My family loves a good bowl of wonton soup. I make it so regularly because both my Taiwanese-American husband and son can literally live on it any time in any season of the year. I don’t blame them because wonton soup is as soul-satisfying and comforting as a bowl of miso soup. There are endless ways to make wonton filling and soup and I’ve tried many, but today’s recipe is the most classic and the tastiest version that I keep coming back to. The wonton is juicy and sweet and the soup is delicately flavorful. You’d want to keep this as your back-pocket wonton soup recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Wonton Soup Recipe
Juiciest and tastiest filling – The combination of shrimp and ground pork yields the best texture. We also use aromatics such as ginger and scallion and seasonings like soy sauce, sesame oil, and sake to enhance the overall flavor. The wontons itself taste so amazing even by themselves!Simple but flavorful soup – Asian chicken stock is best and a touch of white pepper and sesame oil round up the soup.
3 Tips to Make The Best Wonton Soup
Homemade wontons make all the difference because of the fresh ingredients we use in the fillings. Nothing is more satisfying when you bite into these juicy little dumplings, served in a flavorful chicken soup seasoned with white pepper and toasted sesame oil. Here I’d like to share 3 tips to make your wonton soup extra special!
1. Use Shrimp and Pork for the Filling
My family always loves the combination of pork and shrimp for their wontons and I agree. In addition to sweetness, the shrimp also keeps the wontons more succulent, juicy, and tender compared to the plain ground meat filling. If you’re not sure what filling to work with, I highly recommend the combination of pork and shrimp. Once you try it, you probably won’t change to other choices.
2. Wrap Wontons Nicely
Nicely wrapped wontons are not only visually beautiful but also keep the filling inside the wrap and you can freeze them for later use. There are several ways to wrap wontons and everyone has their own preference. If you want to see me folding wontons in action, please check the video (shown above) on YouTube channel (also see my How To Wrap Wonton page).
3. Use Chicken Base Soup
We use chicken broth/stock as the base for the wonton soup. Make sure you get Asian chicken stock, not western-style chicken stock cooked with different vegetables. Asian chicken stock is simply made with chicken, ginger, green onion, and garlic. Simple broth helps to bring out the flavors from the wontons, without overwhelming the other flavors. For a homemade Asian-style chicken stock recipe, please click here. The flavoring for the soup is very simple. Don’t skip the key ingredient, white pepper powder, as it gives a sharp, smoky flavor with a little kick of spiciness to the soup.
Where to Buy Wonton Wrappers
To make wontons, you will need square-shaped wonton wrappers and not the round-shaped ones. You’ll find them in the freezer section at Asian/Japanese grocery stores. Some major American grocery stores also carry wonton wrappers with brands like Nasoya or Twin Dragon. If you can find handmade wonton wrappers locally, that would be a treat. I personally prefer the Japanese brand (picture above) which has a more delicate skin but you could also use another popular brand Twin Marquis ‘真味’ Hong Kong Style or Shanghai Style wonton wrappers. Each brand has different thickness and consistency. Try out the different ones to see which wrappers you like the best.
Various Ways To Enjoy Wontons
Wontons are greatly enjoyed by many Asian cultures for its versatility and nutrients. There are just endless, creative ways to serve these delicious morsels:
1. Deep Fry Wontons
Crispy deep-fried wontons are great for an appetizer. I love serving these crunchy morsels at dinner parties or family get-togethers, and they always disappear.
2. Add Wontons to Noodles
Homemade wontons are filled with proteins. To turn these dumplings into a fulfilling meal, you can just cook them up with your choice of noodles. Egg noodles, ramen noodles, somen noodles, rice noodles, or soba noodles are just some of the selections you can add to the soup. Toss in some veggies or edamame, you will have a well-balanced bowl of wonton noodle soup.
3. Pan Fry Wontons
Similar to gyoza, pan-fried wontons dipped in soy sauce is simply delicious!
4. Coat Wontons with Your Favorites Sauce
Wontons are delicious enough with a simple soy sauce. But they also go well with all sorts of dipping sauces. Try ponzu sauce for a lighter flavor. If you like things spicy, a spicy garlic chili sauce will have you ask for more.
5. Freeze Extra Wontons
Homemade wontons can be frozen and kept well for 1-2 months. Whenever you make wontons at home, make sure to make a bigger batch. This way you can quickly put a meal together whenever your family craves a bowl of wonton soup or when you need some tasty fried appetizer for a party. I call them the great emergency food – super convenient yet wholesome.
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love
Japanese Egg Drop SoupMapo TofuMapo EggplantStir-Fried Tomato and EggsPork Shumai (Steamed Pork Dumplings)
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on Aug 10, 2011. The images, content, and recipe have been updated.
