Wonton Soup

I love pasta and dumplings. I love all shapes and sizes from around the world. Italy's spaghetti, ravioli, gnocci, and lasagna. Asian delicacies of pad thai, wontons, soba/somen, udon, pho, and ramen. Polish pierogi. Turkish manti. Plus many I have yet to try.

One of my favorite dishes is Wonton soup. A childhood favorite. Now I can enjoy Wonton soup at home with this easy recipe.

Wonton Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Wontons
½ pound pork, ground
2 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon chili oil (optional - alternatively use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
24 3-3 1/2" square wonton skins

Soup
3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
3 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
3 baby bok choy (roughly chopped)
1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Method

1. In a large non reactive bowl, combine the wonton ingredients. Stir in one direction or mix with your hands until combined. Allow the flavors to meld for 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Get a wet cloth or paper towel and a small bowl of water. Cover the waiting wonton wrappers with a wet towel. Select one wonton skin at a time. Fill with about one teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wonton. Dip a finger in the water bowl and moisten the four edges of the wonton skin. Fold to press corner to corner, forming a right triangle. Take remaining left and right edges, moisten and bring together, overlapping over the plump belly of the dumpling. Alternatively, fill center. Fold in half. Bring corners to to center of folded edge to form a crescent moon.
   
3. Bring chicken stock and soup ingredients to a rapid boil. Drop in wontons. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the dumplings float. Add sesame seed oil and chili oil for a hint of depth to the soup broth.
   

How to Fold a Wonton Pics (coming eventually...)

Note: About Wonton Skins
Pre-packaged wonton wrappers are genius. The wonton wrappers are made from flour, eggs, and water. You could make them yourself, but I've never had the gusto to do so. I just pick up a packet in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually by the ethnic foods or by the tofu. Once you've opened the packet and are workign with the skins, cover the stack with a damp cloth to keep them moist. You can refridgerate extra wrappers for a week, or several months in the freezer. Just make sure to thaw them completely before using. Cost between $2-$5 for a 12 ounce package.

Tips

• Don’t eat pork and or shrimp? Chicken is a delicious substitute in this recipe. I use boneless leg and thigh meat in this recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, All Recipes has easy to follow instructions on how to debone a chicken thigh or you can ask your butcher to do it for you. Place the meat in your food processor with a sharp blade. Pulse until the chicken is ground. I’ve tried using ground turkey before, but I didn’t quite care for it.
  

• Want to save some for later? First, line a pan with a baking sheet. Disburse wontons, making sure none touch. Place in freezer overnight. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Wontons can be frozen for up to 2-4 weeks.

Nutritional Information
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving 254g
Calories: 377
Total Fat: 18.0g
Cholesterol: 483mg
Sodium: 620mg
Total Carbs: 4.2g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2gProtein: 48.3g

Where to eat Wonton Soup

Chef Chu’s
1067 N San Antonio Rd
Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: (650) 948-2696
www.chefchu.com

Chef Chu’s has my favorite bbq pork wonton soup. It’s one of the restaurants I grew up with. Way back in the day, my Dad used to do some tax work for Mr. Chu himself. So, we'd frequent the place. A few years back, Chef Chu catered a friends wedding. The quality of the food was just as good as I had remembered. Plus there were many special dishes that I hadn't had before. That banquet had some of the best food I've ever had at a wedding.