Wonton Soup
This wonton soup is the ultimate comfort food—cozy, light, and bursting with savory ginger and scallion flavor. Tender pork-filled dumplings float in a fragrant, clean broth that tastes like it simmered for hours, yet it comes together in just 35 minutes. It's the perfect remedy for a bad day, delivering takeout satisfaction with fresher, more customizable ingredients.
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Medium pot for boiling the wontons
- Mixing bowl for the filling
- Small bowl for sealing water
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer for lifting wontons
- Sheet pan lined with parchment for holding folded wontons
- Bamboo steamer basket (optional) optional, for steaming extra dumplings or reheating
- Food processor (optional) optional, for grinding your own pork
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground pork about 225g, preferably 20% fat
- 2 tablespoons napa cabbage finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon scallions minced, plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce for filling, plus more to taste for broth
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for filling, plus more for finishing the broth
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- white pepper a pinch for filling, plus more to taste for broth
- 24 square wonton wrappers 24 to 30 wrappers, refrigerated
For the Broth
- 8 cups chicken stock about 1.9 liters
- 3 slices fresh ginger smashed or thinly sliced
- 2 scallions whole, plus 2 tablespoons sliced for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or more to taste, for finishing
- sugar a pinch
- salt to taste
Optional Additions (for serving)
- baby bok choy or spinach leaves a handful, for serving
- thin egg noodles for serving
- chili oil for serving
Instructions
- Mix ground pork, cabbage, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and white pepper in a bowl until just combined. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a wonton wrapper in a diamond shape, add 1 teaspoon of filling to the center. Wet the edges, fold into a triangle, seal, then bring the two bottom corners together and pinch to form the wonton shape. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Simmer chicken stock with ginger, whole scallions, and garlic in a large pot for 10 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Strain if desired.
- In a separate pot, boil the wontons in batches for 3-4 minutes until they float and turn translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Divide wontons into bowls. Ladle hot broth over them, add baby bok choy or spinach to the broth to wilt if using. Garnish with sliced scallions and a drizzle of sesame or chili oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don't overfill the wontons—about 1 teaspoon of filling is perfect to prevent them from bursting during cooking.
- Keep unused wonton wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
- Cook wontons in a separate pot of water, not directly in the broth, to keep the final broth clear and clean-tasting.
- Season the broth just before serving, as flavors can mellow out while it simmers.
- If the filling feels too wet, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to help it bind.
- For a spicier version, stir a spoonful of chili oil or a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns into the broth.
- Make it vegetarian by substituting the pork with crumbled firm tofu and extra shredded cabbage.
- Freeze uncooked wontons on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Cook directly from frozen, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the boiling time.
- Store leftover broth and wontons separately in the fridge for up to 3 days to prevent the wrappers from getting soggy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 14gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 8mg
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