Wonton Soup Recipe: Easy Pork Mince Wontons for One

Proper wonton soup needs proper wonton wrappers. I ordered mine online, frozen, and they arrived within 36 hours. Juicy pork mince wontons, ginger, spring onion and pak choi in a light chicken broth make a savoury bowl for one that takes about 20 minutes: 15 minutes' prep and 5 minutes' cooking.

The wrappers are made from wheat flour, egg and water, so they cook up tender and silky in the broth and hold their folded shape with just a dab of water.

Wonton Soup Ingredients (Serves 1)

For the Wontons

• Wonton wrappers: 8 to 10 square wheat wonton wrappers (keep covered with a damp tea towel so they do not dry out)
• Pork mince: 100g (ideally with around 15–20% fat so the filling stays juicy)
• Spring onion: 1, finely chopped (keep the green and white parts separate)
• Fresh ginger: ½ teaspoon, finely grated
• Garlic: ½ clove, crushed or finely grated
• Light soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
• Toasted sesame oil: ½ teaspoon
• Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry): ½ teaspoon (optional)
• Cornflour: ½ teaspoon (to bind the juices)
• White pepper: a small pinch

For the Broth and Garnish

• Chicken stock: 400ml (made with a good-quality stock cube or pot)
• Fresh ginger: 2 thin slices
• Light soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
• Toasted sesame oil: ½ teaspoon
• Pak choi: 1 small head, halved lengthways and washed
• Chilli flakes: a pinch, optional, to garnish
• Water: a small bowl, for sealing the wrappers

How to Make Wonton Soup

1. Defrost the wrappers. If your wrappers are frozen, move the sealed packet from the freezer to the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 to 6 hours. Once opened, keep them covered with a damp tea towel so they do not dry out and crack.
2. Make the filling. Put the pork mince, the white parts of the spring onion, grated ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and white pepper into a small bowl. Mix vigorously with a fork or chopsticks for about 30 seconds, until the mixture looks slightly sticky and well combined.
3. Fold the wontons. Lay one wrapper flat on a clean surface and put a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Dip a finger in the bowl of water and wet all four edges. Fold the wrapper in half diagonally into a triangle, pressing the edges firmly together to push out any trapped air. Wet the two bottom corners of the triangle, bring them together in front of the filling and pinch firmly to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
4. Cook the wontons. Pour the chicken stock into a small saucepan with the 2 slices of ginger and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Carefully drop in the wontons and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and the wontons float to the surface.
5. Add the pak choi. Add the pak choi for the final 1 to 2 minutes of cooking, until the stems are tender and the leaves have wilted.
6. Season the broth. Take the pan off the heat and remove the ginger slices. Stir in 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of sesame oil.
7. Serve. Ladle the broth, wontons and pak choi into a deep soup bowl. Scatter over the reserved green spring onion and the chilli flakes, and serve immediately.

Kitchen Tips

• Use wheat-and-egg wrappers. They give a tender, silky bite when boiled. Rice paper is made from rice and tapioca flour, and it turns sticky, chewy and prone to tearing in hot broth. For a rice paper version, see my Hot and Spicy Rice Paper Dumplings for Andalucian Dim Sum Cravings.
• Freeze a few for later. Folded wontons can go in the freezer. Do not thaw them first, as they turn soggy and stick together. Drop them straight from the freezer into the simmering stock and add a minute or two, so about 6 to 7 minutes in all.

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This Wonton Soup recipe is part of the Chinese Recipes, Soup Recipes and Pork Recipes hubs. Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef