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A large bowl of wonton noodle soup with wonton noodles, dumplings and Chinese vegetables.
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5 from 5 votes

Wonton Noodle Soup

A recipe for an easy Chinese wonton soup with wonton dumplings filled with shrimp and ground pork and served in a simple to make seafood-based broth. Includes a step-by-step guide on how to fold wonton dumplings.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 3 bowls
Calories: 632kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

  • wonton noodles

Wonton Dumplings (Makes approximately 28 dumplings)

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
  • 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 chili 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.
  • 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 set it aside.
    Keep a tablespoon of the green parts off to the side as garnish.

Making the Wonton Soup

  • Cut 1 slice ginger and add it to a large pot.
  • Peel 2 cloves 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.
    Add it to the pot.
  • Set the stove to medium-low heat and add the shrimp skins, 1 liter chicken broth, 1 tablespoon fish sauce ½ tablespoon soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon white pepper into the pot.
    Don't add the sesame oil yet. 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 for about 30 minutes to an hour while you are preparing the dumplings.

Making the Wonton Dumplings Filling

  • In large bowl, add the ground pork, ½ teaspoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 3 teaspoon oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon shaoxing cooking wine, ¼ teaspoon white pepper and mix everything in 1 direction for 10 minutes. Set the pork aside after you have finished mixing it.
    We want to mix the pork very well until it is gluey. This will give the filling a springier texture. The longer you mix it, the springier the texture will be.
    Alternatively, I highly recommend using this with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. I mix it for 8 minutes on the 6 setting on my Kitchenaid stand mixer.
    Ground pork wonton filling after it has been mixed for 8 minutes in a stand mixer.
  • Here is what the texture of the pork filling should look like after it has finished mixing.
    Ground pork wonton filling after it has been mixed for 8 minutes in a stand mixture on a white plate to show texture.
  • 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.
    Finely chopped shrimp and finely minced shrimp on a cutting board
  • Add the shrimp to the pork mixture and mix everything together well for 5 minutes until everything is evenly combined.
    Ground pork and shrimp wonton filling after it has been mixed for 5 minutes in a stand mixer
  • Here is what the final shrimp wonton filling should look like after it has finished mixing.
    Ground pork and shrimp wonton filling after it has been mixed for 5 minutes in a stand mixture on a white plate to show texture.
  • Add in the green onions and mix for 1 minute.
  • Do a taste test by putting a teaspoon in a small bowl and microwaving it for 20 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.
  • Bring the bottom corner of the wonton wrapper from the bottom to the top corner and press on just the tip.
  • 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. It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to stick together.
  • Switch the dumpling to the other hand and do the same thing on the left side
  • 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.
    This pot of water will be used to cook the wonton dumplings and noodles. 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.
  • For the wonton soup, remove the garlic cloves, ginger slices, and shrimp skins from the soup and discard them.
    Add 1½ teaspoons of sesame oil in the pot and stir. Turn off the heat.
  • Ladle the wonton soup over the dumplings and noodles and enjoy!

Notes

  • This recipe will make more wonton dumplings than you need. I usually use about 6 dumplings per bowl and anything I don't use that day, I will freeze to use another day.
  • To freeze your wonton dumplings, 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 30 minutes to pre-freeze them. After 30 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.
  • 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
  • If you have extra wonton skins, you can put them in a Ziploc bag, squeeze all the air out and freeze it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 3494mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 7mg