Easy Wonton Soup

Hubs is quite the Japanese food fanatic.  In New York, we had the pleasure of eating at Yobo, which served the best dim sum I have ever had in my life and had some of the most beautifully prepared sushi I have ever seen.  Everything about Yobo made you want to just linger.  It had dark wood, was dimly lit, had a fountain and pond in the middle of the restaurant and everything was geared to make you feel like you welcome to stay just a little longer...they served a fabulous spicy, hot tea at the end of the meal as if just beckoning you to kick back and relax a little longer and sip your mug of hot, steaming tea.  Nothing was rushed or hurried - it was just perfection.  Our last meal from New York was at Yobo, in fact.  I miss the Hudson Valley more and more every day.  Not their 8 feet of snow at the moment, but you know what I'm getting at.  :)

Since moving to Georgia, we've been hard pressed to find a Japanese place that wasn't all hibatchi and Americanized.  Hubs has found a sushi place he's happy with and I enjoy their fried rice so we're semi-content.  But I was still longing for a good, brothy wonton soup.  Every Asian joint has their own version and the place up here doesn't even serve soup with their meal!  Calamity...so I set out to make my own and happily I found a version from Angel in the Kitchen that is heartily filling and simple to do. (and makes a ton!)

Her version, oddly, was a potsticker recipe made into a wonton soup.  I agree with her theory that since the wonton IS the star of the show, it should be utterly delicious.  And boy, is this ever!  Most wontons only have the tiniest amount of filling and all you get is a big floppy noodle.  Her version is much more than that.  Flavorful pork and crispy Napa cabbage meet a zinger of seasonings like sherry, ginger and garlic before being wrapped in wontons and boiled in a simple, yummy stock/broth with scallions and red pepper flakes.  Warm, inviting and fantabulous.  (its a word)  

The filling made so many wontons, I froze half of it to use on another day but feel free to pack your broth chock full of wontons if its the main dish of your meal.  I made this soup on the side of some yakitori chicken skewers so I didn't want a huge amount of soup.  Or you could use it to make some potstickers or even some egg rolls!  Its not all about soup with this filling.  Its just THAT good!  

Wonton Soup

via Angel in the Kitchen

8 c. chicken broth (I used stock)
¼ c. scallions, finely chopped
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

dash of salt/pepper
30 wonton wrappers

Wonton filling
8 oz. ground pork
½ c. finely chopped napa cabbage or coleslaw mix
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ tsp. grated ginger root
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼-½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1½ tsp. cornstarch
1½ tsp. soy sauce
1½ tsp. dry sherry
½ tsp. sesame oil

In a large pot bring broth/stock, scallions, salt/pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.

Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl.  Place a few wonton wrappers on your work surface. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, place small portions of the meat mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper. Using your fingers or a small brush, wet two perpendicular sides of each wrapper. Fold from corner to corner, sealing.  With the wontons laying flat as a triangle with the point facing upward, wet the two opposite points with water and fold them inward. It should look like the wonton is giving itself a hug.

Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers. Add wontons to soup and increase heat to medium. Cook wontons in broth until they start to float and filling is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.