How to Make Wonton Soup

This Wonton Soup is easy (I have a shortcut!) light, hearty and comforting bursting with the most flavorful, juicy wontons you have to taste to believe. 

Bring your favorite restaurant Wonton Soup into the comfort of your own home where it tastes 1000X better and is completely customizable!  This Wonton Soup is loaded wontons stuffed with juicy pork, ginger, garlic soy sauce, green onions, etc. swimming in a garlic, ginger, soy spiked broth.  You also have the option of adding shrimp, bok choy, mushrooms and carrots to your soup for a veggie packed meal.  I’ve included step by step photos, easy to follow instructions, and how to freeze wontons for an easy meal any night of the week!

 

Homemade Wonton Soup Recipe

Wonton Soup is one of my absolutely favorite soups.  I love how fresh yet richly soothing it is at the same time.  I love the layers of textures and flavors in one bite from the juicy, plump dumpling followed by the hot aromatic broth.  It is the type of soup that you wish you could recreate at home because it is soooooo good.  And now you can.

Nothing is better than fakeout takeout at home from Laksa, Beef and Broccoli to Mongolian Chicken to Wonton Soup!  This Wonton Soup might taste laboriously delicious, but I promise the filling takes less than 5 minutes to whip up in your food processor!  All that is really left to do is assemble the wontons, and as soon as you make a couple, you will have them mastered and the task will fly by.  You can even enlist the help of your kiddos OR pull them out of the freezer you have made earlier.  Either way, the end result is HOMEMADE Wonton Soup made with only the freshest ingredients, no fillers, just flavor.

Homemade Wonton Soup Ingredients

Wontons originated from Northern China but the filling varies from region to region.   I’ve stuck with the most common winner of juicy ground pork and seasoned it with plenty of aromatics.  The filling is soooo flavorful, I could eat it with a spoon and SO good, I’ve adapted it slightly to use in my homemade Potstickers recipe.  If you want to taste the filling before it’s been wrapped, you can microwave a little bit to sample  – addicting I tell you – and even more tantalizing when its wrapped in a tender wonton and cooked in seasoned broth.

For this Wonton Soup recipe, we are going to stuff our Wontons with:

• shiitake mushrooms
• green onions
• ginger
• garlic cloves
• ground pork – lean is fine
• 1 large egg yolk
• reduced sodium soy sauce
• sesame oil
• rice wine vinegar
• rice wine (NOT rice wine vinegar)
• Asian chili sauce (optional)
• salt
• pepper

You can leave the garlic and ginger peeled but whole and you don’t need to chop your green onions or mushroom either because of my shortcut below.

The only ingredient you might have a question about is rice wine.  I explain this in all my posts because I tend to always get questions about it.  Rice wine is NOT rice vinegar- DO NOT switch them out.  Rice wine adds a sweetness and depth of flavor.  Rice vinegar, on the other hand will add an acidic flavor.  I use “Kikkoman Aji-Mirin: Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning” which is commonly found in the Asian section of most grocery stores or you can Amazon it.  I highly suggest you google image before you head off to the grocery store so you know exactly what you are looking for.  The best substitute for rice wine is pale dry sherry.

Wonton Wrappers

Wonton Wrappers should easily be found at any grocery store, and definitely at specialty Asian markets.  At my grocery store(s), the wonton wrappers are located near the produce, at the end of the aisle in the refrigerated section.  You will need approximately 38-42 wonton wrappers for this Wonton Soup recipe so be sure to check how many are in the package before you buy them.  Depending on the brand of wontons wrappers you purchase you will need one or two packages.

How to Make Wonton Filling

You are going to LOVE my wonton filling shortcut!   Instead of chopping all of the veggies, I use the same shortut I use when I make egg roll filling – we add everything whole to the food processor – no chopping!  This method makes our wontong filling come together in minutes!  WINNING!

To make Wonton Filling:

1. Add mushrooms, green onions, ginger and garlic to food processor.

2. Pulse until finely chopped.

3. Add ground pork, egg yolk, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, rice wine vinegar, Asian Chili sauce, salt and pepper.

4. Pulse until combined but not pasty.

How easy was that?!

How to Wrap Wontons

Wrapping Wontons is easy!  There really is no right or wrong way to wrap your wontons as far as the shape goes because they will mostly loose their shape once cooked.  We just want to assemble them in such a way that they stay sealed.      Here is my easy method:

1. Working on a flat, dry surface, lay out 4-6 wonton wrappers.  Keep remaining wontons covered with plastic wrap or in a large freezer bag.
2. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper.  I use a heaping ½ tablespoon for convenience and eye ball it.

3. Working with one wonton at a time, brush the top 2 sides of wonton with water with your finger.

4. Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton together (2 dry, 2 wet) to form a triangle and enclose the filling, pinching edges of the wrapper together to firmly a seal, pressing out any air.

5. Moisten opposite corners of the long side of triangle and fold them down.

6. Then fold the edges across one another then pinch to seal together.

7. Place finished wontons on parchment paper and cover with a damp paper towel or damp towel.

8. Assemble remaining wontons in the same manner.

Tips to Prevent Wontons from Tearing

There are a couple tricks to keeping wontons sealed:

1. Make sure your wonton wrappers don’t become brittle at any point.  You will want to keep any wrappers you are not immediately working with under a damp cloth or in a sealed bag.  Once the wonton wrappers are filled, you will want to keep them under a damp cloth.
2. Don’t use too much water to seal the wontons.  Too much water will cause the edges to not stick together.  Only lightly dampen one edge and fasten it to a dry edge.
3. Once you finish filling a batch of wontons and remove them to parchement paper, wipe your work area with a paper towel so it is dry every time you start making a new batch of wontons.
4. Don’t overcook your wontons.  Wontons easily tear when they overcook.  You will want to remove them from the broth as soon as they are cooked to serving bowls and then ladle broth to the individual bowls (and not let them sit like the pic below – it is strictly artistic 🙂 )

CAN I MAKE EXTRA AND FREEZE THE WONTONS?

Freezing the wontons creates a fabulous easy-dinner option for all those busy nights.  To freeze wontons:

• Place assembled, uncooked wontons on a parchment-lined baking sheet/plate (whatever will fit in your freezer) without touching.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
• Freeze wontons until solid, about 1 hour.
• Transfer wontons to a freezer bag.
• Cook wontons directly from frozen in hot broth.

Wonton Soup Broth

The broth is warm, comforting, soothing and the perfect bath for our wontons.  The Wonton Soup Broth consists of:

• garlic:
• ginger
• scallions
• low sodium chicken broth
• low sodium soy sauce
• rice wine
• brown sugar

Make sure you use low sodium chicken broth and low sodium soy sauce or else your broth will taste to salty.

We start making our broth very first so it can simmer and develop flavor while we prep our wontons.

• You will saute carrots (optional),  ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes in a large soup pot/Dutch oven.

• Add chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, and brown sugar and bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer while you make your wontons.

• I prefer to cook my wontons directly in the broth because both the dough and the filing absorb the flavorful broth while they cook, rendering the filling mega juicy.  Whether you choose this method or boil your wontons in water, you will want to remove them as soon as they are cooked so they don’t continue to absorb liquid and become soggy and fall apart.

What Vegetables are in Wonton Soup?

Wonton Soup is delicious in its simplicity or the hot, savory broth creates a flavorful base for other add-ins such as shrimp, noodles or vegetables.     For this Wonton Soup recipe, I’ve added my favorites of shrimp, carrots, mushrooms, bok choy and green onions.  You can easily swap the bok-choy for spinach, or add/swap in bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, snow or snap peas.

Easy Wonton Soup Recipe variations

CAN I USE FROZEN WONTONS TO MAKE WONTON SOUP?

The star of this Homemade Wonton Soup is the wonton filling but if you don’t have time to make your own wontons, you can make semi-homemade Wonton Soup and use frozen wontons.   Make the broth according to directions and add frozen wontons when specified.  The frozen wontons will take a few extra minutes to cook.

Looking for more Chinese Recipes? 

• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Chinese Chicken Salad
• General Tso’s Chicken
• Chinese Cashew Chicken
• Sweet Fire Chicken
• Ginger Chicken with Honey Lemon Glaze

Looking for more Asian Soup Recipes?

• Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
• Tom Kha Gai
• Miso Soup with Chicken, Noodles and Veggies
• Slow Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Thai Butternut  Squash Soup

WANT TO TRY THIS WONTON RECIPE?

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

Tools Used in This Recipe

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Dutch Oven 7.25 qt. (White)

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Soup Ladle

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Teak Wood Cutting Board

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Food Processor

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Wooden Spatula Set

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Liquid measuring cup (8 cups)

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Garlic Press

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Glass Mixing Bowl Set

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See Favorite Tools

Homemade Wonton Soup

Bring your favorite restaurant Wonton Soup into the comfort of your own home where it tastes 1000X better and is completely customizable!  This Wonton Soup is loaded wontons stuffed with juicy pork, ginger, garlic soy sauce, green onions, etc. swimming in a garlic, ginger, soy spiked broth.  You also have the option of adding shrimp, bok choy, mushrooms and carrots to your soup for a veggie packed meal.  I’ve included step by step photos, easy to follow instructions, and how to freeze wontons for an easy meal any night of the week!

Servings: 6 – 8 bowls

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Wontons

• 38-42 wonton wrappers
• 3.5 oz. pkg. shiitake mushrooms
• 4 green onions
• 1/2″ peeled ginger
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 16 oz. ground pork lean is fine
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons rice wine may sub dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

SOUP

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 medium carrots sliced
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• 9 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed (optional)
• 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms sliced (optional)
• 3 Scallions chopped
• 4 heads baby bok choy chopped into bite-size pieces (approx. 3 cups) (optional)

Instructions

Broth

• In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, and brown sugar and bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes while you prep your wontons.

Wonton Filling

• Add mushrooms, green onions, ginger and garlic to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add ground pork and all remaining filling ingredients and pulse until combined but not pasty.
• Assemble: (SEE PHOTOS IN POST):
• Fill a small bowl with cool water. Lay out a baking sheet size sheet of parchment paper (to lay finished wontons on).
• Working on a flat, dry surface, lay out 4-6 wonton wrappers. Keep remaining wontons covered with plastic wrap or in a large freezer bag. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper (I use a heaping ½ tablespoon for convenience and eye ball it).
• Working with one wonton at a time, brush the top 2 sides of wonton with water with your finger.
• Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton together (2 dry, 2 wet) to form a triangle and enclose the filling, pinching edges of the wrapper together to firmly a seal, pressing out any air.
• Moisten opposite corners of the long side of triangle and fold them down then and across one another then pinch to seal together.
• Place finished wontons on parchment paper and cover with a damp paper towel or damp towel. Assemble remaining wontons in the same manner.

Soup

• Bring soup broth to a boil. Add shrimp, and mushrooms to soup then gently add wontons using a slotted spoon. Cook for 4 minutes or until they float and pork filling is cooked through. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon straight to serving bowls (it is okay if you get some veggies/shrimp with your wontons). I use about 6-8 wontons per bowl.
• Add bok choy and green onions to soup and cook 1 minute.
• Ladle soup over wontons and serve immediately. Do not let wontons sit in broth before serving or they will become soggy and fall apart.

Notes

TIPS TO PREVENT WONTONS FROM TEARING

There are a couple tricks to keeping wontons sealed:

1. Make sure your wonton wrappers don’t become brittle at any point.  You will want to keep any wrappers you are not immediately working with under a damp cloth or in a sealed bag.  Once the wonton wrappers are filled, you will want to keep them under a damp cloth.
2. Don’t use too much water to seal the wontons.  Too much water will cause the edges to not stick together.  Only lightly dampen one edge and fasten it to a dry edge.
3. Once you finish filling a batch of wontons and remove them to parchement paper, wipe your work area with a paper towel so it is dry every time you start making a new batch of wontons.
4. Don’t overcook your wontons.  Wontons easily tear when they overcook.  You will want to remove them from the broth as soon as they are cooked to serving bowls and then ladle broth to the individual bowls.

CAN I USE FROZEN WONTONS TO MAKE WONTON SOUP?

The star of this Homemade Wonton Soup is the wonton filling but if you don’t have time to make your own wontons, you can make semi-homemade Wonton Soup and use frozen wontons.   Make the broth according to directions and add frozen wontons when specified.  The frozen wontons will take a few extra minutes to cook.

CAN I MAKE EXTRA AND FREEZE THE WONTONS?

Freezing the wontons creates a fabulous easy-dinner option for all those busy nights.  To freeze wontons:

• Place assembled, uncooked wontons on a parchment-lined baking sheet/plate (whatever will fit in your freezer) without touching.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
• Freeze wontons until solid, about 1 hour.
• Transfer wontons to a freezer bag.
• Cook wontons directly from frozen in hot broth.

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