A comforting and easy to make wonton noodle soup with wonton dumplings stuffed with shrimp and ground pork in a simple to make seafood-based broth
When it comes to wonton noodle soup, the real authentic stuff is definitely a labor of love.
Traditional Cantonese style wonton noodle soup uses dried flounder in the broth to give it its fishy well-rounded seafood flavor. If you're feeling adventurous you can try looking for dried flounder powder which would be a quicker way to get that authentic wonton soup flavor but for this wonton noodle soup recipe, I wanted to keep it simple. This is something I like to put together quickly and easily using ingredients I usually have at home or can easily buy at my local grocery stores. To make that seafood flavored soup base, I actually cheat and use shrimp shells from the shrimp you use for the wonton filling.
INGREDIENTS FOR WONTON NOODLE SOUP
- Ginger/Garlic - I like to use fresh ginger and garlic to give the soup extra flavor.
- Sesame Oil - Sesame oil gives the broth a well-rounded nuttier flavor. Put it in at the very end when you have turned off the heat and are ready to serve the soup. Cooking sesame oil in the soup reduces the flavor of the oil.
- Fish Sauce/Soy Sauce - I like to use a combination of soy sauce and fish sauce to flavor the soup. I highly recommend using fish sauce. It adds an additional seafood flavor to the soup and gives it an umami flavor.
- White Pepper - Do not substitute this with black pepper if you don't have it. Just omit it completely.
- Shrimp Skins - If you are using whole shrimp for the wonton filling. Save the shrimp skins for making the broth. It gives the broth a nice shrimpy flavor.
INGREDIENTS FOR WONTON DUMPLINGS
- Shrimp - I used frozen shrimp, sized 31/40 for this recipe. Save the shrimp skins for making the broth. It will give the soup a nice shrimpy flavor. You can use a different sized shrimp, but you will need to adjust how many shrimp you use (larger shrimp - use less, smaller shrimp - use more)
- Ground Pork - I used medium pork, but you can use lean pork as well. Avoid using extra-lean pork, it will be too dry for this recipe.
- Wonton Wrappers - You can buy wonton wrappers at your local Asian grocery store. They are usually in the refrigerated section by the fresh noodles. Wonton wrappers are thinner and yellower in color than dumpling wrappers and usually contain egg in it, although I have found that some brands don't use egg and use yellow food dye as well.
- Corn Starch - Corn starch binds all the ingredients together and gives the filling a smoother texture as well.
- White Pepper - Do not substitute with black pepper. If you don't have white pepper, then just omit it.
- Oyster Sauce - I highly recommend using oyster sauce in the filling. It gives the filling extra seafood flavor and the sweetness from the sauce balances out the saltiness of the soy and fish sauce without the use of sugar.
- Fish Sauce/Soy Sauce - Fish sauce and soy sauce give the filling its saltiness and a bit of umaminess.
- Sesame Oil - Sesame oil gives the filling a bit of extra nutty flavor
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine - The cooking wine adds another dimension of flavor to the filling. You can substitute this with dry sherry if you cannot find it.
- Green Onions - Green onions brighten up the flavor of the shrimp and pork filling and are a must for extra flavor.
WHAT TYPE OF NOODLES TO USE FOR WONTON NOODLE SOUP?
The best type of noodles to use for wonton noodle soup is wonton noodles. You can find them in your local Asian grocery store in the refrigerated section where the rest of the fresh noodles are. They usually come packaged on a styrofoam tray in bundles of 4 or 5 and wrapped with plastic wrap. The noodles are thin, light brown in color and look dry to the touch (not greasy).
WONTON WRAPPERS vs DUMPLING WRAPPERS
Most Asian grocery stores will have 2 types of wrappers - wonton wrappers and dumpling wrappers. Both types of wrappers will come in 2 different shapes (round or square) but the main difference between the two wrappers is texture. Wonton wrappers, when cooked have a thinner and silkier texture. Dumpling wrappers are thicker and have a bit more of a chew to it. I like to use dumpling wrappers solely for pan-frying and steaming and wonton wrappers for wonton dumplings.
When shopping for wonton wrappers, a good way to tell if it's wonton wrappers is to check the ingredient list to see if there are eggs in it. Wonton wrappers almost always have eggs in it, although in the past, I have found some brands of wonton wrappers use yellow food coloring instead of eggs as well - something to keep in mind. Wonton wrappers are also thinner, slightly yellow and very bendy compared to the thicker dumpling wrappers.
HOW TO MAKE THE WONTON DUMPLING FILLING FOR WONTON NOODLE SOUP
Depending on how you like your wonton dumplings. You can choose to roughly chop the shrimp and keep them in large chunks for a bit more texture and crunch or you can finely chop it for a smoother filling. I personally love the larger chunks of shrimp in my wontons because it gives a bit more shrimp flavor per bite, and it has an overall springier texture.
Once you have finished chopping the shrimp, I like to mix the pork in with the shrimp on the cutting board and give it a few more chops to incorporate them together. Then I add it all back into a mixing bowl, add the green onions and seasoning and start mixing. It's important to mix everything in one direction for no less than 5 minutes. You want the pork to be gluey looking. By doing this, it gives the wontons a nice springy texture.
HOW TO FOLD WONTON DUMPLINGS FOR WONTON NOODLE SOUP
Folding wontons is a lot easier than you think, mostly because there is actually no right or wrong way to do it. As long as you have a bit of filling in the wrapper and use a bit of water on the edges of the wrapper as a sealant then you can actually just smush the corners of the wrapper together to close the dumpling and they should stick together into a bundle! Follow along with me below to see how I like to make the dumplings.
HOW TO FREEZE WONTON DUMPLINGS
If you have extra wonton dumplings, you can easily freeze them so you can use them on another day. Place the dumplings in a single layer on a metal cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper so they don't freeze onto the cookie sheet. Make sure the dumplings are not touching each other, so they don't stick together while it is freezing. Place the cookie sheet with the wonton dumplings in the freezer for 45 minutes to pre-freeze them. After 45 minutes, remove them from the freezer and store them all in a freezer bag together, the dumplings should be firm enough that they won't stick together.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE TAKE OUT FAVORITES? TRY THESE!
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DID YOU MAKE THIS WONTON NOODLE SOUP RECIPE?
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Wonton Noodle Soup
INGREDIENTS
- wonton noodles
Wonton Dumplings (Makes approximately 28 dumplings)
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 200 g shrimp (31/40 size, approximately 10)
- 80 g ground pork (approx. ½ cup)
- 2 stalks green onions (approx. ¼ cup, finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (or 1½ teaspoon soy sauce)
- 3 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing cooking wine
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper (optional, do not use black pepper)
Wonton Soup
- 1 liter chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium)
- shrimp skins (leftover from peeling shrimp)
- 2 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 slice ginger
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoon sesame oil (add at the very end when the heat is off)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (optional, do not use black pepper)
Garnishes (Optional)
- green onions (finely chopped)
- yellow chives
- fried garlic
- garlic oil
- crispy fried onions
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparation
- If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost it in a bowl of cold water for 10-15 minutes.
- Peel the shrimp and set the shrimp peels aside for the broth.
Making the Wonton Soup
- Slice the ginger and set it aside
- Peel the garlic and smash it with the side of your knife. Keep it intact so that it is easy to find it and remove it after the soup has finished cooking.
- Set the stove to medium-low heat and add the shrimp peels and all the ingredients listed under 'Wonton Soup' into the pot, except the sesame oil. We want to put the sesame oil at the very end when the soup is done so it doesn't cook away the flavor.
- Put a lid on the pot and let it simmer while you are preparing the dumplings.
Making the Wonton Dumplings Filling
- Wash the green onions and cut off the tips where the roots are. We want to use both the greens and the whites of the green onion. Finely chop the green onions and place it in a bowl.
- Place the peeled shrimp on the cutting board and chop it to your preference of size. I personally like to keep the shrimp size chunkier so I can taste it more, and I find it gives the texture more of a crunch. If you like your shrimp finer, chop it very well until it is smooth.
- Add the ground pork to the shrimp on the cutting board and chop it together until it is combined.
- Place the shrimp and pork mixture into the bowl with the green onions and add the rest of the ingredients under 'Wonton Dumpling' into the bowl
- Mix everything with spoon or chopsticks in 1 direction for 3-5 minutes. We want to mix the pork very well until it is gluey. This will give the filling a springier texture.
- Do a taste test by putting a teaspoon in a small bowl and microwaving it for 25 seconds in the microwave or pan-frying it in a frying pan. Adjust the saltiness by adding more soy sauce, fish sauce or salt.
Folding the Wonton Dumplings
- Open a pack of wonton wrappers but keep it under a damp paper towel so it doesn't dry out. Place a small bowl of water out, this is what we will use to seal the dumplings. Bring out a plate where you will keep the dumplings after you have finished folding them. If you work slowly, you may want to cover the plate with a damp paper towel while you are making the dumplings so they don't dry out.
- Place a wonton wrapper on your palm, diamond shape facing you (if you are using square wrappers). Fill 1 teaspoon of filling into the middle of the wrapper.
- Using your other hand, dip your finger into the bowl of water. Wet the top edges of the wrapper. *See blog post for photos
- Bring the bottom corner of the wonton wrapper from the bottom to the top corner and press on just the tip. *See blog post for photos
- Hold the wonton dumpling by the tip at the top with 1 hand, and use the other hand to grab the excess wrapper on the right side and press it together towards the top *See blog post for photo
- Switch the dumpling to the other hand and do the same thing on the left side *See blog post for photo
- Use both hands to hold the dumplings and use your forefinger or middle finger and your thumb to press everything together to seal it well at the top of the dumpling. The shape is meant to be whimsical and not perfect. Place the dumpling on the plate and cover it with a damp cloth while you work on the next dumpling. Repeat steps 2-7 until all the dumplings have been folded.
Putting Everything Together
- Place another pot of water on the stove and put it on high heat until the water starts boiling. (We don't want to cook the wonton dumplings and wonton noodles in the soup because it will make soup thick and starchy.)
- Place the wonton dumplings in the pot of boiling water and keep stirring the water until the water comes to a boil again so that the dumplings don't sink and stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the dumplings start floating to the top, they are done. (Cooks in approximately 5 minutes). Ladle them out into a bowl.
- Bring that same pot of water back to boiling, and add in the wonton noodles. Keep moving the noodles around in the boiling water to cook it quickly and evenly. These noodles overcook easily, cook them for 20-25 seconds only. Place the cooked wonton noodles in the bowl with the cooked wonton dumplings
- Remove the garlic cloves, ginger slices and shrimp skins from the soup and add in 1½ teaspoon of sesame oil in the pot and stir. Turn off the heat.
- Ladle the soup into the bowl with the noodles and dumplings. Garnish it with green onions and enjoy!
NOTES
- If you have extra wonton dumplings, you can easily freeze them so you can use them on another day. Place the dumplings in a single layer on a metal cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper so they don't freeze onto the cookie sheet. Make sure the dumplings are not touching each other, so they don't stick together while it is freezing. Place the cookie sheet with the wonton dumplings in the freezer for 45 minutes to pre-freeze them. After 45 minutes, remove them from the freezer and store them all in a freezer bag together, the dumplings should be firm enough that they won't stick together.
NUTRITION
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Ichwan says
Thanks for your recipe
Joyce Lee says
Hi Ichwan,
I'm happy to share!
Olivia Wilson says
I love this recipe and i also read your all recipes but this is one of my favorite recipe till now...it looks are fabulous & love your images....Thanks for sharing..! https://www.pansrecommend.com
Joyce Lee says
Thanks Olivia!
Josie says
I love this Wonton dumplings soup and noodles recipe. Now, I can make this myself at home, to enjoy each dumpling I make....,,,👍, especially
the younger kids ' favourite food.. Thank you.
BTW, you are really humourous for the ' Labior of love ' term 👍👍👍 Hahaha !😄 I love it.
Joyce Lee says
Yay! I'm so happy they liked it! 🙂 I think everything in the kitchen is a labour of love haha! 😀 Cooking is all about putting love, time and effort into your food for yourself and for others!