Wonton Soup

STOP!!!

Before you scroll down, take a look at the ingredients and directions for this recipe and tell me to go screw myself, just STOP! This is actually a pretty easy recipe to make. A little time consuming, yes, but easy. Just do a teeny-tiny bit of planning, and this awesomely delicious soup will totally be worth it.

Now, when I say 'planning', I mean this; decide what day of the week you want to make this (I'm posting it on a Friday since this just screams weekend lunch or dinner). Make the wonton filling earlier that day...I made mine at about 11am, just to get it out of the way. The only work required there is chopping the lettuce, but 1/2 cup is NOT a lot....about 4-5 leaves. I bought a container of sliced green onions in the produce section and opted for ground ginger spice instead of actual ginger (mainly because I forgot to add ginger to my shopping list) so I didn't have any other prep work for the filling. Once the cabbage has been drained of it's water, just mix everything up! You can even do that the night before if you want, then keep the filling in the fridge.

Now...assembling the wontons. This is obviously the most time consuming part. Just follow the directions and work with one wonton at a time. The first couple you do are most likely gonna look ghetto-fabulous, but it's ok. You start to get the hang of it and pick up a rhythm and it goes much faster. The most important thing with this step is to keep the finished wontons moist! I just sprayed a plate with Pam, set each finished wonton on the plate, then covered them with a very wet paper towel. Once they're finished and you begin making the soup, just re-wet the paper towel to keep them moist while waiting for the broth and water come to a boil.

Once that happens you just pop 'em into the water one at a time and they take about 3-4 minutes to cook. I promise, this is not a difficult recipe. The old me would have taken one look at that recipe and ran screaming in terror. But there would have been no need. This recipe is SO good, and SO worth the little bit of effort it takes. I'll of course still get wonton soup from the Chinese restaurant cause I LOVE it, but it's nice to know I have a great recipe on hand to make it at home if I so choose.

Have a great weekend guys...see you Monday!!! 

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'Wonton Soup'

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Wonton Filling

1/2 cup finely chopped Napa cabbage

Coarse salt

1/2 lb ground pork

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger (I used 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Wonton Filling Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Wrap cabbage in a double layer of paper towels; firmly squeeze out excess liquid.

2. Return cabbage to bowl and mix well with pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

Soup Ingredients

24 rectangular or square wonton wrappers (3 1/2-by-3-inch)

prepared wonton filling (from above recipe)

2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz)

4 cups water

Coarse salt

3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Wonton Assembly Directions

1. Work with one wrapper at a time, and keep the rest covered with a damp towel. Spoon one rounded teaspoon of filling in center of a wrapper.

2. With dampened fingers (or a brush), wet the four edges. Form a triangle by folding the wrapper in half over filling, making sure the ends meet and filling is centered; press down firmly to seal.

3. Moisten one tip on long side of triangle. Bring together both tips on long side, overlapping them slightly; press tips together to seal.

4. Fold remaining top corner back. Transfer to an oiled plate; cover with a damp towel to keep moist. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Soup Directions

1. Once wontons are made, set aside (keeping them covered with moist towel). In a large pot, combine broth, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil.

2. Add wontons one at a time; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until wontons are just cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in scallions, vinegar, and sesame oil; season with salt. Serve.

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