Chicken Wonton Soup
I love trying new things, I love experimenting in the kitchen. Some recipes I love immediately, some I have to tweak a little. This is one I tweaked.
The first time I made this soup, I loved the wontons, they were very flavoursome, but I thought the soup lacked flavour. So then I tried another recipe, but I used the same wonton filling, why change something I thought was great. This time I was happy with the soup as well.
So here I have combined two recipes. The first soup had carrots, mushrooms and cabbage, the second soup didn't, but I liked having carrots, mushrooms and cabbage so I added them back in to the second recipe.
Wrapping the wontons was easy enough, with this being my first attempt at it, I didn't find it difficult at all (once I figured out how I liked them). If you have any leftover filling, just freeze it for another time, or with wet hands form mini meatballs, and add it to the soup when adding the wontons, they don't fall apart.
New Note: It's no longer my first time, I've been making this soup for years now. I'm going to add on two more ways to make wontons, all easy, just takes a bit of practice.
Here I'll also add two videos which helped me learn how to wrap wontons:
This one has the envelop and the rectangle ingot versions on it www.youtube.com/watch?v=saql1bWzdvc
This one will help with the last option, it's a take on my gyoza wrapping method
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCair8y_M_k
My husband would decrease the amount of ginger in the wonton filling, while my kids and I loved it, so if you don't like a lot of ginger, simply decrease the amount to suit your tastebuds.
As for the Sambal Oelek, this was my first taste of it, so I will mention, if this is your first try, add a small amount, it is really spicy, but do add it, it really adds to the overall flavour of the soup.
I also like to break the wontons in my bowl when eating them, as they are large, but more importantly the filling adds even more flavour to the soup when it is broken in the soup.
This is a lovely light soup, very fragrant, it was a hit with my family.
The first time I made this soup, I loved the wontons, they were very flavoursome, but I thought the soup lacked flavour. So then I tried another recipe, but I used the same wonton filling, why change something I thought was great. This time I was happy with the soup as well.
So here I have combined two recipes. The first soup had carrots, mushrooms and cabbage, the second soup didn't, but I liked having carrots, mushrooms and cabbage so I added them back in to the second recipe.
Wrapping the wontons was easy enough, with this being my first attempt at it, I didn't find it difficult at all (once I figured out how I liked them). If you have any leftover filling, just freeze it for another time, or with wet hands form mini meatballs, and add it to the soup when adding the wontons, they don't fall apart.
New Note: It's no longer my first time, I've been making this soup for years now. I'm going to add on two more ways to make wontons, all easy, just takes a bit of practice.
Here I'll also add two videos which helped me learn how to wrap wontons:
This one has the envelop and the rectangle ingot versions on it www.youtube.com/watch?v=saql1bWzdvc
This one will help with the last option, it's a take on my gyoza wrapping method
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCair8y_M_k
My husband would decrease the amount of ginger in the wonton filling, while my kids and I loved it, so if you don't like a lot of ginger, simply decrease the amount to suit your tastebuds.
As for the Sambal Oelek, this was my first taste of it, so I will mention, if this is your first try, add a small amount, it is really spicy, but do add it, it really adds to the overall flavour of the soup.
I also like to break the wontons in my bowl when eating them, as they are large, but more importantly the filling adds even more flavour to the soup when it is broken in the soup.
This is a lovely light soup, very fragrant, it was a hit with my family.
Recipe
Wontons:
250g chicken mince
2-3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
24 Wonton wrappers
Soup:
2 litres salt reduced chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt reduced soy sauce
2cm piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 small red chilli, optional
1 carrot, cut into thin sticks
150g shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch bok choy, washed, sliced lengthways
2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
1 spring onion, thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Sambal oelek, to serve
250g chicken mince
2-3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
24 Wonton wrappers
Soup:
2 litres salt reduced chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt reduced soy sauce
2cm piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 small red chilli, optional
1 carrot, cut into thin sticks
150g shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch bok choy, washed, sliced lengthways
2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
1 spring onion, thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Sambal oelek, to serve
Wontons: Place chicken mince, ginger, garlic, spring onion, water chestnuts, sherry and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well to combine.
Now I'm going to show you three ways to make wontons.
First up we'll call this one the Envelope
Now I'm going to show you three ways to make wontons.
First up we'll call this one the Envelope
Lay a wonton out on a clean surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mince mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Using your finger, spread a little cold water around the edge of the wonton. Fold wrapper over diagonally to enclose filling and form a triangle. Now from the mince mixture press the wonton toward the edges, making sure there is no air pockets around the mince mixture. If you leave air pockets, the wontons can open during the cooking process. So gently seal the edges from the mince mixture out. Make sure the edges are pressed together to seal.
Now lightly moisten with water the two corners of the folded edge. Bring the two corners of the folded edge together and press to seal. You now have a tortellini shape. (You can simply fold in a rectangle shape, as seen below also, but it doesn't look very nice). Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mince mixture. Once done refrigerate until needed.
Now lightly moisten with water the two corners of the folded edge. Bring the two corners of the folded edge together and press to seal. You now have a tortellini shape. (You can simply fold in a rectangle shape, as seen below also, but it doesn't look very nice). Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mince mixture. Once done refrigerate until needed.
Second option is the Rectangle Ingot.
Lay a wonton out on a clean surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mince mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Using your finger, spread a little cold water around the edge of the wonton. Fold wrapper over horizontally to enclose filling and form a rectangle. Now from the mince mixture press the wonton toward the edges, making sure there is no air pockets around the mince mixture. If you leave air pockets, the wontons can open during the cooking process. So gently seal the edges from the mince mixture out. Make sure the edges are pressed together to seal.
Now lightly moisten with water the underside of the left bottom corner of the folded edge. Bring the two corners of the folded edge together, squeezing the filling, gently, and press to seal, fold up the top edge. You now have a tortellini shape. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mince mixture. Once done refrigerate until needed.
The third option is a take on my Gyoza wrapping:
Now lightly moisten with water the underside of the left bottom corner of the folded edge. Bring the two corners of the folded edge together, squeezing the filling, gently, and press to seal, fold up the top edge. You now have a tortellini shape. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mince mixture. Once done refrigerate until needed.
The third option is a take on my Gyoza wrapping:
You will need to watch the video for this one as it will help, the only main difference is because the wrapper is square here, I don't add the mince to centre in this case, like in the video, add it to the left of centre, about 1cm from the edge.
But I will try and describe the process here: Place one heaped teaspoon of pork mixture to the left of centre, 1cm from the edge, of one wrapper, dip your finger in water and run it around the edges of the wonton wrapper. Pleat to seal, to pleat you pick up the wonton in your left hand and place it in your palm, with the filling on your thumb side, now use your index finger push in the dough, towards the filling, then using your right hand start to pleat the wonton, around the filling. As it is rectangular shape, it will give you longer and shorter edges and near the end you just squeeze it to enclose the filling. No two look alike for me, but in the soup, they all look amazing. Place on baking paper lined tray. Repeat with remaining mixture and wrappers. Once done refrigerate until needed.
But I will try and describe the process here: Place one heaped teaspoon of pork mixture to the left of centre, 1cm from the edge, of one wrapper, dip your finger in water and run it around the edges of the wonton wrapper. Pleat to seal, to pleat you pick up the wonton in your left hand and place it in your palm, with the filling on your thumb side, now use your index finger push in the dough, towards the filling, then using your right hand start to pleat the wonton, around the filling. As it is rectangular shape, it will give you longer and shorter edges and near the end you just squeeze it to enclose the filling. No two look alike for me, but in the soup, they all look amazing. Place on baking paper lined tray. Repeat with remaining mixture and wrappers. Once done refrigerate until needed.
Place stock, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise and chilli, if using, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes for flavours to develop. Remove from heat. Strain. Discard ginger, garlic, cinnamon and star anise. Return stock to pan, bring back to a simmer.
Separate bok choy leaves from stems. Chop stems into 3 pieces. Roughly chop leaves.
Add carrots, bok choy stems and wontons to the stock, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the bok choy leaves, mushrooms and cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes or until leaves have wilted and cabbage is tender.
Add carrots, bok choy stems and wontons to the stock, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the bok choy leaves, mushrooms and cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes or until leaves have wilted and cabbage is tender.
Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle over spring onion, coriander and mint. Serve with sambal oelek.
Enjoy!
