Asian Shrimp Dumpling Soup Recipe

This recipe takes very little skill to make but is so good it will astonish your friends and family who’ll wonder when you become such a fantastic Chinese cook.

I like to use this shrimp mixture straight - by dropping it into simmering broth and eating it as 'meatballs'. Alternatively, wonton wrappers are found in every Asian grocery and in many larger supermarkets – and with some wonton wrappers and some chilled and deveined shrimp at the ready; you can make this a wonton soup dish in only a few minutes.

This is a recipe I’ve adapted from one in Michael Ruhlman’s excellent book, ratios.

Asian Shrimp-Ball Soup

• 12 ounces of peeled and deveined shrimp (raw) shrimp
• 1 whole egg plus one more egg white
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ cup whipping cream
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tsps of grated ginger
• ¼ cup of chopped green onion (green part only)
• Chicken or shrimp broth, as much as you need for serving

Instructions

1. Add the shrimp, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, the salt, garlic, ginger and green onions to a food processor and start it up, after a few seconds, drizzle the cream slowly into mixture.
2. You should now have a smooth and incorporated mixture
3. To serve, heat your broth up in a pot on the stove.
   
4. To cook the shrimp-balls, once your broth has reached a simmer, drop spoonfuls sized balls directly into the soup and simmer until cooked through – about 2 minutes, depending on the size of the balls.
5. Serve this simple soup in bowls garnished with more finely chopped green onion and if desired, a drizzling of sesame oil

That’s it; so very easy, elegant and very tasty – a great start to any kind of larger Asian meal.

This shrimp mixture can alternately be used as filling for wontons, if desired. His quantity will make about 30 wontons. Just add a spoonful of the shrimp mixture to a pre-bought wonton wrapper, brush some beaten egg around the inside of the wrapper and then fold it over to seal. Boil in the soup as you would with the shrimp balls.

And a filling for ravioli too?!?

• Take out the ginger and the green onions (and maybe add in a little fresh basil instead) and this mixture makes a fantastic filling for ravioli or other filled Italian pastas.