Fall weather is officially here. I can feel the chilly fall air pass through my clothes on my morning walks to work. I’ve even begun layering on additional layers underneath my work clothes to stay warm throughout the day. My morning walks to work are a great way to clear my head before I tackle all of the assignments at work throughout the day. In between breaks, I dream about all the delicious foods I want to make. Lately, all I’ve been craving are warm soups, pastas, and oven baked goods – pretty much anything served hot. During the cold fall days, soups tend to be the easiest and tastiest options. Next week will officially mark the first week of my professional baking classes. Twice per week for several hours per day, I will be baking up a storm in a professional kitchen setting. I’ve been very excited about starting baking classes and using the classes as an opportunity to improve upon my baking skills. Before next week arrives, I’m squeezing in as much time in my home kitchen as possible. My latest adventures in the kitchen have led me to a warm bowl of wonton soup. There is just something so comforting about a bowl of warm broth filled with plump and juicy wontons. Wonton soup is one of my favorite soups. It’s so delicious and filling at the same time. Whether it is a simple bowl from a local restaurant in New York City’s Chinatown, a fancy bowl from a specialty restaurant in Hong Kong, or a homemade version from mom, I’ve truly enjoyed each and every one of them. Each family and each restaurant have their own version of wonton soup. Depending on who is making the wontons, the versions can vary. Many of the versions I’ve had typically features a blend of shrimp and pork chopped up and packed into plump wontons. My favorite simplified version features just ground pork along with a blend of aromatics and a savory sauce. These homemade pork wontons are equally (if not more delicious) than even the best versions I’ve had in restaurants. Better yet, these wontons are beyond a breeze to whip together in the kitchen. The broth for the wonton soup is a simple blend of chicken bouillon powder (the Lee Kum Kee brand), sliced mushrooms, and thinly sliced scallions. The star of the soup is definitely the wontons. When it comes to wonton soup, Kevin is perfectly content with a little bit of broth, tons of wontons, and a dash or two of white pepper powder. I like to spruce up my wonton soup with sliced baby bok choy and thin egg noodles. A warming bowl of wonton soup on a cold fall day is all it takes to fill Kevin up and to satisfy my cravings for a savory and filling soup.
For the pork wontons:
· ½ pound ground pork
· ½ inch piece of ginger, minced
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 5 stalks scallions, thinly sliced (reserve some green parts for garnishing)
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
· 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
· 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
· dash of white pepper powder
· 25-30 sheets of wonton wrappers
· 4 cups of water
For the broth:
· 2 cups of water
· 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (preferably Lee Kum Kee brand)
· 6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
· 2 stalks scallion, thinly sliced
Directions:
1) In a bowl, combine the ground pork, ginger, garlic, scallions, kosher salt, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, confectioners’ sugar, and white pepper powder. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the filling together. Set aside.
2) Heat two pots on medium heat. In the first pot, add the four cups of water. In the second pot, add the two cups of water, chicken bouillon powder, thinly sliced mushrooms, and scallions. Let both pots come to a boil. The first pot with just water will be used to cook the wontons. The second pot with the water and aromatics will serve as the broth for the wonton soup.
3) While the pots are boiling, make the wontons. Bring back the bowl with the filling. Prepare a small bowl of water. Use a small spoon to scoop about a teaspoon of filling onto one sheet of wonton wrapper. Fold the wonton wrapper in half diagonally until a triangle forms. Dip your pointer finger into the small bowl of water and spread the water along the edges of the wonton wrapper. Press the edges to seal the filling into wonton. Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together and press to seal the two ends. Continue with the rest of the filling and wrappers.
4) Once the water in the first pot is boiling, add 5-8 wontons at a time and let the wontons cook for 2-3 minutes. The wontons are ready when they begin to float. Transfer the cooked wontons to the second pot with the boiling broth. Continue with the rest of the wontons.
5) Serve the wontons in the broth and garnish with the remaining green parts of scallion.
Takeaways: I prefer to use the Lee Kum Kee brand of chicken bouillon powder for my wonton soup broth since I find the taste pretty authentic. The wontons can be customized further with chopped shrimp and/or Asian vegetables (such as Napa cabbage or baby bok choy) depending on your preferences.