Delicate pork and prawn wontons in a crystal-clear, deeply flavoured Cantonese broth — the benchmark of Cantonese comfort food.
Wonton soup is the quintessence of Cantonese comfort food — thin, silky wrappers encasing juicy pork and prawn filling, served in a golden broth that is deeply flavoured but crystal clear. The craft is in the filling (juicy but not wet), the fold (the classic Cantonese 'nurse's cap' shape that maximises skin-to-filling ratio), and the broth (pork bones, dried shrimp, and chicken for depth without cloudiness).
Serves 4
Combine pork, prawns, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, spring onions, and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction for 3 min until filling becomes slightly sticky and holds together.
Place 1 tsp filling in the centre of each wrapper. Wet edges with water. Fold diagonally to form a triangle. Press edges firmly. Then bring the two bottom corners together and press — the classic nurse's cap fold.
Don't overfill — 1 tsp is correct. Too much filling prevents a clean seal.
Heat chicken stock in a large pot. Season with soy sauce and sesame oil. Keep at a gentle simmer.
Bring a large separate pot of water to a boil. Cook wontons in batches for 3–4 min until they float and the filling is cooked through. Do not cook in the broth — it clouds it.
Add bok choy to the hot broth and wilt for 1 min.
Divide cooked wontons among deep bowls. Ladle hot broth and bok choy over. Garnish with spring onion slices and a few drops of sesame oil.
Mixing the filling in one direction develops the proteins into a springy, cohesive paste that gives the classic bouncy texture.
Cook wontons in plain water rather than broth to keep the broth crystal clear.
Add a spoonful of chilli oil to each bowl for Sichuan-style wonton soup
Use all pork or all prawn depending on preference
Make wonton noodle soup by adding egg noodles
Uncooked wontons freeze well on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen, adding 2 extra minutes.
Wontons (云吞 in Cantonese, meaning 'swallowing clouds') are believed to have originated in northern China and were adopted into Cantonese cuisine where they became a restaurant institution. Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup is one of the most iconic bowls in Chinese cuisine.
Wontons use thin wheat-based wrappers and are typically served in soup. Dumplings (jiaozi) use thicker wrappers and are usually boiled, steamed or pan-fried and served with dipping sauce. The fillings are similar but the wrapper thickness and typical serving style differ.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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