Today, we’re sharing my grandma’s recipe for chicken wonton soup, with a chicken wonton filling. I’ve had countless bowls of delicious wonton soup served up to me by both my grandma and my mom. It’s Chinese comfort food—or really comfort food, period.
Growing up, there was always a batch of wontons in the freezer, making wonton soup possible in minutes at all hours of the day. Whether I was sick, having a bad day, or just hungry after school, homemade wonton soup was always there to make things better.
My mom and grandma first taught me how to make wontons when I was barely old enough to see above the kitchen counter. As an adult now, I hope to one day be able to work that mom magic on my own kids, proffering piping hot bowls of wonton 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 5, 2019, and we’ve since updated it with clearer photos, metric measurements, and additional tips. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
I blogged this chicken wonton soup recipe with both my mom and grandma in my grandma’s apartment in Flushing, Queens. I mention this because you’ll notice in the photos that our cooking environment looks a little different!
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Detailed instructions on:
Chicken Wontons: Recipe Notes
While this recipe for chicken wonton soup is not our first wonton recipe on the blog (see our simple wonton soup, Shanghai-style wontons, and san xian wontons), it IS the first to feature chicken in the filling instead of pork. For our readers who don’t eat pork, this recipe is long overdue!
While pork fillings are more common in Chinese cuisine, these chicken wontons have a deliciously delicate flavor, made even more flavorful by meaty shiitake mushrooms and my grandma’s secret ingredient––Knorr Chicken Powder.
When making wonton fillings (chicken or otherwise), she likes to add a few spoonfuls of chicken powder to pack a bigger flavor punch in each wonton. If you have chicken bouillon paste, you can use that as well!
This recipe also features chopped napa cabbage leaves, which give the wontons a great texture (and a healthy dose of hidden vegetables).
A key step before adding the cabbage to the recipe is to salt it for 30 minutes to release some of its moisture. This takes some time, but it allows you to better control the moisture levels in the filling.
On to the recipe!
Chicken Wonton Soup Recipe Instructions
Wash the napa cabbage clean and shake off any excess water. If using a food processor, tear the leaves up and pulse them into small pieces (take care not to mince the napa cabbage). If hand-chopping them, slice the leaves thinly lengthwise and then finely chop them going the other way.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in ¾ teaspoon salt.
Set aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients (but no more than 30 minutes). After 30 minutes, squeeze the napa cabbage dry and save the water.
Pre-soak the mushrooms if using dried shiitake mushrooms. (Then squeeze any water from the mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid. If using fresh mushrooms, skip this step.) Remove the mushroom stems, and dice them into ½-inch cubes.
Fresh Vs. Dried SHIITAKES
You can use either fresh or dried shiitakes in this recipe. If you want a stronger mushroom flavor, we recommend using dried mushrooms, which have a deeper umami punch. If you’d rather keep it in the background, use fresh shiitake mushrooms. Or use whatever’s available to you! Fresh oyster mushrooms would also work great here.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok or pan over medium high heat, and cook the mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes until caramelized. Turn off the heat and leave the mushrooms to cool.
Now hand-chop the chicken by using our method for grinding meat without a grinder.
This allows you to choose whatever cut of chicken you like (breast or thighs) and get a better texture than conventional ground meat. We used boneless skinless chicken breast, which my grandma had on hand, but boneless skinless thighs have a bit more fat and flavor. And they’re generally cheaper!
If you choose to do this step, a cleaver really is the best tool for the job.
If you’d like to skip this step, you can just use ground chicken.
Time to make the filling!
Combine the chicken, napa cabbage, cooked mushrooms (with any oil left in the pan), ginger, scallions, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, chicken powder, and 2 tablespoons of liquid from either soaking the mushrooms or salting the cabbage. (If you have neither, just use water.)
Using a rubber spatula or pair of chopsticks, stir the mixture in one direction for 10 minutes, longer if needed…
Until the filling is well combined and sticky, like a paste.
Prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and get a small bowl of room temperature water. Lastly, bring a small pot of water to a boil, so you can taste test a couple wontons.
Can’t Find Wonton WRappers? Make Your Own!
We have full instructions on how to make your own wonton wrappers that taste just like storebought!
How to Fold A Wonton
To assemble the wontons:
- Take your square wonton wrapper, wet your finger, and dab the edges along one side of the square with water.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the center
- Gently fold the wrapper in half. Seal on all sides.
- Using your finger, brush another dab of water on one corner (of the filling side), and gently overlap the two corners of the rectangle by pressing them together.
- Place on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
(Check out our step-by-step guide to folding wontons for more details!)
Make a couple wontons, boil, and taste test the two samples. (Mom’s advice: tasting two, and not just one, helps you get a better feel for the flavor and adjust seasoning more accurately). Make adjustments to taste before proceeding to make the whole batch.
How To Cook Wontons
To cook the wontons:
- Boil water in a pot.
- Stir the boiling water gently so the water is moving when you add the wontons (this prevents them from sticking to the bottom of the pot).
- You can add them in either fresh or frozen. NEVER defrost wontons before cooking.
- Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes using medium heat for fresh wontons, 8 minutes for frozen wontons.
- If necessary, add ½ cup cold water if the water is boiling too vigorously. This helps manage the starch levels in the water and prevent the wontons from becoming too starchy.
- The wontons are done once they float to the surface and turn slightly plump.
Since it’s best to serve wontons with stock or broth, heat some up while you’re cooking them. I like to use my mom’s homemade chicken stock or her combination chicken/pork stock, which have to be prepared ahead of time.
But in a pinch for convenience, here’s how to make a bowl of wonton soup without stock:
Add a couple teaspoons of light soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of ground white pepper, a pinch of chicken powder or bouillon paste, and chopped scallions to a soup bowl. Then ladle in the cooked chicken wontons along with some of the cooking water. Also check out our recipe for Shortcut Wonton Soup Base.
Stir and enjoy!
How to Freeze Wontons
Freezing your wontons ensures that you can make wonton soup anytime you like, for months on end! Here’s how to do it:
- When assembling your wontons, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet a few millimeters apart (they should not be touching).
- Cover the baking sheet (we like to use 2 plastic shopping bags folded over each end of the baking sheet for this purpose).
- Transfer to the freezer, ensuring the baking sheet is in an upright position so that the wontons don’t slide around.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Once frozen solid, transfer to freezer bags or containers, and place back in the freezer for longer term storage (up to 6 months).
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Recipe
Chicken Wonton Soup
Ingredients
- 12 ounces napa cabbage
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried; 6 oz./170g fresh or 1.5 oz./42g dried)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs or ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons ginger (finely minced)
- 1/4 cup scallions (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons shaoxing wine (or dry sherry cooking wine)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 5 teaspoons chicken powder (or 1-2 teaspoons bouillon paste)
- 2 tablespoons water (preferably from soaking the mushrooms or salting the cabbage)
- 2 packages wonton wrappers (about 75-80 wrappers total)
Instructions
- Wash the napa cabbage clean and shake off any excess water. If using a food processor, tear the leaves up and pulse them into small pieces (take care not to mince the napa cabbage). If hand-chopping them, slice the leaves thinly lengthwise and then finely chop them going the other way. Transfer to a bowl and mix in ¾ teaspoon salt. Set aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients (but no more than 30 minutes). After 30 minutes, squeeze the napa cabbage dry and save the water.
- Pre-soak the mushrooms if using dried shiitake mushrooms (then squeeze any water from the mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid––if using fresh mushrooms, skip this step). Remove the mushroom stems and dice them into ½” cubes.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok or pan over medium high heat, and cook the mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes until caramelized. Turn off the heat and leave the mushrooms to cool.
- Now hand-chop the chicken by using our method for grinding meat without a grinder. This allows you to choose whatever cut of chicken you like (breast or thighs) and get a better texture than conventional ground meat. If you’d like to skip this step, you can also use ground chicken.
- Time to make the filling: combine the chicken, napa cabbage, cooked mushrooms (with any oil left in the pan), ginger, scallions, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, chicken powder, and 2 tablespoons of liquid from either soaking the mushrooms or salting the cabbage (if you have neither, just use water).
- Using a rubber spatula or pair of chopsticks, stir the mixture in one direction for 10 minutes, longer if needed, until the filling is well combined and sticky, like a paste.
- Prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and get a small bowl of room temperature water. Lastly, bring a small pot of water to a boil, so you can taste test a couple wontons.
- To assemble the wontons, take your square wonton wrapper, wet your finger, and dab one side of the square with water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the center, and gently fold the wrapper in half. Seal on all sides. Using your finger, brush another dab of water on one corner (of the filling side), and gently overlap the two corners of the rectangle by pressing them together. Place on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Make one more wonton, boil, and taste test the two samples (we find that tasting two, and not just one, helps us get a better feel for the flavor and adjust seasoning more accurately). Make adjustments to taste before proceeding to make the whole batch.
- To cook the wontons, boil water in a pot, and add the wontons (fresh or frozen, but never defrosted wontons). To prevent the wontons from sticking to the bottom of the pot, stir the boiling water gently so the water is moving when you add in the wontons. Cook uncovered for abou 5 minutes using medium heat. If necessary, add ½ cup cold water if the water is boiling too vigorously. This helps manage the starch levels in the water. The wontons are done once they float to the surface and turn slightly plump. (Cooking frozen wontons takes longer, about 8 minutes.)
