Won Ton Soup

By á-2323

The name won ton means swallowing a cloud, and the wonton floating in this popular soup are thought to resemble clouds.

If you plan on saving any of this soup for leftovers, you might consider cooking the wontons in a separate pot of boiling water before adding them to the broth for serving. Because the wontons themselves are coated with cornstarch, they will make the soup cloudy, thick, and starchy, if allowed to sit in the soup for any length of time. You won't have this problem, however, if you choose to serve the soup immediately.

Ingredients

• Broth:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 10 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 18 - 24 won ton wrappers
• Filling:
• 1/2 pound boneless lean pork, chopped finely (I used half a pork tenderloin)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (half regular soy, half sweet soy)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine
• 1 green onion, finely minced
• 2 dashes of pepper
• Water for boiling won tons
• green onion, thinly sliced, as desired

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan or soup pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot.
Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the 1/4 cup of sliced scallions and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low so that the broth just simmers.
Allow broth to simmer for at least 20 to 30 minutes while the wontons are being assembled.

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well.

Working on a flat work surface, lay out a few of the wontons. (Keep remaining wonton wrappers covered with plastic wrap.)
Fill a small bowl partially with cool water and set aside.
Using a teaspoon measure, place a heaping teaspoonful of the meat filling in the center of each wonton.
Using your fingers, lightly wet the edges of the wonton.
Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton together to form a triangle and enclose the filling, pressing edges firmly around the mound of filling to eliminate any air pockets and seal.
Moisten opposite corners of the long side.
Curl moistened corners toward each other, overlapping one on top of the other, and press the edges together to seal.
You should now have a rounded stuffed wonton with a triangle poking up at the top.
Assemble the remaining wontons in the same manner.
When the wontons are all assembled, set aside.

Boiling the won tons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely.
Let the won tons boil for 5 - 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through.
Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

Using your hands or a slotted spoon, gently add the prepared wontons to the simmering broth.
Increase the heat slightly so that the broth returns to a gentle simmer.
Cook, stirring occasionally (very gently), until the wontons float and the pork filling is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add sliced green onions.
Serve immediately.