Homemade wonton soup! These wontons are filled with a juicy pork and prawn / shrimp filling and will knock your socks off. With step by step photos and a recipe video, you’re going to be a Wonton Wrapping Master in no time! Added bonus: Best standby freezer meal ever and super healthy (350 calories for a bowl!)
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Wonton soup
If you’ve ever had store bought frozen wontons or wontons from a good value Chinese place that probably uses frozen wontons, you will be amazed how different homemade ones are. The main difference is the texture of the filling – because homemade wontons are made with just pure fresh ingredients, NO mysterious fillers!
I think wontons are one of those things that many people don’t think to make, assuming they are really tedious and take ages. But they don’t!! The wonton filling takes minutes to make (literally – 5 minutes) and wrapping the wontons is quite fast if you use my method!
About this Wonton recipe
I used to use my mother’s Wonton recipe, because it’s the one I have used all my cooking life. Then a few years ago, I came across this Wonton Soup recipe by my friend Maggie from Omnivore’s Cookbook, a wonderful authentic Chinese food blog.
I’ve learnt so much about authentic Chinese cooking from Maggie who was born and raised in China and only recently moved to the States. She takes such great care with her recipes, if you love Chinese food, I think you’ll be as delighted to discover her blog as I was. 🙂
So I think my mother was a bit disgruntled when I told her I was using Maggie’s Wonton filling for this post because it’s better than hers. I sent her away with samples, and she agreed that Maggie’s Wontons are fantastic, but didn’t admit it was better.
It IS better. Sorry mum! Maggie’s has better seasoning! 😉
Wonton filling
There are many types of wonton fillings, but I’d say that pork and shrimp/prawns are the most common. Then there are all sorts of additions, including mushrooms, water chestnuts, chopped up Asian greens and even carrots.
With all the possible variations out there, and not knowing which recipes are actually “real”, you can be confident that this is authentic because I have used Maggie’s recipe exactly as it is written.
Wrapping Wontons
This is where Maggie and I differ. If you click over to Maggie’s recipe, you will see that she uses trapezium shaped wontons wrappers (I had to Google that!!!). I use plain square ones because they are readily available here in Australia, even in supermarkets (Woolies, Coles). Once cooked, they look pretty similar.
So here is how I wrap wontons. This is a fast way of wrapping wontons because you can lay out 10, even 20, and do them all in one go, rather than doing them one by one, because they are wrapped on the work surface rather than in your hand.
My Way of Wrapping Wontons
The above is the way I usually fold wontons because I like the way the “tails” flap around like noodles once cooked. Yes, I’m a 7 year old at heart.
But to me, the flappy wonton skins are part of the Wonton Soup experience. 😂
The better way for freezing (more compact)
However, when I know I’m going to be freezing all or most of them, I wrap them in a more compact way so they fit better inside containers. This is the way the frozen wontons in Asian grocery stores are wrapped.
The photo on the bottom right is a container of frozen wontons I bought to show you how they are sold. Also so I could make some and smugly say how much better homemade is!
Asian Grocery Store Way
Both wonton wrapping methods are just as easy, and you can do them in batches rather than holding them one by one. But you can see how much more compact the Asian Grocery Store Way is compared to My Way in the photo below. The Wontons at the top are the compact Asian Grocery Way, the ones on the bottom are My Way with more flap page once cooked.
This is what mine looks like once cooked. See all that wonton wrapper flappage? YUM.
Don’t get too hung up about how neat your wontons are. Once cooked, they mostly lose their shape, so just make sure that your filling is well sealed inside. And even if the filling falls out, you still get the same flavour, so don’t fret!!!
Tip: As tempting as it is, do not bunch them up like a money bag otherwise you end up with a thick wad of wonton wrapper that won’t cook through.
Broth for Wonton Soup
Wontons are served in a clear Chinese chicken broth. Sometimes with just wontons, sometimes with wontons and noodles, called “Combination Long and Short Soup” on Chinese restaurant menus. “Short” refers to the wontons and “Long” refers to the long noodles!
If I am at an Asian store, I usually pick up Chinese chicken broth which is more yellow but just as tasty as Western chicken broth that is available at supermarkets. However, I usually make this with ordinary Chicken broth using the same soup broth recipe as my Chinese Noodle Soup.
So….what do you think??? Have I convinced you to give homemade Wonton Soup a go? I promise it is WORTH IT! They taste absolutely incredible. You will be amazed!
– Nagi x
PS Homemade wontons are so fantastic for standby meals to keep in your freezer because you can throw in whatever veggies you have and voila! You have a complete HEALTHY meal!
More great dumplings of the world
Potstickers (Chinese pan fried dumplings)
Gyoza (Japanese dumplings)
Shumai (Japanese steamed dumplings on my mother’s site, RecipeTin Japan!)
Browse the Yum Cha recipe collection
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Wonton Soup
Ingredients
- 50 – 60 wonton wrappers (Note 1)
Wonton Filling
- 200 g / 7 oz lean pork mince (ground pork)
- 200 g / 7 oz peeled prawns / shrimp , roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated (1.5″ / 3cm piece)
- 2 shallots / green onions , finely chopped (5 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame oil, toasted (Note 4)
Broth (for 2 servings)
- 3 cups / 750 ml chicken broth (Note 5)
- 2 garlic cloves , smashed (6)
- ⅓” / 1 cm piece of ginger , sliced (optional, but highly recommended)
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
- 2 tsp sugar (any)
- 1½ tbsp chinese cooking wine (Note 3)
- ¼ – ½ tsp sesame oil
To Serve
- Shallots / scallions , finely chopped
- Bok choy , quartered, or Chinese broccoli cut into 10cm /4″ lengths (optional)
- 40 – 50 g / 1.5 – 1.75 oz dried egg noodles per person , (optional) (8)
Instructions
Wontons:
- Place Filling ingredients in a bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until fairly smooth – about 20 mashes. Don’t turn the prawn into a complete paste, small chunks are good.
Wrapping (See photos and video):
- Use My Way (better Wonton Soup experience!) or the Asian Grocery Store Way (easier to pack for freezing).
- Lay Wontons on work surface. Use 2 teaspoons to put the Filling on the wontons. Work in batches of 5 if starting out, up to 15 or 20 if confident. Brush 2 edges with water. Fold to seal, pressing out air. Brush water on one corner and bring corners together, pressing to seal.
- Place wrapped wontons into a container with a lid as you work (so they don’t dry out).
Cooking/Freezing:
- To cook: bring a large pot of water to boil. Place wontons in water and cook for 4 minutes or until they float. Remove with slotted spoon straight into serving bowls. Ladle over broth.
- To freeze: Freeze uncooked in airtight containers. Cook from frozen for 6 to 8 minutes. IMPORTANT: Do not freeze if you made this with defrosted frozen prawns. (Note 11)
Broth:
- Place Broth ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Add white ends of scallions/shallots if leftover from Wonton filling.
- Place lid on, bring to simmer then reduce to medium high and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Pick garlic and ginger out before using.
- If using vegetables, blanch in the soup broth and place in serving bowl.
Assemble Soup:
- Prepare noodles according to packet directions (if using noodles). Place in serving bowl with cooked wontons and blanched vegetables.
- Ladle over soup. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This wonton recipe was originally published in September 2016. Updated for housekeeping matters in 2018 – no change to recipe!
Life Of Dozer
Little impromptu home video I put together of Dozer with the gang at the beach!
This is Amazing! Made it for dinner tonight and poached some chicken breast in the broth and 1/2 Tbs fish sauce which just kicked it up a notch again. Always looking for a recipe that mimics our local restaurants and this one is most definitely that!!!!
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Roxanne, thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
So pleased to find your wonton soup recepie, on face book
I am Jewish so will substitute pork with beef . and use the veg I live in The U K ,and go to Hong Kong very often .
I hope you love it Irene! N x
Hi Nagi!
How do you cook the dry egg noodle? Just boil in the water? Should you add something whilst boiling? Salt maybe? Your picture make my mouth watering, i need to make mine exactly like it 😃
Hi Nagi,
Wow these wontons were out of this world delicious and you’re right – super easy to make! My 4 yr old loved helping out by wrapping the wontons! Definitely a family favourite! Looking forward to using more of your recipes!
Can’t thank you enough!!
I’m so happy to hear that Chrissy! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x ❤️
I didn’t have shrimp, so had made them with only the pork, but they were still superior to the recipe I had been using for making wontons. It’s interesting that including egg noodles in the soup is a common practice in Australia! One of the reasons I’d first learned to make Wontons was because I’d wanted to have noodles in wonton soup, and have never been to any restaurant where it has been served that way. Wish that practice would catch on in the US!
I also prefer the shape of your wontons, and entirely agree that “floppy” is better and highly desirable, but will need to have my iPad in the kitchen next time to have a better shot at making those happen! I’d thought I’d had it fixed in my mind how to wrap wontons your way, but the 3 or 4 attempts I’d made were a complete mess, so I’d had to revert to the way I’d been more familiar with wrapping, in the little “nurse caps” like the grocery store type. Next time, though, I’ll have floppy wontons!!!
Loved the Dozer & friends beach video! Beautiful dogs. Hope some of the Goldie’s are rescues from Turkey… Some US groups are rescuing abandoned Goldens and Goldie mixes, also.
Oh gosh I must look into that! Is there a website or Facebook page or something I can look up??!!
I don’t use Facebook, but I’m sure there must be something about them on that. There is also golden rescue.com. If you do an Internet search for “rescues turkey dogs,” there are lots of articles and news videos about the mission to rescue the dogs. Golden retrievers had been a status symbol in Turkey since about 1960, but a lot of people tire of them and abandon them. In the US there are several ongoing group efforts; including in Denver CO and Atlanta GA, among other places, and are referred to as Turkey dogs.
I had a look, thank you! It doesn’t look like they are coming here yet, I am going to ask around 🙂 N xx
I am wanting to make these and freeze so they can be easily taken out in the required quantity as a family of five (4A, 1C) there can be a varied combination of people home for dinner. I’m wondering the best way to freeze them? How long can you keep in the freezer…not that I think this will be an issue! I’m trying to teach my kidults that fancy meals don’t need to be difficult or expensive. So glad I found your website….I’ve already added it to my FAVS 🙂
Hi Erica, so pleased you found me too! Just keep them in a single layer with paper in between, then you can kind of snap bits off as you need them (you do lose some tail, but it’s not too bad). It is one of my favourite standby freezer meals, so quick to make! N xx
5 out of 5 stars for sure! I made mine with exclusively ground chicken and it was delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe! I’ve tried a few of your other recipes and they have all been winners so far!
That’s so fantastic Marie! I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this, thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
I forgot to mention that I replaced the cabbage with the green part of some bok choy. It was really successful! Off topic but have you ever thought of posting a chicken pot pie recipe?
It is ON THE LIST! 🙂
Finally made this today and how very delicious, this is a great recipe Nagi! I’m a complete novice at making wontons (and usually quite bad at making delicate things) but after the first few quickly managed to get into the swing of things. Your step by step photos were a great help.
So pleased you enjoyed it Runa – or should I say, Wonton Master?!! Thanks for letting me know! N xx❤️
I just ate my LAST purchased won ton soup from the local supermarket! It’s been a favorite soup of mine for a few years, but I worried (a) about
how salty the broth was, and (b) felt the wontons needed some “life”. I actually tried livening the soup up with a few drops of Chinese
hot sauce. NOW, right after that lunch, I looked up Won Ton Soup on my computer and found your recipe. TODAY I’m going to start purchasing the
ingredients to make them as you do. Unfortunately, shrimp i(which I love) is so expensive now that I won’t be able to include it every time. However, I will include it the first time, and will find and purchase all the other ingredients. Makes me cross to learn after eating this soup today that I could have
added my beloved bok chop to the soup to make it even healthier! I’m eager to serve it to a friend of mine who also loves to cook – and does
several Chinese recipes, but never has wonton soup. I, myself, will be glad to make it for myself too! Thanks for the calorie information because
I am diabetic and trying very hard to lose weight! I was worried the soup today was too high in calories, but I can see your soup (“Maggies”) is not too
high in calories. Hurray! I’ll be looking for other recipes from you! Five stars for sure!
WHOOT! I hope you love it!! PS I have a video for this coming up soon! 🙂
I am so excited to have found this website. I will be using it often. I am going to make you wonton’s tonight. Thank you so much.
OOOH! I hope you love these!!
Hi, Nagi!
Wonderful sounding recipe! Unfortunately I found your filling after making my wonton filling and googling “good chicken broth for wonton soup”. My filling has about 4/5 ounces of minced raw defrosted medium shrimp in it along with the ground pork. I noticed your recipe said to slightly cook the shrimp first before adding to the ground pork, did I read that correctly? If so, do you think the raw minced shrimp mixed with the pork will be okay since it’s not cooked? My filling recipe is very familiar to your as one of my best friends is from China and owns a restaurant here in U.S.
It was my idea ? Lol to add a bit of minced shrimp to the pork not in my friends original recipe she gave me though I’ve eaten that way when she’s cooked for me!
I’d give her a call but their in China!
I’ve been a long time lurker first time writer :)). Anything I’ve tried on your beautiful site has been wonderful to my palate. Thank you. I’ve also mixed some ideas of my own, my friends and yours just to play around with fallacies. After all, isn’t that half the fun of cooking experimenting?
Thanks in advance for any feed back!
Tracey
Hi Tracey! Hmmm, I don’t think it was my recipe you read that in! Definitely no need to cook the raw shrimp, just add it right in, it will cook with the pork. Shrimp and pork are the BEST of friends!!!! Seriously they make an amazing wonton filling! Thank you for your kind words, I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. And YES to experimenting!!! N xx
***flavors I ment to type…good grief not falacies ?
I figured it was a TYPO!!!! I had to laugh though!!
Delicious! Switched out the shrimp for grated mushrooms & chives… Great!
So glad to hear that Shylie! Thanks so much for letting me know! N x
My first time making wonton soup, and your recipe is indeed 5 stars. I was shaking my head in disbelief at how much flavor was in the wontons and the broth. Better than restaurant-quality. I had to say thank you.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Tyrone, thank you for letting me know! N x
Hey Nagi, Your wontons are simply delicious… thank you so much for sending me a batch, they are so beautifully made and we enjoyed them for dinner this week. Your hand made wontons have sustained my family and I while I have been working nights throughout this week. Your wontons together with the poached chicken breasts are now on my regular meal plan. It’s a winner all round ! So light, delicious and simple to make. I can have this delicious/tasty & healthy food every single day and still lose weight given the low calorie content ! Your are an absolute star! axx
PS. I have lost 3 kilos from working nights in the past 2 weeks and having your delicious food. I now need to keep losing … another 14kgs to go…
Wow Ada! I’m so glad to hear that!! Now if only I could stick to a regime like you have been able to….
Your delicious food makes it so easy for me to lose the weight. Just a thought, can you implement a low calorie ( < 300 approx calorie per serving) search filter on your site for those of us who needs to watch their intake ? It will be wonderful to have all your recipes grouped under one heading for the weight watchers. Thanks Nagi axx
There’s a category called LITE MEALS!!! 🙂 <350 cal 🙂
These were super tasty and thanks to your directions came together easily. They still are a little time consuming as you do have to make them individually but making them in batches speeds the process up a lot. I’ve been using the ones I’ve stashed in my freezer over the last few weeks for easy dinners and would probably make a double batch next time to make them last a little longer.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these Nomes! Thanks for letting me know! N x
I made this wonton soup last night and WOW! I cook a lot of Asian food (my kids are addicted to your Chicken Karaage) but have never made a wonton soup before (I’ve eaten plenty though). This was amazing!!! I didn’t have any chicken broth so just used an Aldi brand of chicken stock and it was so good that I can’t imagine using anything else. The flavours were perfect and I wouldn’t change a single thing about the recipe!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this Nicole! THANK YOU for letting me know! N x PS All credit to Maggie for this wonderful recipe!
Beautiful wontons, Nagi! I’m sure the soup is delicious!
Thanks Sabrina! N x
How did you know I’ve been craving real wonton soup and trying to decide if I have enough energy to make it all in one go. I am disabled, so prepping and cooking has to be done in stages, sometimes over the course of 2 or 3 days. (Frustrating, but necessary if I want homemade food) I have made homemade dumplings before I got sick and it took a long time, so I thought it wouldn’t be possible for me now. But along comes Nagi and now I know I CAN!! Your post has convinced me and I am so grateful.
Love all your creativity and that inner 7 year old. We should all keep that version of ourselves alive and well. Makes life far more Fun!
Hi Channon! I love hearing the determination you have to make great homemade food! 🙂 This is a good one for making in stages – you can mix the filling then wrap later, and in fact you can wrap in stages too 🙂 I do hope you try this Channon! N x
It’s been such a long time since I had wonton soup! The pictures encouraged me to make some 🙂
The video was lovely especially at the end 😛
Just finished dinner – another fabulous (and easy) dish from Nagi. I made way too many wonton so I threw together a sweet & sour sauce and deep fried the extras. All really, really good, although my wonton weren’t as pretty as yours. Guess I’ll have to keep practicing – yay!
Oh, and because it isn’t possible for me to follow a recipe exactly, I made one small change: I used parfait spoons, not teaspoons to add the filling…:-)
How it looks doesn’t matter!!! Tastes the same, I promise 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed it Michele, thanks so much for letting me know!! N x
Dinner sorted for tomorrow night…yum, what a treat! I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m hoping not to have too much trouble with the folding, I made about 120 pork and chicken gyoza and had the folding down pat after about 20 (but you never know). Still have some in freezer…I must get them out…
Kylie
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY GYOZA??? Oh my…..
I followed your recipe to the T. Oh my lord, just amazing and I won’t change a thing! Probably won’t be something I will order from down at the local Asian food hall ever again, this was so much better. My mixture made about 48 so have another 2 meals sitting in the freezer….bonus! I used the tinned chicken stock from from local Asian grocery store, it’s good, real good! Thank you for sharing, this recipe has now been put in my “keeper” folder and will be made regularly. PS the other halves comment was “wow! That looks a bit spesh!” x
KYLIE!!! I am so so glad you enjoyed this! It’s incredible, isn’t it?? The inside of the wontons are so tender and taste so real compared to local Chinese restaurants!!! Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it! N xx