Wonton Soup
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Wonton soup is delicate Cantonese dumplings — wontons — filled with a springy pork-and-shrimp mixture, floated in a clear, savory broth. Wontons differ from potstickers and other dumplings in their thin, silky square wrappers and their loose “bundle” fold, which leaves a ruffled tail that catches the broth. The filling is ground pork and chopped shrimp seasoned with ginger, scallion, soy, sesame oil and white pepper, stirred until bouncy. The broth should be light but deeply savory — a good chicken stock simmered with ginger, scallion and a touch of soy and sesame oil, kept clear by cooking the wontons in a separate pot of water so their starch doesn't cloud it. You drop the wontons in just until they float and the filling is cooked (about 3–4 minutes), then serve them in the hot broth with leafy greens like bok choy. Uncooked wontons freeze well, so a batch means fast, comforting soup any night.
Why you'll love this wonton soup
- Silky, springy pork-and-shrimp wontons in a clear, comforting broth — far better than takeout.
- We show you the easy wonton fold and how to keep the broth crystal clear.
- Make a big batch of wontons and freeze them for a fast, cozy soup any night.
- Light but deeply savory — a complete meal in a bowl.
Ingredients
Wonton filling
- 8 oz ground pork, not too lean
- 4 oz shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp light soy saucesubstitutes →
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oilsubstitutes →
- ½ tsp white peppersubstitutes →
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Wrapping
- 1 package (about 30) square wonton wrappers, the thin kind, thawedhard to find
- 1 small bowl water, for sealing
Broth
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, plus more to serve
- 1 tbsp light soy saucesubstitutes →
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oilsubstitutes →
- 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
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Equipment
- Two pots — One for the broth, one of plain water to cook the wontons (keeps the broth clear).(shop →)
Instructions
Make the filling: mix the pork, chopped shrimp, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and cornstarch. Stir vigorously in one direction for a minute until sticky and springy.
💡 Stirring the filling in one direction until it's bouncy gives wontons their signature springy, cohesive bite.
Fill and fold: put a wonton wrapper in your palm, add about a teaspoon of filling in the center, wet the edges with water, fold into a triangle and press out the air to seal. Then bring the two bottom corners together, dab with water and pinch — making a little bundle with a ruffled top. (Or simply fold the triangle in half again for a quick version.)
💡 Use only about a teaspoon of filling — wontons are meant to be delicate, with thin wrappers and a small, tender center.
Start the broth: in one pot, simmer the stock with the ginger and scallions for 10 minutes, then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the bok choy in the last 2 minutes to cook until just tender. Keep it hot.
Cook the wontons separately: bring a second pot of water to a gentle boil and drop in the wontons. Cook 3–4 minutes, until they float and the filling is cooked through. Cooking them in plain water keeps the broth clear.
💡 Cook wontons in their own pot of water, not in the broth — their starch would otherwise cloud the broth.
Assemble: lift the cooked wontons into bowls with a slotted spoon, add the bok choy, and ladle the hot clear broth over. Top with extra scallions and a drop of sesame oil, and serve immediately.
Tips & notes
- Stir the filling in one direction until springy — that's what gives wontons their bouncy texture.
- Keep the filling small (about a teaspoon) and the wrappers thin; wontons should be delicate, not stuffed like dumplings.
- Cook the wontons in a separate pot of water and only combine with the broth at the end — this keeps the soup crystal clear.
- Don't overcook them — wontons are done as soon as they float and the filling is cooked, usually 3–4 minutes. Overcooked wrappers turn mushy.
- Freeze uncooked wontons on a tray, then bag them; drop straight into boiling water from frozen, adding a minute. A batch means soup in minutes any night.
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Wonton Soup
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
Ingredients
- 8 oz ground pork, not too lean
- 4 oz shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 package (about 30) square wonton wrappers, the thin kind, thawed
- 1 small bowl water, for sealing
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, plus more to serve
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
Instructions
- Make the filling: mix the pork, chopped shrimp, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and cornstarch. Stir vigorously in one direction for a minute until sticky and springy.
- Fill and fold: put a wonton wrapper in your palm, add about a teaspoon of filling in the center, wet the edges with water, fold into a triangle and press out the air to seal. Then bring the two bottom corners together, dab with water and pinch — making a little bundle with a ruffled top. (Or simply fold the triangle in half again for a quick version.)
- Start the broth: in one pot, simmer the stock with the ginger and scallions for 10 minutes, then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the bok choy in the last 2 minutes to cook until just tender. Keep it hot.
- Cook the wontons separately: bring a second pot of water to a gentle boil and drop in the wontons. Cook 3–4 minutes, until they float and the filling is cooked through. Cooking them in plain water keeps the broth clear.
- Assemble: lift the cooked wontons into bowls with a slotted spoon, add the bok choy, and ladle the hot clear broth over. Top with extra scallions and a drop of sesame oil, and serve immediately.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 300 cal · 20 g protein · 30 g carbs · 11 g fat
Wonton Soup FAQ
What's the difference between wontons and dumplings?
Both are filled Chinese dumplings, but wontons have thinner, more delicate square wrappers, a smaller filling, and a loose “bundle” fold, and they're usually served in soup. Dumplings (jiaozi) and potstickers use thicker round wrappers, more filling, and pleated half-moon folds, and are often boiled, steamed or pan-fried. Wontons are the silky, soup kind; potstickers are the crispy, pan-fried kind.
How do you keep wonton soup broth clear?
Cook the wontons in a separate pot of plain water, not directly in the broth. The starch from the wrappers would otherwise cloud the broth. Cook them until they float, lift them out with a slotted spoon, and add them to the clear, separately simmered broth just before serving.
Can I make wonton soup with just pork (no shrimp)?
Yes. An all-pork filling is common and delicious — just use about 12 ounces of ground pork in place of the pork-and-shrimp mix, and keep the same seasonings. The shrimp adds a springy texture and sweetness, but the soup is excellent without it. You can also do all shrimp for a lighter wonton.
Can I freeze wontons?
Yes, and it's the best way to keep them. Freeze the uncooked wontons in a single layer on a tray so they don't stick, then transfer to a bag. Cook them straight from frozen in boiling water, adding about a minute to the time. Don't thaw first — the wrappers get sticky and tear.
How long do you cook wontons?
Fresh wontons cook in about 3–4 minutes in gently boiling water — they're done when they float to the surface and the filling is cooked through. Frozen wontons take a minute or so longer. Avoid overcooking, which makes the thin wrappers mushy and prone to splitting.
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