It’s Chinese Wonton Noodle Soup time! A great dish to make for the Beijing 2008 Olympics! This is recipe 5 in the series (see links at the end for the other recipes)
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Wrapping Wontons Videos
I’ve got two for you - I was on CBS on Tuesday - this was a BLAST! A 4 minute cooking segment in not in a kitchen…here’s the video:
(link is right above photo when you get to CBS site)
And my regular segment on ABC7 Chinese Wonton Noodle Soup 
just click on the “featured video” right below the recipe name. And yes, I flubbed saying the number eight in Mandarin! It’s “baa” not “baat” (which is how I say it in Cantonese).
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Wonton Noodle Soup Recipe
I love making wontons with my kids! Gather your guests in the kitchen and have them help you fold the wontons. The key to making wontons is to not overfill the dumpling and to make sure that the wonton is sealed tight.
Wonton Wrappers
The wrappers come frozen - just defrost in refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 40 minutes. Do not soak in water or defrost in microwave. Once the package is opened, it’s important to always keep them covered under a damp towel, as the edges will dry out, making it very difficult to work with.
Freezing Wontons
If you’d like to freeze wontons (great idea for super easy quick meal) - lay the wrapped wontons in a single layer. Freeze and when frozen, gather them up and place them in a freezer bag. If you don’t freeze them in single layer, you’ll end up with a big, massive clump of wontons and you’ll have trouble prying them apart.
To cook frozen wonton, the instructions are exactly the same. Put them in the boiling broth FROZEN. Do not defrost. The timing will be longer BUT - that’s the beauty of my cooking method.
Boiling Wontons
Put away your timer! Let me explain. I’m sure you’re used to watching the clock when boiling pasta. Instead of watching the clock, I’m having you do this Chinese style. Boil your pot of soup. Add dumplings. When it comes to a boil, add 1 cup of room temp broth. When that comes to a boil, add another cup. When boiling again, it’s done. So if you’re adding FROZEN wontons, 10 wontons or 50 wontons, the water will come to a boil as it’s ready - thus it’s sort of self-timing.
Adding broth a little at a time like this prevents your delicate wontons from breaking and bursting in rapid, hard boiling water. So how many wontons to cook at a time? Well - that depends on how big your pot is, how much soup you have.
For the Wonton Noodle Soup recipe below, I’d cook them in 3 separate batches - so that you don’t crowd the wontons.
Serves 4
1/2 pound ground pork
2 stalks scallion, finely minced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 pound wonton wrappers, at room temperature, covered with a damp towel
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 cup cool water (cornstarch slurry)
2 quarts chicken broth
8 ounces dried wonton noodles (or thin, egg noodles)
1/2 pound bok choy, leaves separated and washed well
1 teaspoon sesame oil
chili garlic sauce (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the pork, scallion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sugar and sesame oil. Mix well. Put a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper, brush cornstarch slurry on all edges. Fold over to form a triangle, press to secure edges, encasing the filling. Brush cornstarch slurry on one tip of the triangle. Bring two corners together and press to secure (though my kids often just leave them as triangles.) Place on clean, dry plate in one layer and cover loosely with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Repeat with remaining.
In a large stockpot, add all but 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. The 2 cups of reserved broth should be room temperature or just slightly chilled. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wontons. Bring pot back to a gentle boil. When it reaches a boil, add 1 cup of the reserved broth. Bring back to a boil and again, add the remaining 1 cup of reserved broth.
Keep the heat on the pot on (you still need to cook the noodles and bok choy) while using a spider or sieve to scoop up the wontons and distribute amongst the bowls. Cook the noodles in the pot according to the package instructions. Add the bok choy to the pot during last minute of cooking noodles and let simmer, until cooked through. Ladle broth, noodles and bok choy to bowls. Drizzle just a few drops of sesame oil in each bowl.
Serve with chili garlic sauce if desired.
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Other great recipes!
Ground Beef with Beijing Sauce Over Noodles
Stir Fried Shrimp, Eggs and Peas + Stir Fry Secrets
Pan Fried Shrimp and Pork Potstickers
Xiao Long Bao - Steamed Shanghai Soup Dumplings
August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I love the tip about freezing them. That makes it super easy to find something to eat on those nights when dinner isn’t happening.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Happy almost birthday, a most auspicious event!
August 4th, 2008 at 11:14 am
You’re right, that’s one fun soup to make for Opening Ceremonies. I’ll have to think up a menu… and perhaps SK will be my inspiration!!
That’s one smokin’ hot picture of that wonton soup. How’s the cookbook testing coming along?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:18 am
great recipe! can you sub shrimp for pork? even better, can you give us a recipe for har gow?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Ooh this reminds me so much of HK … i need a bowl right now … !
August 4th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Jaden, I swear to god, if u don’t mark my words down somewhere that I predict someone somewhere is going to catch you on this morning show and grab you for your own show….the video could not be more perfect and since LOL i watch the next foodnetwork star i know….
girl it is going to come…but promise i can be a guest in the audience for the first taping????
August 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Yummm. Just have to make me some of this this week. I have some homeade stock uin the frrezer, the noodles. Just need to make some wontons!
August 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
beautiful photo Jaden, the green really pops!
got it tivo’d!
August 4th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Spectacular , as usual , Jaden!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I wish I could try it ! I love wontons and I bought wonton squares this week end
August 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Hiya! I make these all the time. They’re a great kiddie meal, aren’t they? Since you use frozen wonton wrappers, does that mean that fresh wrappers aren’t available in your area? If so, that’s too too bad. In Vancouver, even our local Safeways and other big chain stores have fresh wrappers, rice rolls and noodles. Mind you, that might have something to do with the fact that Vancouver has a huge Asian population. Fresh is so good because sometimes I can’t think ahead enough to defrost stuff! I like your timing method for boiling them. Good idea!
August 4th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
That wonton soup looks great!
August 4th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Thanks for the recipe. I love that you’re doing old favorites.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I love wonton soup and it has been ages since I had a bowl. Thanks for the cooking tips and I too am glad about freezing for when you are in a pinch.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
My same friend I taught how to make potstickers love wontons too. Her step-father could eat twelve in a sitting, her husband well over two dozen! This was with soup, noodles and lots of choy! Well they were also Kung Fu instructors and tend to burn a lot of calories after a full day of teaching. We even got them huge ceramic soup toureens from a restaurant supply house to hold their monster bowls of wonton soup. Good times, good times. Now someone come over and help me knock the love of wontons into my kid’s head. He’s got something against meat wrapped in pasta, or shaped into balls.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:33 am
I love wontons! And I will try your soup! Thanks for the recipe!
August 5th, 2008 at 2:37 am
A bit off topic - but I LOVE the shape of that bowl. Gorgeous.
I like making wontons with pork mince and pressing a whole small prawn into the centre. It’s a lovely surprise to bite into!
August 5th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I LOVE the arm gestures!
August 5th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’ve never made wontons before, but there are so many good tips here (and it looks so damn good!). I have to try this soon. For instance, I like the idea of using a cornstarch slurry for a sealant (after a disastrous weekend experiment with deep frying some pastries that one after another burst open and ruined all of the oil).
August 5th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Jaden, the tampabays10.com video only works with Windows Media Player.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Just made something like this the other night…I still haven’t got the nerve to make my own wontons though your fantastic video will be my inspiration! I buy mine from these two fab Chinese girls who make their own wontons, dim sum, noodles, etc, etc and sell them. Hubby does not know how much of our food budget goes to these lovely ladies! But I’ll try my hand at them now! Rains have started here and soups will be back on the menu
August 6th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I love wonton mien, sooooo good. Slurp. I especially love the ones in Hong Kong, where the dumplings are filled with crunchy prawns and no pork and other crap.
I also learned from my uncle in Hong Kong recently how to make prawns crunchy. Very easy!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I love wonton soup! I’ve never had it with noodles, too. How great is that! Best of both worlds! And adding bok choy … YUM! Can I have a bowl, please? Better make it a gallon.
August 6th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
you should be in Foodnetwork, Jaden! Hope somebody will discover you!… Yummy wontons.. now I’m craving it.. totally your fault!
August 7th, 2008 at 9:45 am
That is some gorgeous looking soup. Beautiful wontons.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
What great timing! We finally polished off this metric ton of homemade wontons that my folks had stuffed in our freezer, and I was faced with the prospect of buying *gasp* wontons at the supermarket!
Can’t wait to make these!
August 8th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! The wontons look great and so many things you can do with them!
August 8th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Hello! I was about to make some wonton for dinner tonight and then saw your recipe. Just wondering, what is the purpose of the rice vinegar in the pork mixture? I’ve not come across this, so I am really curious to know. Thanks for the recipe!
August 9th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Yummy ! That’s my favorite soup ! It looks and is -for sure- so delicious !
August 9th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Sarah: I like adding a bit of black vinegar to the filling to give it a more fuller flavor. The black vinegar is mild, round and the acid will brighten up flavor of the wontons. You can divide your filling in half and try with and without!
August 9th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Great noodle soup. When I eat on chowking I always order a waton noodle. It’s delicious.
http://www.foodista.com
August 16th, 2008 at 10:24 am
my… makes me hungry… very helpful tips, will definitely take note of them… thanks for sharing…