Wonton Soup

Okay, I got a request to find a recipe for Wonton Soup, and because I love requests and new challenges, I have been working on doing this for awhile.  We finally got all of the ingredients, and so now I am happy to announce that I found a good recipe, tested it on my in-laws, and I am now very excited to share this information with you.  I made veggie tempura on the side, and it was a hit!

I must admit, I did borrow this recipe from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network website.  But I loved it, and so did my family.  Try it, you will like it too!

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped
• 10 cups canned low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• About 30 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
• 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots

Directions

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.

In a small mixing bowl combine the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic, remaining tablespoon of chopped ginger, 3 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions, the pork, egg yolk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

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.

Add the sliced bok choy, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots to the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. 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. Serve immediately.

**NOTE** Instead of chopping the ginger, I used a fine grater (grates stuff really small) or you could use a microplane.  I used a garlic press for the garlic, as well.  I think the broth tasted good, but I think I could probably get away with watering it down a bit next time, it had a strong enough flavor that if you needed to stretch it with some more liquid you could.  I also used dehydrated shitakes, and just hydrated them by boiling some water, removing it from the heat, and then tossing in the mushrooms to soak for about 20 minutes.  Make sure if you have leftovers, you fish out the wontons and store them in a separate container, or they will get mushy in the soup broth. If you have leftover wontons, either freeze them or refrigerate them on a cookie sheet, and then once frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag.  You can fry them in a deep fryer or toss them in the soup the next time you make this.