Shrimp and Pork Wonton Soup

I don't hae any personal wonton soup stories to regale you with. Sure, I have had it and enjoyed it, but not being a big soup eater to begin with I would not put them on my must-have dishes list. So, let me give you some of their history instead:

A wonton is a type of dumpling, but the main difference between wontons and other dumplings is the thin wrap. The word “wonton” translates to clouds in Cantonese, so named for the appearance the floating wontons take in the broth. They are served with the soup spoon at the bottom, the wontons next, garnishings such as chopped green onions, and then noodles. After this has been stacked, an aromatic broth is poured over it. Some restaurants also place the wontons and noodles on the side of the bowl of soup so that you can eat them separately if you prefer.

Wontons date back as far as the Qing Dynasty in 1644, during which wonton soup was enjoyed by the rich families of nobles and merchants. That was the case until the end of World War II, which is when it became more and more popular. As China saw improvements to its own economy, the dish became more and more popular and was even brought to Hong Kong where many stalls opened up to serve the dish to the working class. The dish slowly adapted, with medicinal ingredients often incorporated into it. And then finally, Chinese immigrants to Canada brought the dish along with them, opening up restaurants that introduced it to Western cultures. A lot of versions of this dish in the west now incorporate other ingredients, such as broccoli, carrot, and mushroom. Egg noodles are also used in Western versions of the dish.

Found on the website of the Ricebowl Deluxe.

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE WONTONS
  • ¾ pound ground pork
  • ½ pound peeled and deveined shrimp, finely chopped
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 12-ounce package square wonton wrappers

FOR THE SOUP
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 4 to 6 leaves bok choy
  • ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
  • To make the wontons, In a large bowl combine the pork, shrimp, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper and mix well.
  • Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, lightly brush the edges of two adjacent sides of the wrapper with water and place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center. Fold over one corner of the wrapper so that the two moistened sides meet the two unmoistened sides, creating a triangle. Press the sides together to seal. Then, hold the corners of the long side of the triangle and bring them together to form the traditional purse shape. Use a bit of water to seal the corners to each other. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, arranging them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • To make the soup, in a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the broth, ginger, soy sauce, cooking wine, and sesame oil and bring to a simmer.
  • Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the bok choy, shrimp, and green onions to the broth and cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the wontons (cook them in batches to avoid crowding) and cook until the wontons float to the top, about 5 minutes. Cook 3 to 5 wontons per serving. For 4 servings, I usually cook around 16, but you should do more depending on how hungry your people are.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp and bok choy to 4 serving bowls, dividing equally. Next, place cooked wontons in each serving bowl.
  • Serve the soup by ladling the broth over the shrimp, wontons, and bok choy.
  • Serve immediately.


Shamelessly filched from: 
Thank you Always Delicious! :-)

Images: Unsplash, Pexels and Freepik.


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