Delicate pork and shrimp wontons simmered in a light, savory broth with scallion and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Huntun tang, or wonton soup, is a beloved Chinese comfort dish -- delicate wonton dumplings filled with seasoned ground pork and shrimp, simmered gently in a clear, savory broth until they float and the wrappers turn translucent and silky. It's found across regional Chinese cuisines with variations in filling and wrapper thickness, but the fundamental appeal remains the same: a light, warming soup built around perfectly cooked, tender dumplings. The technique that matters most is the filling and the wrapping: pork and shrimp are seasoned with ginger, scallion, and a touch of sesame oil, mixed until slightly sticky, and wrapped in thin wonton skins folded into a specific shape (often a simple triangle-and-twist or a more elaborate 'goldfish' fold) that keeps the filling secure while cooking. Simmering the wontons gently rather than boiling hard prevents the delicate wrappers from tearing, and building a flavorful broth beforehand -- simmered with ginger and scallion -- ensures the soup itself carries real depth beyond just the dumplings. Served hot in bowls with a scatter of scallion and a drizzle of sesame oil, huntun tang is light yet deeply satisfying, a dish found on nearly every Chinese restaurant menu and made at home for a comforting, from-scratch meal.
Serves 4
Combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper. Mix well until slightly sticky.
Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges with water, fold into a triangle, and pinch the two bottom corners together to seal.
Bring chicken stock to a simmer with ginger slices and soy sauce.
Bring a separate pot of water to a gentle boil. Add wontons and cook 4-5 minutes until they float and the filling is cooked through.
Remove ginger slices from the broth. Divide cooked wontons among bowls and ladle the hot broth over.
Garnish with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Cook the wontons in a separate pot of water rather than directly in the broth, then add them to the broth for serving -- this keeps the broth clear rather than cloudy with starch.
Don't overfill the wontons; too much filling makes them prone to bursting during cooking.
Simmer gently rather than boiling hard once the wontons are in the water, since a rolling boil can tear the delicate wrappers.
Add bok choy or spinach to the broth for extra vegetables and color.
Use all pork or all shrimp filling if you prefer a single-protein version.
Add a few drops of chili oil for a spicier version, common in some regional variations.
Store uncooked wontons in the freezer for up to 2 months; cook directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes. Refrigerate cooked wontons and broth separately up to 2 days.
Wonton soup has deep roots in Cantonese cuisine, with wonton dumplings believed to date back over a thousand years, and it remains one of the most internationally recognized Chinese soups, with regional variations in filling, wrapper thickness, and broth found throughout China.
Yes -- freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag; cook directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
They may not have been sealed tightly enough, or the water was boiling too hard. Pinch the edges firmly and simmer gently rather than at a rolling boil.
Thin dumpling or gyoza wrappers can work as a substitute, though they may be slightly thicker than traditional wonton wrappers.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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