Did you catch my wonton soup on my Instagram over the weekend? I holed up all afternoon on Sunday with my friend to watch House of Cards and make this super yummy dish.
This wonton soup is fairly time-intensive to make, but a) it’s so stinkin’ worth it and b) 90% of the recipe is really mindless so you can totally zone out (and watch House of Cards, for example) while making the wontons. The perfect dish to make on Sunday afternoon!
If, however, you want to eat this dish on a school night, I would recommend making the wontons ahead of time. You can place them in a plastic container and freeze them after making them. That way, when you want to make your soup, all you have to do is boil the wontons and make the broth and you’re ready to go. Sounds complicated, I know. But seriously – it’s only like 10 minutes. Perfect quick dish for a weeknight!
Wonton Soup
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Author: Glitter & Spice
Recipe Type: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Serves: 8-12
INGREDIENTS:
For the wontons
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 pound of shrimp, deveined and minced
- 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, minced
- 3/4 cup of water chestnuts, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, finely minced
- 4-5 sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup of chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice wine
- thin wonton wrappers
For the broth
- 12 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 two-inch pieces of fresh ginger
- 2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1 cup of bean sprouts
- soy sauce, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
For the wontons
In a large bowl, combine the egg white and the cornstarch until thoroughly incorporated. Add the minced shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, water chesnuts, ginger, cilantro, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. Stir to incorporate, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes.
Either place a large baking sheet or large sheet of aluminum foil on the counter and dust it with cornstarch. Have a small bowl of water near the workstation as well as a baking sheet, piece of aluminum foil, or a plate for the finished wontons.
Lay out the wonton wrappers, place about 1/2 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper. Using the water, wet the edges of the wonton wrappers and fold each wonton in half to form a triangle. Press the sides to seal together, making sure there are no air bubbles. Dab some water on the ends of the long arms of the wonton triangle, bring one end on top of the other, and press to seal. The wonton should create a little pod with an open circle in the middle, able to stand upright. Repeat this process until all of the wontons are complete.
Set the finished wontons aside until ready to use (or you can stick them in a plastic container and freeze them – no need to thaw).
For the broth
In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine the chicken broth, ginger pieces, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, cilantro, and bean sprouts. Stir to combine and add soy sauce as necessary.
When ready to make the wontons, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the wontons to the boiling water, a few at a time. Carefully stir the wontons to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook the wontons until they float to the top and turn lightly translucent (the shrimp should be pink inside of the wontons). Use a small strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the wontons to the broth pot. Repeat until done.
Remove the ginger from the broth, ladle the wonton soup into bowls, and serve hot!