Isn’t a bowl of soup just the thing for these cold winter days? How about a delicious bowl of Wonton soup that you made yourself and can make again and again when the urge strikes you?
Early this winter, Joan Yao taught about 40 of her St. Anselm's friends how to make her special wonton soup. Joan supplied the ingredients and know-how and cooking, and we did the food preparation. We enjoyed the fruits (or more accurately, the soup) of our labors afterwards. It was delicious!
1. Boil salted water in a large pot. Hold for Step 5.
2.
Add these ingredients to one another and blend: These
ingredients make 100 to 120 wontons.
a.
1 lb. ground turkey. Process it in a food processor to make it
more homogenous.
b.
¾ cup of chopped green, such as frozen spinach or leeks
c.
3 tblsp cooking wine
d.
½ to ¾ tp salt.
e.
1 tsp corn starch
f.
1 egg
g.
½ tsp sugar
h.
A dash of sesame oil (scant 1/2 tsp)
i.
1/4 tsp pepper
j.
2-3 tblsp soy sauce
k.
2 green onions (chopped)
l.
Chopped ginger (optional)
Refrigerate the blended meat for about 2 hours
3. To make a wonton follow these instructions using the photo below for guidance:
a.
Separate the wonton skins and set one flat on a table (top right).
b.
Place about half a rounded teaspoon of meat in the middle of the skin
(bottom right).
c.
Wet the upper edge and top half of the sides of the wonton with
water;
d.
Fold the top half of the skin over the meat and match it up with
the bottom edge of the skin. Smooth the edges so they adhere to each
other. The wonton should look like a pillow at this point (top left).
e
Fold the wonton’s bottom edge up so it just begins to cover the
pillow (middle left).
f.
Wet the left edge of the wonton.
g.
Fold the ends of the wonton inward so they slide together behind
the “pillow”.
h.
Press the ends together so they adhere to each other You have
created a wonton (bottom left)
i.
Make as many wontons as you feel you can eat.
4. Heat enough chicken broth to make the desired volume of soup. Add washed vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, Napa cabbage) to the broth and cook until tender. Remove all but the cabbage from the broth when vegetables are tender. Set the removed vegetables aside.
5.
Add the wontons to the hot, salted water from Item 1. Cook for a
few minutes. Some wontons may begin to rise. Stir once, then add 1 cup
of cold water to the pot. The wontons will settle. Let the water boil
again. This procedure is necessary to ensure the meat has been
thoroughly cooked.
6. Remove the wontons from the boiling water and taste. Wontons may be eaten individually, or they can be added to a bowl of broth and previously cooked vegetables (Item 4) sprinkled in to suit.
7. Wontons can be refrigerated or frozen and saved for later to make:
a.
More wonton soup. Make soup first (see Item 4), then
microwave the number of wontons desired, then add the wontons to the
soup.
b.
Fried wantons. Add 1 tblsp cooking oil
(canola, olive, or sesame) and fry over medium-high heat.