Wonton Noodle Soup

I've always wanted to try wonton soup with actual noodles in it, but the traditional way it's served involves a few things I can't eat. cc: shrimp, sesame oil. About a month ago I went out to eat at Saigon on East 4th Street in Downtown Cleveland and had to watch my friend slurp it down from across the table - talk about FOMO. I decided to make my own version, a version that wouldn't kill me. ​

You'll want to use fresh wonton egg noodles. You can read more about them + see a photo if you click here and check out The Woks of Life's blog. (If you scroll past the wonton noodles on that page, you'll also see the yellow square wonton wrappers that you'll need!) Both can be found at Asian grocery stores - if you're from CLE, I do all my noodle/dumpling shopping at Tink Holl Market in Asia Town.

For the portion sizes, I would say that 1 bundle of wonton noodles + 4-6 wontons and 2 cups of broth equals one serving. That said, this recipe makes enough for two eaters!

What you need:
(Broth)

• 4 cups wonton soup broth - I didn't have any so I used chicken broth and seasoned it with other flavors to make it taste a bit like wonton soup. If you're going that route - follow below.
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 5 garlic cloves sliced in half
• 5 pieces of peeled ginger - same size as garlic cloves cut in half
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

(Wontons)

• Yellow (thin & square) wonton wrappers
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3/4 cup chopped scallions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar
• 1 tbsp shoaxing wine
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt

(Noodles)

• 2 small bundles of fresh wonton noodles - see below for how to identify them at the store

What to do:​​
(Broth)

1. Heat the pre-made wonton soup broth - if you're going to use the chicken broth method, heat the garlic and spices in a tbsp of neutral oil to get the flavors out and then add the broth and let that simmer for 30 minutes.
2. You don't have to, but I like to remove the garlic and ginger chunks from the broth, cover with a lid and keep it at a low simmer until serving. 
3. Once the noodles and wontons are cooked, they go into the broth. I cook them in separate water because sometimes the flour from the wrappers can thicken and change the texture of the soup broth a bit.
   
4. Serve in bowls. Top everything with fresh scallions and blanched baby bok choy. (Blanched means placing the bok choy into boiling water for 20 seconds and then rinsing under freezing water to halt the cooking process.) 

(Wonton)

1. Mix together all of the wonton filling ingredients. After combined cook a teaspoon sized scoop of it in a non-stick skillet like you would a sausage patty and taste it when it's done. If it feels like it needs more of a certain flavor, feel free to add that in! 
2. Place a teaspoon of the filling mixture into the center of the square wonton wrapper.
3. Wet the parts of the wonton surrounding the filling with your finger after dipping it in water.
4. Fold each corner upwards around the meat so that they connect above the meat, press together to seal. It should look like a little purse or money bag when you're done. Make sense? If not, click here to see photos of it on @souperdiaries website - scroll down to "pouch wontons." 
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you run out of fillings or wonton wrappers. You can freeze whatever's leftover for up to 3 months.
6. Boil the wontons in water for 6 minutes, do this step when you're ready to put them into the soup.

(Noodles)

1. Boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes right before adding them into the broth, time it up so that the wontons and noodles are done right around the same time. While cooking the noodles, stir them constantly - they like to stick together since they are so thin and chewy.