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Warm, comforting, and packed with savory flavor, this Wonton Soup features tender homemade wontons filled with juicy pork and shrimp in a light, aromatic chicken broth. It’s simple to make and a great starter for your favorite takeout copycat recipes.
I love recreating our favorite takeout recipes at home, whether it’s Panda Express chow mein or cream cheese rangoon. This wonton soup recipe is my latest Chinese takeout recreation, inspired by our local restaurant.
The recipe starts with homemade pork and shrimp wontons. I’ll be honest, assembling 54 wontons does take a bit of time…but it’s so worth it! Sometimes I’ll just double the recipe and make extras to freeze (tips for that below!), and then it’s just a matter of boiling the broth later.
The broth itself is just as important and flavorful as the wontons! Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and white pepper give the broth plenty of flavor without overpowering the delicate wontons, while bok choy adds freshness and color.
The end result is an easy wonton soup that’s cozy, satisfying, and perfect for a homemade takeout-style meal.
Why This Wonton Soup Recipe Is So Good
- Made with pork & shrimp. The wonton filling is made with a combination of minced pork and finely chopped shrimp. The combination adds such a good balance of flavor and texture. You can make them all pork, though, if you want!
- The aromatic broth. The wontons are incredible on their own, but they really shine in the broth. It takes less than 10 minutes to make, and there’s a generous amount of fresh garlic and ginger to give it amazing flavor.
- Takeout quality. I included a few of my best tips below, including how to seal the wontons so they don’t fall apart and how to keep the broth clear, to ensure your wonton soup turns out like something straight from a local restaurant.
Ingredient Notes
Let’s take a look at everything needed to make the wontons from scratch, plus the simple broth. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Wontons:
- Minced pork – Be sure to use plain, unseasoned ground pork and not seasoned sausage.
- Shrimp – Finely chopped into small pieces.
- Egg – Helps bind the filling together.
- Green onion – Adds earthy flavor without being overpowering.
- Light soy sauce – Adds a bit of salty umami flavor to the filling.
- Sesame oil – Adds a bit of nuttiness.
- Ginger – I like freshly grated ginger for the best flavor. You only need a tiny amount!
- Shaoxing wine – Dry sherry is a good substitute for Shaoxing wine. For an alcohol-free version, you can simply leave it out and add a small splash of chicken broth to the filling if needed.
- Salt & white pepper
- Wonton wrappers – These are typically found in the produce section at most grocery
Broth:
- Chicken broth – I like chicken broth because it has more flavor than vegetable broth but isn’t as rich as beef broth.
- Garlic & ginger – I sliced both the ginger and garlic. There’s no need to mince or grate them and you want a generous amount.
- Light soy sauce – Adds salty umami to the broth.
- Granulated sugar – Just a tiny amount of offset the savory flavors.
- Bok choy – Optional but it adds a nice touch, especially if you are serving this as a meal.
How To Make Wonton Soup
This soup is surprisingly simple to make! Assembling the wontons takes some time, but it’s worth every second. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Make the filling. Add all of the wonton filling ingredients to a bowl. Stir vigorously in one direction for 1-2 minutes, until well combined and slightly sticky.
- Fill the wrappers. Place each wrapper on a clean work surface. Add ½ tablespoon of filling, dip your finger in water, and lightly wet the edges of the upper half. Fold the wrapper in half and gently press along the edges, pushing out any trapped air. Lightly wet one corner, bring two corners toward the center and overlap them. Press firmly.
- Repeat. Repeat with all the wonton wrappers, keeping them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel.
- Make the broth. Add the broth ingredients to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain out the ginger and garlic, if desired. If using bok choy, add it and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Cook the wontons. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Cook the wontons in batches for about 4-5 minutes, until tender and the filling inside is fully cooked.
- Enjoy. Transfer the wontons to the prepared broth with a slotted spoon. Divide the soup among bowls and drizzle with sesame oil and sliced spring onion. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a couple of things I’ve found helpful when making this wonton soup recipe.
- Stir in one direction. Stirring consistently in one direction helps the proteins in the pork and shrimp bind together. This makes the filling slightly sticky and gives the cooked wontons a juicy, cohesive, and pleasantly springy texture.
- Keep the wrappers covered. Wonton wrappers are thin and lose moisture quickly when exposed to air. Once dry, they can become brittle and crack when folded. Keep unused wrappers covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel while wrapping.
- Remove any excess air. Trapped air expands during cooking and can cause the wontons to puff up, loosen, or burst. Gently press out any air around the filling before sealing the edges.
- Try a pork-only filling. You can replace the shrimp with additional minced pork if you prefer an all-pork filling. The texture will be slightly different, but the wontons will still be flavorful and juicy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wonton wrappers are usually dusted with starch or flour to keep them from sticking together. Cooking them directly in the soup can release that starch into the broth, making it cloudy and slightly thick. Cooking the wontons separately keeps the broth light and clear. Cooking wontons separately is recommended if you are serving a larger crowd.
This usually happens when the wrappers are not sealed tightly enough, too much filling has been added, or air has been trapped inside. Avoid overfilling and firmly press the wrapper edges together before cooking.
About ½ tablespoon of filling works well for this recipe. Adding too much filling makes the wontons harder to seal and increases the chance of them opening during cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This wonton soup makes a wonderful light lunch or dinner on its own. It’s also a great starter for other Asian-inspired recipes, like Panda Express orange chicken, cashew chicken, and kung pao chicken.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Can I make the wontons ahead of time? Yes. Assemble the wontons, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before cooking.
- Uncooked wontons: Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray without touching. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Cook directly from frozen—there’s no need to thaw them first; simply add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Cooked wontons: Store separately from the broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Add as Google Trusted SourceWonton Soup
Ingredients
Wonton fillings:
- 11 ounces minced pork
- 7 ounces shrimp, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup green onion, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 54 wonton wrappers
Wonton broth:
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 6 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ Tablespoon light soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Bok choy, optional
Instructions
Prepare wonton filling:
- Add the minced pork, chopped shrimp, egg, green onion, light soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir vigorously in one direction for 1–2 minutes, or until the mixture is well combined and becomes slightly sticky. This helps the filling hold together and gives it a springier texture.
Wrap the wontons:
- Place a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface and add about ½ tablespoon of filling to the center.
- Dip your finger in water and lightly wet the edges of the upper half of the wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle or half-moon shape, depending on the shape of your wrappers. Gently press along the edges to seal, pushing out any trapped air as you go.
- Lightly wet one corner, then bring the two corners toward the center and overlap them. Press firmly to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. Keep the finished wontons covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel while wrapping the rest to prevent them from drying out.
Prepare the wonton broth:
- Add the sliced ginger, sliced garlic, light soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper to a pot.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the ginger and garlic to infuse the broth.
- Strain out the ginger and garlic, if desired, for a clearer broth.
- Add the bok choy and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside.
Cook the wontons:
- Bring a separate large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the wontons in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
- Cook for about 4–5 minutes, or until the wrappers are tender and the pork and shrimp filling is fully cooked.
- Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly to the prepared broth.
Garnish and serve:
- Divide the wontons, bok choy, and hot broth among serving bowls. Drizzle with a little sesame oil and garnish with sliced spring onion. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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