Sometimes Simple is Best - Wonton Soup

Recipe development can often be perceived as "what complicated thing can I do to make a new recipe". But there are times when simple is still the best. I have eaten, tested, watched, and learned several wonton soup recipes. Some are a little too simple: lacking flavor, mouthfeel, and appeal. They tend to be nothing more than meat in a wrapper (no seasoning), thrown into some stock that MIGHT have some onions in it, and call it a day. Others, in my opinion, go a little overboard with additions/flavorings and lose what I think the focus of the soup should be, the wonton. Let's dive into my wonton soup.

The problem: the need for a wonton soup recipe that doesn't lack flavor, is a full meal, and is quick to prepare.

The solution: choosing the right kind of ground meat, seasoning that meat, choosing a good stock, and adding veggies/simple flavors that compliment but don't take over the soup.

Choose the Meat: One of the first things I tried was looking for the right ground meat. My version uses chicken. With a few simple tweaks to your broth, you can also use turkey, pork, or beef. Choosing the meat for these is still essential. Using ground chicken breast, as many recipes do, is just OK. It lacks fat and tends to have a dry, crumbly texture when everything is said and done. I moved to ground chicken thighs. Not only does it have a better texture when cooked, but the added fat means added flavor. The dark meat of the thigh also adds some "oompf". If you choose a ground turkey, pork, or beef - go with something not super lean. I like 10-15% of fat in mine. You are also not eating huge portions either, about 4 teaspoons total, per bowl, once filled. So you want to pack in as much flavor as possible.

Flavor the Meat: So many recipes have some ground chicken that might have some soy or salt or sesame oil in them...maybe. You only have a tiny bit of meat in each wonton. You need to FLAVOR YOUR DISH. My version relies on umami and salt from oyster and soy sauces, toasty from sesame oil, zing from fresh ginger, and some floral spice from black pepper. When you bite into that wonton you want the flavor of the stock to mix with the meat, and the meat should taste moist and highly flavored. It is the crown of your dish, so make it sing!

Pro tip: you can't taste raw meat for flavor. Once you've made your mix, take a tablespoon amount, flatten it out a little, and cook in a frying pan like a very tiny burger. This will give you a good idea of the flavor. You can adjust from there.

Veggies: The next thing to look at was veggies added to the soup. So many recipes I've been taught or read go REALLY simple on the veggies. Maybe some onion is thrown in, or if you're lucky a couple of small cubes of carrot. Besides making it a rounded meal for nutrition and fiber, veggies play a critical role in flavor to accompany the wonton. My version uses carrots and onion for a little sweetness, bok choy for some "fresh veggie" flavor, and raw green onion as a garnish that plays an important role in adding a bit of a fresh, raw onion flavor to your soup. Using ground beef and not chicken? Add in some of your favorite mushrooms that have been browned first. What about using pork? Add a 1/2 cup finely diced yukon potato and simmer some lemon thyme in the stock while the veggies simmer. Use veggies and herbs to compliment what you are making and change up the soup so it isn't the same every time.

Flavoring the Stock: This one ties into the veggies as well. If you want the tastiest soup, you make your own stock (that will be in another article). Most of us don't have time for that, and there are some decent boxed brands that are a good base. What you want to avoid is just using the stock out of the box without doing anything to it.

1) Get unsalted or the lowest sodium you can find. It is better to salt to taste. Even with high sodium stocks, you may need to add salt, as the kind of sodium they have helps to preserve rather than to flavor. Add your own salt to taste to unsalted stock. Raise the flavor, not your sodium.

2) Simmer those veggies in it for 5 minutes BEFORE adding your wonton. Not only will this give the veggies/herbs time to soften a bit, but they will impart the stock with a bit of their flavor or texture. If you choose to use potato, for instance, it makes the potato soft while the starches in the potato thicken the stock slightly. This improves the mouthfeel and increases the overall pleasantness of eating the soup.

3) Add flavorings after the soup is made to personalize your bowl. You've simmered your veggies, cooked your wontons, and have served the soup. Now, much as you do with Ph?, you/family/friends can add flavorings to your bowl to tweak it exactly how you like. My personal bowl of soup gets a hit of umami and heat from sweet soy sauce and chili sauce. Maybe yours will get a hit of freshness with some chopped basil, or you might prefer the toastiness of a sesame oil drizzle. Make it yours, make it pop, but make it complement, not overwhelm the dish.

While soup may not be the choice for most during the summer, this quick version can be welcome on those cool summer nights (like we just had a few days of here in PA) when you don't feel like cooking much and may have had enough grilling for the week. Remember these wontons also freeze beatufilly for a really quick meal after work.

Download your {photo heavy copy} or {printer friendly copy} today. The shopping list is fairly simple, make some for the weekend for a tasty, quick dinner.