Wonton soup
Silky homemade pork wontons floating in a clear, gingery broth with bok choy, easier to fold than you think and so much better than takeout.
- 60 min total
- 45 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.97 a serving
- 360 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 oz ground pork
- 2 tsp sesame oil, divided
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 heads baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 360 calories, 19 g protein, 34 g carbs and 16 g fat, and costs about $2.97 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the green onions, the ginger and the garlic.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Grate. Grating means rubbing food across the holes of a grater to make fine shreds or flakes. It spreads cheese, garlic or ginger evenly through a dish so it melts right in.
How you’ll know: Even shreds fall off the back of the grater, and you stop while the piece is still big enough to hold.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Mix the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, the cornstarch, ginger, garlic and half the green onions in a bowl with a fork until sticky.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Set out a small bowl of water. Put 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper, wet the edges with your finger, and fold it into a triangle, pressing out the air as you seal it.
Dolly’s tip: Keep the stack of wrappers under a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out while you work.Dab water on one corner of the long side, bring the two bottom corners together and them. Repeat with the rest, setting the wontons on a plate without touching.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Dolly’s tip: They don’t need to look perfect. As long as they’re sealed, they’ll hold together.Bring the broth and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a large pot over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to medium, gently drop in the wontons and for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once, until they float and the filling is 160°F in the middle.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Cut one open to check. The filling should be firm and gray-white, with no pink.Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Add the bok choy and simmer for 2 minutes, until the stems are just tender.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Turn off the heat, stir in the rest of the sesame oil and the pepper, and ladle into bowls with the remaining green onions on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
