We all have a favorite comfort food (or two) and my husband’s is wonton soup. Originally from the cold and rainy Northwest, his cravings start kicking in like clock work, just as the post-Labor Day chill sets in. Yes, it does get cold in Vegas, wide temperature swings are a part of desert living. While we are fairly new to this vibrant town, we lived in the high desert of Lake Tahoe for many years, and have grown accustomed to quickly shifting from swim suits to hats and gloves, all within the same day.
Our New Favorite Wonton Soup Recipe
So, I thought I would surprise my husband with my first attempt at Wonton Soup. I altered the recipe from Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. She calls for 1 packet of oriental sesame dressing mix. While we eat a ton of Asian-inspired food, this isn’t a regularly stocked item in our house, so I simply omitted it with no sacrifice. Also, while I usually have oyster sauce on hand, I was out, so I used tamari (soy sauce) instead. Also, the original recipe was for steamed wontons. A quick boil in some basic broth is all that is needed for your basic wonton soup, no bamboo steamer required. We also opted for turkey for a leaner wonton!
The wonton soup turned out seriously tasty! It was a perfectly soothing meal that hit the spot for my husband. It was also easier than I had expected to prepare, so we’ll probably be making it often. The wonton dumplings can be enjoyed as is or you can go a step further and make it into soup like we did. Depends on what you’re craving!
Special Diet Notes: Wonton Dumplings or Soup
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, nut-free, and peanut-free.
- 1 pound ground pork (can sub ground turkey)
- 1 (5-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup scallions (green onions), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce (can sub soy sauce or tamari)
- 1 (16-ounce) package wonton wrappers
- 1 quart chicken broth, if boiling for soup
- 1 cup water, if boiling for soup
- Savoy or Napa cabbage, if steaming
- In a large bowl, stir together the meat, water chestnuts, scallions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, egg, and oyster sauce until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Fill the center of each wrapper with 1 teaspoon of meat filling. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water (you can use your finger). Fold the wrapper in half into a triangle shape, pressing out any air bubbles. Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together, and seal them with a little water.
- Fill a pot with the chicken broth and water. Add the wontons and boil until the wonton skins are tender (like pasta).
- Arrange cabbage leaves on the bottom of a bamboo steamer. Place dumplings about 1-inch apart and steam until the filling is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
