This wonton soup is one of my favorite things in the book. It’s highly satisfying and flavorful and tastes spot-on to restaurant-style wonton soup, with a simple gingery broth and dumplings filled with shiitake mushrooms and tofu. I have a special place for it in my comfort food memory bank because it essentially fueled me during the final months of the writing process! What’s also magnificent is that the broth and wontons are easy to freeze so you can have this soup at the ready whenever you need to warm up your tummy.
Ingredients
Wontons
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
- ½ large carrot, peeled
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 green onion, white and green parts
- ¾ cup crumbled medium-firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 40 vegan wonton wrappers
Broth
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more if desired for serving
- 6 green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped and kept separate
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups shredded or finely chopped napa cabbage
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
How to Make It
- To make the wontons, it’s best to use a food processor for the filling, as the ingredients need to be finely minced. Mince the mushrooms, carrot, garlic, and green onion in the food processor. Add to a bowl.
- Add the tofu, salt, paprika, sesame oil, and vinegar to the minced vegetables. Stir to combine well. The filling can be made in advance and left in the fridge overnight if you want to prep ahead.
- Get a small bowl of water for sealing the wontons. Place about 2 scant teaspoons filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet half of the edge of the wrapper and fold into a half-moon shape, pressing the wrapper and trying to remove any excess air around the edges and in the filling. If using square wrappers, fold into a triangle. Pinch the corners, lift the wonton slightly, and use an index finger to gently press into the bottom center as you slightly overlap and pinch together the two corners. Use an extra dab of water if needed to help the corners stick together. The final result will look like a tortellini. Lay each finished wonton on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with a tea towel as you assemble them all. Leave covered while you make the broth.
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for cooking the wontons.
- To make the broth, add the sesame oil to a stockpot over medium heat and sauté the white parts of the green onion, ginger, and garlic for 2 minutes until just softened and fragrant. Add the cabbage and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Stir in the vinegar and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, water, and salt. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the wontons to the pot of boiling water. They will take about 2 minutes to cook. Once they float to the surface, they’re done. Remove them with a slotted spoon to serving bowls (9 or 10 wontons per serving).
- Add the broth to each serving bowl. Top with the green parts of the green onions and extra sesame oil, if desired.
- You can freeze the uncooked wontons between layers of parchment paper in a container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Boil the frozen wontons, without thawing, per the instructions.
