Wonton Soup | Two Plaid Aprons (2024)

Wonton soup is one of the most popular soups available at Chinese takeout restaurants alongside egg drop soup and hot and sour soup. The soup itself is fragrant but light, and the wontons are tender and filled with seasoned ground pork. Wonton soup is perfect as a light meal or an appetizer to start your meals, and it's perfect for the colder weathers too! Plus, the wontons can be made ahead of time and frozen for later, which makes it perfect for a quick meal when you feel lazy or under the weather.

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What is wonton soup?

Wonton soup is a classic Chinese takeout soup that can only be rivaled by the popularity of egg drop soup and hot and sour soup. It's made with pork wontons served in a seasoned chicken broth, topped with green onions.

What to eat with wonton soup

Wonton soup is makes for a great light meal on its own or it can be a great appetizer to start your Chinese takeout menu! Here are some of our favorites:

• Fried chicken (all bangers!)- sesame chicken, General Tso's chicken, orange chicken
• Beef - beef and broccoli, Monglian beef, sha cha beef fried rice (full of umami!)
• Chicken stir fries - chicken and broccoli, chicken with mixed vegetables, chicken lo mein
• Shrimp - shrimp fried rice and shrimp lo mein
• More appetizers - egg rolls and crab rangoons

Wonton soup ingredient notes

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!

For the wontons:

• Ground pork - Make sure to use ground pork that has a good balance between lean meat and fat. We recommend using ground pork that's 70% lean and 30% fat for best flavor and texture.
• Green onion - Some sliced green onions will make the pork filling more fragrant and tasty. Try to cut the green onions into thin slices or finely chop it.
• Wonton wrappers - You can find wonton wrappers at the Asian market, usually in the freezer aisles and sometimes in the refrigerated aisles where the dumpling wrappers are. Sometimes these wrappers can also be found at local grocery stores like Walmart and Whole Foods around the produce aisles.

• Water - The water is absorbed by the ground pork, which keeps it juicy.
• Soy sauce and oyster sauce - These two are the main seasoning for the wonton filling. We used light sodium soy sauce.
• Shaoxing rice wine - This is a Chinese pantry staple and is often added to dishes and fillings to make them more aromatic and also helps to get rid of any unwanted meat flavors.
• Dark soy sauce - The main purpose of adding dark soy sauce to the filling is to give the pork a darker color. Feel free to adjust and use more or less to your preference or omit it if you prefer.

For the soup:

• Unsalted chicken stock - Wonton soup can be made with chicken stock for extra nutrition or with water if you're in a pinch. If using chicken stock, make sure to use unsalted ones, or reduce the amount of salt used if using salted stock.
• Shaoxing rice wine - Unlike other recipes where shaoxing rice wine is optional, we highly recommend not skipping the rice wine in this case. It not only enhance the flavor of the soup and make it more fragrant, the rice wine is a big part of making wonton soup taste like how Chinese restaurants make it.
• Chicken bouillon powder, sugar, salt, white pepper - These are the seasonings for the soup base. Be cautious with the white pepper. A little goes a long way!
• Dark soy sauce - Just like for the wonton filling, the dark soy sauce's main purpose is also to give the soup it's golden brown color.
• Toasted sesame oil - A little sesame oil completes the soup and gives it subtle, toasted, nutty flavor.
• Green onion - The wontons and the soup base is the body of wonton soup, and the green onions give it spirit. We highly recommend not skipping the green onions. If anything, the more green onions, the better!

How to make wonton soup

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!

Make the wontons:

1. Make the filling. In a mixing bowl, add the ground pork, water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and dark soy sauce.

Mix until the liquid is absorbed, then mix vigorously in a circular, one direction motion until the ground pork starts to look paste-like. Add the green onion and mix until combined.

📝 Note: You can use the wonton filling immediately, but if you have time, allow it to rest and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes or even overnight in the fridge.

2. Prepare the wonton wrapping station with the wonton filling, the wonton wrappers, a butter knife, a container of water, and a sheet tray or plate lined with cling wrap. Also prepare some damp paper towels for covering the wontons and wrappers.

3. Wrap the wontons. Place the wonton wrapper like an offset diamond in your palm. Using the butter knife, pick up 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling and smear it across the center of a wonton wrapper. Keep the filling flattened and about an inch long.

Using your finger, brush a light coating of water on the wrapper, around the filling.

Then, fold the wrapper in half but keep it offset and press around the filling to seal.

Dab a little water at the folded corner of the wrapper and bring the corners together and press firmly around the filling to remove air bubbles and so that the wrappers stick to each other.

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4. Make all the wontons. Once a wonton is done, place it on the prepared tray or plate and cover with the damp towel. Repeat the process until all of the filling and wonton wrappers are used. Make sure to also keep the wrappers covered with a damp towel at all times.

Cook and assemble:

1. Make the soup. In a saucepan or pot, add all of the soup ingredientsexceptsesame oil and green onions. Bring it to a boil and allow the soup to simmer for 15 to 30 seconds. Finish by stirring in the sesame oil and keep warm.

2. Boil the wontons. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the wontons. Allow the wontons to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the wontons float and the filling is cooked through.

Drain well and portion into serving bowls. Top with green onions.

🌟 Pro tip: To save time, get the pot of water heating up while you make the soup so that you can go straight into cooking the wontons.

3. Assemble. Ladle the hot soup over the wontons. Then stir and enjoy while hot.

Storage

Leftover wonton soup: It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to allow the soup to cool completely before covering and refrigerating. But we recommend finishing up the soup as quickly as possible because the wonton wrappers tend to get soft and mushy the longer they are soaked in the soup.

Seasoned soup: Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to allow it to cool completely before storing.

Wontons: Uncooked wontons freeze really well, which makes them great for making ahead of time and/or in large batches for a quick and easy meal later. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To freeze wontons: Arrange the wontons on a sheet pan or a freezer safe plate. Make sure the wontons are not touching each other. Freeze the wontons until solid, about 1 to 2 hours or overnight, then transfer them into a freezer safe, air tight container or freezer bags. We recommend using containers over bags to prevent as much wrapper breakage as possible.

Reheating

Leftover wonton soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Microwave method: Heat the leftover soup in a loosely covered, microwave safe container until hot. Add more green onions to the soup if desired.

Stovetop method: Place the leftover soup into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Top with more green onions if desired.

Seasoned soup: Bring the soup to a boil and use as needed. If frozen, allow the soup to defrost in the fridge overnight or let it melt from frozen in the pot.

Frozen wontons: Simply add the frozen wontons to a pot of boiling water and cook until the filling is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Use as needed.

FAQ

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