Wonton Soup!! (recipe below)
Welcome back to my series Nostalgic Soups, where I remake soups that remind me of my childhood! Although Wonton Soup is a dish of Chinese origin, I grew up eating a lot of wonton soup, especially on Christmas (iykyk). It reminds me of feasting with my famil and with my grandparents, a giant takeout spread on the table, lots of people trying to get their hands on the soup first to make sure they got a good portion of wontons.
I’d never made Wonton Soup at home, so I went to a couple food blogs for guidance! I checked out @iamafoodblog and @thewoksoflife for their takes on the soup, and I learned a lot! Most importantly, that you should never cook your wontons in the same pot as the broth.
Different regions have different variations on how they cook their soup, but I wanted to add some veggies to mine to make it a little more hearty! I also used frozen wontons for convenience and ease, but of course it would taste INCREDIBLE if you made your own (and both of the aforementioned blogs have recipes for their own homemade wontons).
I also learned AFTER filming this video that the proper way to eat your wonton soup is to pick up your wontons with a chopstick and eat the broth with the spoon!!
RECIPE (serves 2)
1 head of baby bok choy, broken up into pieces
1 cup shitake mushrooms
½ inch knob of ginger peeled and sliced
4 cups chicken stock/broth
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
⅛ tsp white pepper
12 oz frozen wonton (I used Trader Joe’s Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons)
2 scallion stalks, chopped
Chili crunch/chili oil (I used @momofukugoods)
Add the baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms, ginger, chicken stock/broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white pepper to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a light simmer.
In a separate small pot, boil some water to cook the wontons. Add the wontons, and cook for 3-4 minutes depening on their size, making sure not to overcook. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Wontons should float to the top when they’re ready.
Remove the wontons and add to your bowls. Top with the broth and veggies, and then garnish with chili oil and scallions.