Wonton Soup Recipe

Wonton Soup Recipe tastes light yet deeply savory, with tender pork-filled wontons floating in a clear, fragrant broth. It works perfectly for busy weeknights or cozy weekends, and you can get it on the table in about 45 minutes if you prep efficiently. I grew up slurping versions of this at strip-mall spots, and I still chase that same comfort in my own kitchen.

Why Make This Wonton Soup Recipe at Home

Homemade wonton soup gives you control over everything: salt level, filling texture, and how many wontons you pack into each bowl. You can adjust the seasoning to your taste, use better ingredients than most takeout, and keep it lighter or richer as you like.

You also get a fun, hands-on kitchen project that still fits into a weeknight. Kids, partners, or roommates can help fold wontons, and you end up with a big pot of soup that feels like a hug.

“This Wonton Soup Recipe tastes cleaner, richer, and more comforting than my local takeout, and the leftovers heat up beautifully. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You Need

Wonton filling

• Ground pork, 80–90% lean
  • Juicy pork gives the best texture. Avoid very lean pork because it can taste dry.
• Shrimp, finely chopped (optional but highly recommended)
  • Use raw, peeled, deveined shrimp. Frozen shrimp works great; thaw and pat dry.
• Green onions, finely sliced
• Fresh ginger, finely grated
• Garlic, finely minced
• Soy sauce
  • Use a regular all-purpose soy sauce, not dark soy.
• Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • If you avoid alcohol, use low-sodium chicken broth plus a tiny splash of rice vinegar.
• Sesame oil
• White pepper
• Sugar
• Salt

Wonton wrappers

• Square wonton wrappers
  • Look in the refrigerated section near tofu or egg roll wrappers.
  • If you only find round dumpling wrappers, you can still use them; just fold into half-moons.

Broth

• Chicken broth or stock, low-sodium
  • Use your favorite brand; low-sodium gives you more control.
• Water
• Garlic, lightly smashed
• Fresh ginger slices
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• White pepper
• Chicken bouillon powder or Better Than Bouillon (optional pantry shortcut)
• A pinch of sugar

Vegetables & toppings

• Baby bok choy or napa cabbage, chopped
• Green onions, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• Chili oil or chili crisp (optional, for heat)

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl of water for sealing wontons
• Cutting board and sharp knife
• Microplane or fine grater for ginger
• Large pot for broth
• Slotted spoon or spider strainer
• Ladle
• Airtight containers for leftovers

Tips & Mistakes

• Use fattier pork for juicy wontons; very lean pork turns tough and crumbly.
• Stir the filling until it looks sticky; this develops a bouncy, springy texture instead of a loose, mealy one.
• Do not overfill the wrappers; use about 1 teaspoon of filling so the wontons seal well and cook evenly.
• Press out air pockets when you seal; trapped air can cause wontons to burst in the hot broth.
• Keep wrappers covered with a slightly damp towel; they dry out quickly and crack.
• Simmer the broth gently; a hard boil can break the wontons and cloud the soup.
• Taste and season the broth at the end; different broths and soy sauces vary in saltiness.
• Cook wontons in batches; crowding drops the temperature and leads to overcooked, soggy wrappers.
• Freeze uncooked wontons on a tray first; if you pile them, they stick together in one big dumpling blob.
• Add tender greens at the end; long cooking turns them gray and mushy.

How to Make Wonton Soup Recipe

Mix the filling

1. Add ground pork, chopped shrimp, green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (or substitute), sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, and a small pinch of salt to a large bowl.
2. Stir with chopsticks or a spoon in one direction until the mixture thickens and looks sticky and cohesive.
3. Scoop out a teaspoon of filling, microwave it until cooked, and taste.
4. Adjust salt, soy sauce, or white pepper until the flavor tastes slightly stronger than you want in the final soup.

Fold the wontons

1. Set up a small bowl of water, your stack of wrappers, and the bowl of filling.
2. Place one wrapper on your hand in a diamond shape and add about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center.
3. Dip a finger in water and lightly moisten the edges of the wrapper.
4. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling to meet the top corner and press to form a triangle, pushing out any air.
5. Dab water on the two side corners, bring them together, and pinch to seal, forming a little “nurse cap” shape.
6. Place finished wontons on a parchment-lined tray and cover loosely with a towel while you fold the rest.

Build the broth

1. Add chicken broth and water to a large pot.
2. Toss in smashed garlic cloves and ginger slices, then bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
3. Add soy sauce, a small pinch of sugar, white pepper, and a small spoon of bouillon paste or powder if you use it.
4. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning until it tastes flavorful but not overly salty, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
5. Stir in a drizzle of sesame oil at the end for aroma.

Cook the wontons

1. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then lower to a strong simmer.
2. Add wontons in batches, about 8 to 10 at a time, so they have room to move.
3. Stir gently right after you add them so they do not stick to the bottom.
4. Cook until the wrappers turn translucent and the wontons float and puff slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes if fresh.
5. Scoop one out, cut it open, and check that the filling looks fully cooked with no pink.

Add vegetables and finish

1. When the last batch of wontons cooks, add chopped baby bok choy or napa cabbage to the pot.
2. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the greens turn bright and tender.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in sliced green onions and cilantro if you like.
4. Ladle broth and wontons into bowls, top with extra green onions, and drizzle chili oil or chili crisp for a spicy kick.

Variations I've Tried

I swap ground chicken or turkey for pork when I want a lighter wonton soup recipe, and I bump up the sesame oil and ginger to keep the flavor bold. I also make an all-shrimp filling with a little egg white and cornstarch for a bouncy texture that tastes very similar to dim sum shrimp dumplings. Sometimes I add thin rice noodles or egg noodles to turn the soup into a full meal, then load it with extra bok choy and mushrooms. On cold nights I add a spoon of chili paste to the broth and turn it into a spicy wonton soup that clears the sinuses in the best way.

How to Serve Wonton Soup Recipe

Serve this wonton soup recipe piping hot in deep bowls so the broth stays warm while you eat. Add extra sliced green onions, a few drops of sesame oil, and chili oil on the side so everyone can customize their bowl. I like to pair it with steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, or a simple cucumber salad for crunch and freshness. Kids often love it plain with just wontons and broth, while adults can load up on greens and spice.

How to store

• Cool leftover soup and wontons to room temperature, then store them together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Store uncooked wontons on a tray in a single layer in the freezer until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
• Keep extra broth in a separate container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheat soup gently on the stove over medium heat until hot but not boiling, and add a splash of water or broth if it tastes too concentrated.
• Cook frozen wontons straight from the freezer in simmering broth, and add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the cooking time.

Wonton Soup Recipe

Wonton Soup is a light, comforting Chinese-style soup featuring delicate pork and shrimp dumplings in a clear, flavorful broth.

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces ground pork
• 4 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg white

• 30 square wonton wrappers
• water, for sealing wrappers

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)
• 1 cup baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• to taste salt

Instructions

 

1. In a medium bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, white pepper, salt, and egg white if using.
2. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the mixture is well combined and slightly sticky.

1. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface. Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
2. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper.
3. Moisten the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper into a triangle, pressing the edges to seal and pressing out any air around the filling.
4. Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together, overlap them slightly, and press with a bit of water to seal, forming a traditional wonton shape.
5. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling until all wontons are formed. Set them on a parchment-lined tray, making sure they do not touch.

1. In a large pot, add chicken broth and water. Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar if using, sesame oil, sliced ginger, white pepper, and a pinch of salt.
2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Remove the ginger slices if desired.
3. Add the sliced green onions and chopped bok choy, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

1. Increase the heat to bring the broth to a gentle boil. Carefully add the wontons to the pot, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
2. Cook the wontons for 4 to 6 minutes, or until they float to the surface and the filling is cooked through.
3. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce, salt, or white pepper as needed.
4. Ladle the soup and wontons into bowls, making sure each serving has several wontons and some vegetables.
5. Garnish with extra sliced green onions if desired and serve hot.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (1/4 of recipe): 290 calories; fat 12 g; saturated fat 3 g; carbohydrates 26 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 2 g; protein 19 g; sodium 1150 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredient brands, wrapper thickness, and portion size.