Traditional Wonton Soup
The secret to this soup lies in the temperature of your broth and the snap of the shrimp in the wonton filling. Keep the broth golden and clear, letting the aromatics do the heavy lifting.
Texture is everything
Do not overwork the meat filling; mix it just until the shrimp and pork become a sticky, cohesive paste. Use thin, square egg noodle wrappers for the best bite.
- large soup pot
- mixing bowl
- fine-mesh strainer
- bamboo steamer or slotted spoon
What goes in.
- 1 lbground pork
- 1/2 lbshrimp, peeled, deveined, and minced
- 1 tbspminced ginger
- 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 40square wonton wrappers
- 6 cupschicken stock
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tspwhite pepper
Creating the sticky emulsion
Stir your filling in one direction only. This physical motion creates a tacky, springy texture in the meat that ensures the wonton stays together during the boil.
The method.
Mix the filling
Combine pork, shrimp, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction until the mixture looks like a thick, sticky paste.
Assemble wontons
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Dab the edges with water, fold into a triangle, and press firmly to seal. Twist the two bottom corners together to form a cap shape.
Prepare the broth
Bring the chicken stock to a low simmer. Add a few slices of fresh ginger and a dash of soy sauce. Keep this at a bare simmer while you cook the wontons separately.
Boil the wontons
Drop wontons into a separate pot of boiling water. Once they float to the surface, let them cook for 60 more seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Assemble the bowls
Divide wontons into bowls, ladle the clear, hot broth over them, and garnish with sliced scallions.
Other turns to take.
Vegetarian
Replace pork and shrimp with finely minced shiitake mushrooms and firm tofu, seasoned heavily with white pepper and ginger.
Spicy
Add a teaspoon of chili oil to the broth just before serving for a sharp, heat-forward finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep your unused wonton wrappers under a damp paper towel so they do not dry out and crack while you fold.
If your broth looks murky, strain it through a piece of cheesecloth or a very fine-mesh sieve.
Freeze raw wontons on a parchment-lined tray before transferring to a bag for long-term storage.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why cook the wontons in a separate pot?
Cooking them directly in the broth releases starch from the wrappers, which makes the soup cloudy. Boiling separately keeps the broth clean and professional.
How do I know the filling is cooked through?
The wonton wrapper will turn translucent and slightly crinkled, and the filling will feel firm to a light touch.
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