Wonton Noodle Soup

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After Pho Ga, this is probably the most popular soup on The Slanted Door menu. It's what you might call "fully loaded"; Chinese egg noodles (and never rice noodles), wontons filled with a mix of pork and shrimp, and slices of braised pork.
Vietnam has a large number of Chinese immigrants, and an even larger number of people who were born and raised in Vietnam but are ethnically Chinese. These are the people who introduced this iconic Chinese soup to Vietnam. In the states, wontons are often overstuffed - they look like meatballs with a skin wrapped around them. But the word wonton translates as "swallowing cloud," and the amount of filling should really be about the size of a small marble, an accent to the silky wrapper. If all you have ever eaten is Chinese takeout wonton soup, try this.

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  • 6

Ingredients

  • PORK & SHRIMP WONTONS
  • 8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely chopped
  • 4 ounces ground pork
  • 1/3 cup fried shallots
  • 3 tablespoons shallot oil
  • 1 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh water chestnuts
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped black trumpet mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion, white and light green parts only
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and ground to a coarse powder
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 50 square wonton wrappers
  • cornstarch, for dusting
  • SOUP
  • 4 quarts chicken or pork stock
  • 1 pound fresh thin egg noodles
  • Lo Soi braised pork, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions, dark green part only
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup fried shallots
  • pork cracklins, optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. To make the wontons; In a bowl, combine the shrimp, pork, fried shallots, shallot oil, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cilantro, scallion, oyster sauce, sesame seeds, raw shallot, fish sauce and sesame oil and mix well. The mixture will be loose.

2. To form each wonton; Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface and place 1/2 teaspoon filling in the center of the wrapper. Pull the wonton wrapper up and around the filling to make a purse, twisting the wrapper slightly to enclose the meat. Transfer the finished wonton to a baking sheet or a large tray lightly dusted with cornstarch.

3. Repeat until you have used up all of the wonton filling. The wontons can be made a day ahead; if making ahead, dust the wontons generously with cornstarch and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month; arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and freeze until frozen solid, then transfer to resealable storage bags or other airtight containers and return to the freezer. Do not thaw before cooking.

4. In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a vigorous simmer. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil over high heat.

5. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute, until they are tender, yet still have some bite. Drain the noodles and divide them among warm soup bowls. Top the noodles with the sliced Lo Soi pork, dividing them evenly. Add the wontons to the simmering stock, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they float.

6. When the wontons are ready, using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer them to the bowls, dividing them evenly. Ladle the hot stock into the bowls and garnish with the scallion, cilantro, fried shallots and cracklings. Serve immediately.

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