Chicken Wonton Soup - The woks of life (2023)

Today we are sharing my grandma's recipe for wonton soup with chicken and wonton filling. Both my grandma and my mother have served me countless bowls of delicious wonton soup. It's Chinese home cooking — or really home cooking, period.

Growing up, there was always a batch of wontons in the freezer, making wonton soup any time of the day in minutes. Whether I was sick, having a bad day, or just hungry after school, Homemade won tan soup was always there to make things better.

My mom and grandma first taught me how to make won tans when I was barely old enough to see over the kitchen counter. As an adult, I hope to one day cast that mothering magic on my own children, offering piping-hot bowls of Won-Tan soup with the same ease and flair.

Note:This post was sponsored by Knorr Chicken Powder. All thoughts and opinions are our own. It was originally published on September 5th, 2019 and we have since updated it with clearer photos, metric measurements and additional tips. The recipe stays the same. Enjoy!

I blogged this won tan chicken soup recipe with my mom and grandma at my grandma's apartmentFlushing, queens. I mention this because you will notice from the photos that our cooking environment looks a little different!

Also included in this post:

Detailed guide to:

• How to fold wontons
• How to cook won tans
• How to freeze won tans

Wonton Chicken: Recipe Notes

While this chicken won ton soup recipe isn't our first won ton recipe on the blog (see oursimple wonton soup,Wan-Tans to Shanghai-Art, AndWonton aus San Xian), it is the first to feature chicken instead of pork in the filling. For our non-pork readers, this recipe is long overdue!

While pork fillings are more common in Chinese cuisine, these chicken wontons have a deliciously delicate flavor made even spicier with meaty shiitake mushrooms and my grandmother's secret ingredient - Knorr Chicken Powder.

When making won-tan fillings (chicken or otherwise), she likes to add a few spoonfuls of powdered chicken to give each won-tan a bigger flavor.If you have chicken bouillon paste, you can use that too!

This recipe also includes choppedNapa Kohlblätter, which give the wontons a great texture (and a healthy dose of hidden veggies).

An important step before adding the cabbage to the recipe is to salt it for 30 minutes to release some of its moisture. This will take time, but you'll have more control over the moisture content in the filling.

On to the recipe!

Chicken won tan soup recipe guide

Wash the Chinese cabbage clean and shake off excess water. If using a food processor, shred the leaves and chop into small pieces (being careful not to chop the bok choy). If chopping them by hand, thinly slice the leaves lengthwise, then finely chop the other way.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in ¾ teaspoon salt.

Set aside 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients (but no longer than 30 minutes). After 30 minutes, press the Chinese cabbage dry and discard the water.

Pre-soak the mushrooms when using themdried shiitake mushrooms. (Then squeeze the water from the mushrooms and save the soaking liquid. If you're using fresh mushrooms, skip this step.) Remove the mushroom stems and dice them into ½-inch cubes.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms until caramelized, about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mushrooms cool.

Now chop the chicken by handour method for mincing meat without a grinder.

This way you can choose which cut of chicken you like (breast or drumsticks) and you get a better texture than regular ground beef. We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts that my grandma had on hand, but boneless, skinless thighs have a little more fat and flavor. And they are usually cheaper!

If you choose to do this step, a cleaver really is the best tool for the job.

If you want to skip this step, you can just use ground chicken.

Time for the filling!

Combine chicken, Chinese cabbage, boiled mushrooms (using the oil left in the pan), ginger, green onions, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine,oyster sauce,sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, chicken powder and 2 tablespoons liquid from soaking the mushrooms or salting the cabbage. (If you don't have either, just use water.)

Use a rubber spatula or a pair of themChopsticks, stir the mixture in one direction for 10 minutes, longer if necessary…

Until the filling is well combined and sticky, like a paste.

Prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and take a small bowl of room temperature water. Lastly, bring a small pot of water to a boil so you can sample some wontons.

Can't find Wonton WRappers? make your own

We have full instructions onHow to make your own won tan wrappersthey taste like they were bought in the store!

How to fold wontons

To assemble the won tans:

1. take your squareWan-Tan-Wrapper, wet your finger and dab the edges along one side of the square with water.
2. Put 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the middle
3. Carefully fold the wrapper in half. Seal on all sides.
4. Using your finger, smear another dab of water onto one corner (the stuffing side) and carefully line up the two corners of the rectangle by pinching them together.
5. Place on the baking sheet lined with baking paper.

(See oursStep-by-step instructions on how to fold won tansfor more details!)

Make some won tans, cook and test the two samples. (Mamas Rat:Try two rather than one to get a better feel for the flavor and fine-tune the seasoning). Make adjustments to taste before proceeding to make the entire batch.

How to cook won tans

To cook the won tans:

• Boil water in a saucepan.
• Gently stir the boiling water to keep the water agitated as you add the won tans (this will prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot).
• You can add them either fresh or frozen. NEVER thaw wontons before cooking.
• Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes for fresh won tans, 8 minutes for frozen won tans.
• If necessary, add ½ cup of cold water if the water is boiling too much. This will help control the starch levels in the water and prevent the won tans from becoming too starchy.
• The won tans are done when they float to the surface and bulge slightly.

Since wontons are best served with broth or broth, heat a little while you cook them. I like to use my mother'sHomemade Chicken Brothor youCombination chicken/pork broththat need to be prepared in advance.

But for the sake of simplicity, here's how to make a bowl of won tan soup without broth:

Add a few teaspoonsmild soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, a pinchground white pepper, a pinch of chicken powder or bouillon paste and chopped green onions in a soup bowl. Then ladle in the cooked wonton chickens along with some of the cooking water.Also check out our recipeAbbreviation of wonton soup base.

Stir and enjoy!

How to freeze won tans

Freezing your wonton soup ensures you can make wonton soup anytime and for months! That's how it's done:

• When assembling your wontons, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet a few millimeters apart (they shouldn't be touching).
• Cover the baking sheet (we like to use 2 plastic bags for this purpose, folded over each end of the baking sheet).
• Place in the freezer, making sure the baking sheet is upright so the won tans don't slide around.
• Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Once frozen solid, transfer to freezer bags or containers and place back in the freezer for longer storage (up to 6 months).