wonton soup

Wonton soup is a comforting classic: delicate, silky dumplings filled with seasoned pork and shrimp, floating in a deeply savory, clear broth infused with ginger, garlic, and scallions. While making wontons from scratch is a fun culinary project, it yields a restaurant-quality bowl that is remarkably light and warming.

Ingredients

For the Wonton Filling:

• 8 oz (225g) ground pork (preferably with a little fat for juiciness)
• 4 oz (115g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and minced finely (optional, but adds great texture)
• 1 tbsp finely minced green onion (scallion)
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp white pepper and a pinch of salt
• 1 package square wonton wrappers

For the Soup Broth:

• 6 cups good-quality chicken bone broth or vegetable stock
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce or salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Sliced green onions and baby bok choy (for serving)

Instructions

1. Mix the Wonton Filling

2. Wrap the Wontons

• Lay a wonton wrapper flat on a clean surface. Place a small teaspoon of filling (about 1 teaspoon) right in the center—do not overfill, or they will burst.
• Dip your finger in a small bowl of water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.
• Fold the wrapper diagonally in half to create a triangle, pressing the edges firmly to seal out any air pockets.
• Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together, overlap them, dab a tiny drop of water, and press them together to form a classic “nurse’s cap” or ingot shape. Repeat until all filling is used.

3. Simmer the Broth

4. Cook the Wontons

• Bring a separate large pot of plain water to a rolling boil.
• Drop the wontons in gently, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom.
• Once the water returns to a boil and the wontons float to the top, cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the pork and shrimp are fully cooked through.
• Pro tip: Add a splash of cold water to the pot once they start boiling; this helps cook the wrappers evenly without overcooking the filling.

5. Assemble and Serve

• If using baby bok choy, blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 1 minute.
• Divide the cooked wontons and bok choy among warm serving bowls.
• Ladle the hot, clear broth over the wontons.
• Drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame oil and garnish generously with freshly chopped green onions and a pinch of white pepper.