
These values are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not lab verified figures.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
Uncooked wontons freeze very well on a tray, then bagged once solid, for up to two months, and can go straight from freezer to boiling water. The broth keeps refrigerated for up to four days. Assemble fresh rather than storing cooked wontons in broth, since the wrappers get soft and mushy if left sitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze the wontons?
Yes, freeze them uncooked on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Cook straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cooking time.
Why is my broth cloudy?
The wontons were likely cooked directly in the broth instead of separate boiling water. Cooking them separately keeps the broth clear.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes, use a mushroom and tofu filling and vegetable stock in place of the meat and chicken stock.
What's the easiest wonton fold for beginners?
A simple triangle fold, pressing the edges to seal, is the easiest and still holds the filling well during cooking.
More from Wine Drop Cookery
- Chinese Recipes, the full hub of Chinese dishes on the site
- Soup and Chowder Recipes, more soups on the site
- Kitchen Essentials for a good stockpot
I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
If a recipe is missing something you needed, or a step didn't make sense, tell me. Get in touch and I'll fix it.
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