Wonton soup really is so much better when you make it yourself and this easy wonton soup recipe will be one you will come back to again and again. Such comfort food.

bowl of wonton soup from side with corner of other bowl behind

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Wonton soup is one of those classic items on the menu at Chinese restaurants. For something so simple, it seems to range in quality dramatically with common issues being all-dough-and-no-filling wontons to no flavor, over-salted and greasy broth.

If made well, though, wonton soup can be wonderfully comforting and filling.

You can spice it up if you like, sneak veggies into the filling and add noodles and/or greens to the soup. Or, you can keep it simple like this easy wonton soup recipe. Sometimes there's no point messing around with something simple and delicious.

I know it might seem odd, but I first made this wonton soup after getting wonton wrappers for something else. I know, getting wonton wrappers for something other than making wontons might seem strange, but the steak taco salad wonton cups were really good too!

However I had loads left over and it seemed about time to try making my own wonton soup to use them up. I'm so glad I did, as we loved it and have made it often since.

What goes in wonton soup?

Wonton soup in it's simplest form is simply:

a broth-based soup, seasoned with ginger and garlic,
plenty of pork and shrimp wontons added to it.

Yes, you could buy them ready made wontons, but they really aren't that hard. And like many things, once you try making it yourself, you'll wonder why you didn't sooner.

wontons in soup with slices of spring onion as garnish from overhead

Not only, as I said, can you adapt the filling and seasoning to your taste, but most importantly, any grumble you might have with bought versions can be avoided. These wontons are well-stuffed, without being about to burst or taking three mouthfuls. The broth has flavor but isn't greasy.

How to make wontons

I'm sure the bit that might put you off making wonton soup yourself is making the wontons, but believe me they are really pretty easy. Once you've done a couple, you'll get in the swing of it and you'll soon be making them without a hitch.

There are two main ways of folding them as you'll see in my photo below. There's no real difference to the end result, as they kind of go wrinkly and have flappy sides either way and have about the same amount of filling.

Another slight variation is to roll the rectangle-shaped ones more like a candy then fold over the sides. This has a slight benefit of holding in the filling more, though you need to use less filling to get it to work.

Personally, I typically make them as triangles as I find them a nice balance of easy and well-filled. Just make sure you seal them well so they don't burst open.

making wontons - filling to side and putting some on wrappers and folding up using two methods

Prepare ahead!

You can take advantage of when you have time to make the wontons for this to make extra for another time. Just increase the quantities of everything equally to make as many as you want or need.

Top tip: freeze extra wonton

Take advantage of when you have extra time to make extra wonton. Any you don't need fresh can be frozen for future use.

To freeze, lay them out on a baking sheet or plate so that they are not touching each other (it can be good to line whatever you use in case they stick. Then once frozen, transfer the wonton to a freezer bag. Then you can cook them from frozen - they just take a minute longer than cooking fresh.

Stock is freezable too, so you can make the whole thing in no time. Just don't freeze the soup with the cooked wontons in it. Believe me, not good.

Making wontons is easier than you might think and when made into wonton soup, it's both comforting and satisfying. Making your own is really so worth it.

Remember to pin this for later.

Try these other Chinese appetizers:

Chinese scallion pancakes (cong you bing - deliciously chewy!)
Shrimp shumai (open-topped steamed dumplings)
Sang choy bao, Chinese lettuce wraps
Chinese pork and cabbage dumplings
Plus get more Chinese recipes and soups, salads and more in the appetizer recipes archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Easy wonton soup

Homemade pork and shrimp wontons in a tasty broth - comforting and delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer/Starter

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 472kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

For wontons

8 oz shrimp prawns (can use either raw or cooked) - peeled weight
8 oz ground pork pork mince
2 scallions spring onions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or can use sherry)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated, optional
1 packet wonton wrappers

For soup/broth

6 cups chicken stock homemade if possible
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic large, sliced
3-4 slices fresh ginger
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 scallion green onion/spring onion

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roughly chop the shrimp and put them in a food processor along with the pork, scallions, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and ginger if using. Pulse until well combined but try not to over-puree.
Lay out a few wonton wrappers at a time and have a little dish with water ready beside you. Put a teaspoonful of filling mixture to one side of the wonton - I find easiest putting towards one corner. Put a little water around the edges then fold over the opposite corner from the filling and press together. Join the two sides together, moving from the middle to the edge so you press out any air as you join. Bring the two 'wings' together on one side of the dumpling, using a little water to join. Repeat until you use all the filling.
Season the stock with a little salt and pepper to taste. Slice the garlic and add it, along with the ginger slices, and optionally slices of the white part of the scallion. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and warm for around 10 minutes or more.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the wontons a few at a time, making sure there is plenty room in the pot. They are ready after around 2 minutes (or less if only a little filling) when the filling looks a little paler through the wrappers and they rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and add a few to the bottom of each bowl. Repeat until you have enough in each bowl for the number you are serving.
Strain the stock of the pieces of ginger and garlic and pour over the wontons in the bowls. Top with a few slices of the green from the scallion/green onion.

Video

Notes

Note - if you want to freeze wontons you are not using, do so before cooking. Simply lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment then once frozen (after 1hr, approx), transfer to a freezer bag. Stock can also be frozen in a sealed container.

Nutrition

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This post was first shared in January 2017 and has been updated, primarily with added video.