Won Ton (Wonton) Soup

Growing up, I had the wonderful opportunity to learn to cook from my grandmother. She performed magic when she mixed, diced and cooked various ingredients together. All her dishes tantalized the tastebuds. There is one dish that she taught me to make when I was very young as it was, and still is, my favorite. Won ton soup. Learning in the kitchen with her was a real science. She never measured any ingredients, whether by cup, teaspoon or pound. It was all about proportions and final taste. As she was my teacher, I too cook by proportions and I never lock myself in with specific ingredients. Luckily, I have made this recipe so many times that I was able to write down everything in cups, teaspoons and tablespoons so that I could share this with you.

It's a very long process, but you will be rewarded with an awesome meal!  Let your kids join in on making them -- it's a great experience for them and you'll have time together! Enjoy!

4-5 pkgs. won ton wrappers

You can purchase premade won ton wrappers at your grocery store or at any Asian market. Open one package at a time so that the wrappers do not dry out during the time it takes to make the won tons. To help speed things along, I separate each wrapper and lay them fanned out on a flat plate. If the wrapper is dry, set it aside as it will not be usable to hold the filling; however, it can be used in the soup at serving time.

Begin by taking one wrapper and holding it in the palm of your left hand (assuming you are right handed. Reverse if you are left handed). Take a teaspoon of filling that you have made and place it in the center of the wrapper. Be careful to not poke any holes in the wrapper as the filling will fall out during the cooking process. Next, take the top left corner and the bottom right corner (opposite corners) and bring together. Do the same for the top right and bottom left corners. Pinch the won ton wrapper just above the filling so that it stays together. Some of the filling may be in the pinched part. Once pinched together, the won ton should look like a drawstring purse that has been tightened (visibly, without the string, of course). Set the won tons on another plate or non stick tray. Continue until all the filling is used up. You have the option of making small, bite sized won tons or large, gulp sized ones. It all depends on how much filling you place on the wrapper. Just remember, the larger the won ton, the faster the process goes, but the easier it is to break the wrapper when pinching it.

Once you have finished making the won tons, you can either prepare to cook them or you can freeze them. If you choose to freeze them, freeze them individually first on non-stick trays. Once frozen, transfer the won tons to a container aligning them in rows. Be careful not to break the frozen wrappers. You can also freeze a certain number for individual meals.

For the filling:

1 lb. lean ground pork (I grind my own from a centre pork loin roast)

5-8 large dried Chinese mushrooms

1 lb. shrimp (raw, devined and shelled)

¼ cup cilantro (fresh, washed and finely chopped)

½ cup water chestnuts (finely chopped) (optional)

2 tsp. vegetable oil (Oly’s if available)

2 tsp. soya sauce

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper to taste

2-3 Chinese sausages (finely chopped) (optional)

Soak the Chinese mushrooms in cool water until fully hydrated (preferably overnight). Rinse and wash the mushrooms. Remove the stem and slice into slivers. Place in food processor and pulse until finely minced. Remove and place in small bowl.

Place the raw shrimp in the food processor and pulse until finely minced. It will appear as a ball of seafood. Remove and place in bowl. Set aside.

To make the won ton filling, place 1/3 of each ingredient into the food processor and mix until completely blended together. The more it is processed, the finer the filling will be. Repeat with the second and last third of the ingredients. Set aside in one bowl. 

There are several methods of folding the wontons. The following is photo of before and after folding of the wonton that is described above. I have also included another writer's tips on how to fold wontons, though there are eight different styles. The particular style I featured here is known as the Cantonese or Hong Kong style. If you like to see the other styles, then please feel free to visit the site "Home Made Chinese Soups".

½ lb. shrimp (raw, devined, shelled)

3-4 large Chinese mushrooms (dried)

14 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper to taste

coriander sprigs (to garnish)

green onion (to garnish)

12 cups water

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper to taste

         sesame oil (optional)

         soya sauce (optional)

Soak Chinese mushrooms until rehydrated (preferably overnight). Rinse and wash. Remove stems. Slice mushroom caps and set aside.

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add the Chinese mushrooms and simmer for one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Near serving time, add the shrimp and bring the stock to a boil. Once the shrimp are cooked, turn the heat down or off. Keep the stock hot.

Bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add one wonton at a time to this pot of boiling water. Do not turn the heat down. Add just enough won tons to cover the bottom of the pot. DO NOT STIR the won tons. Once it begins to boil again, turn the heat down and simmer gently. The won tons will be cooked once they float to the top of the water. Once they are all cooked, scoop them out and place into bowls. Continue this process until you have cooked enough for everyone. Add water as needed when cooking – the won tons should be able to float once they are cooked.

Once the won tons are in the bowls, ladle the chicken and shrimp soup over the won tons. Garnish with coriander and green onions. You can also add some cooked shrimp on top for color. Present and serve.

This recipe makes anywhere between 50 – 250 won tons – it just depends on how big or small you make them!

If you are cooking frozen won tons, do not thaw them. Cook them from a frozen state so that the wrappers do not melt and become all sticky in the pot of water.

You can also add Chinese vegetables (bok choy for example) to the meal by washing, cooking and placing on the bottom of the bowl. Then place the won tons on top with the soup. Serve as a complete meal.