While growing up, one of my favorite Cantonese foods was Wonton Noodle Soup. I happily remember how I used to stop by the nearby Wonton Noodle Restaurant for lunch whenever I could after high school. That was the best Wonton Noodle Soup I have ever had.
To recapture the reality behind that wonderful memory, I recreated my own Cantonese Style Wonton Noodle Soup. I adapted the recipe to achieve both a traditional and modern touch. The Wontons are filled with plump bites of shrimp and very tender pork. For the soup base, I boiled a medium-sized fresh Chicken to get the best flavored stock possible.
The traditional way of creating the truly authentic taste of Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup calls for Dried Flounder Powder. But the process to handmake this exotic powder is time-consuming and complicated. Dried Flounder might not even be available in many places. Although there are a few brands of Flounder Powder sold in the Asian markets, I cannot recommend them because of the additives or preservatives. Fish Sauce is a great substitute, so I use and suggest it!
Wontons
In this recipe, I am going to show you two of the many ways of wrapping wontons in the different regions across China. These are the ones I grew up with! The main ingredients include Shrimp, Ground Pork, chopped Green Onions, minced Ginger and Garlic, Egg, Light Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Chinese Cooking Wine, Sesame Oil, Cornstarch, Sugar, Salt, and Ground Black Pepper. Does this seem like a lot of ingredients? Well, trust me, use them all, and your result will be splendid!
If you also want to learn how to make dumplings, check out both of my Festive Chinese Chicken Dumplings and The Best Shrimp Dumplings recipes.
The Broth
The Broth consists mainly of a rich homemade Chicken Stock seasoned with Ginger, Green Onion, Garlic, Star Anise, and Sichuan Peppercorns. I used a whole chicken, but you can also buy store-bought Chicken Stock if you are in a rush. The homemade stock will let you tweak the taste exactly to your liking—and you get the benefit of a whole, cooked chicken for other recipes! Besides, homemade is always fresher!
Egg Noodles
Most Cantonese cooks use Egg Noodles for Wonton Noodle Soup. These noodles can be made at home or store-bought. The noodles can be thin or thick according to your preference.
Vegetables
I like to use Bok Choy in this recipe, but you can use another green vegetable if Bok Choy is not readily available to you. Additionally, I like to use Shiitake Mushrooms. Both the Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms are important staples of Cantonese cuisine. Additionally, I love the flavor and beauty of the Shiitake mushrooms, and they make the dish more authentic. Use them faithfully when making this recipe!
Here is the Recipe:
Cantonese Style Wonton Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Wonton
- 1 package of Wonton Wrappers, medium
- 240 g Shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut into small chunks
- 120 g Pork, ground
- 2 Green Onions, chopped
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Ginger, minced
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tsp Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing Wine)
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
The Broth
- 1 whole Chicken
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 8 cups Water
- 4 slices of Ginger
- 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns, crushed
- 4 Star Anise
- 1 Green Onion
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Pinches of Salt
One Portion of Wonton Noodle Soup
- 1 portion Egg Noodles
- 6 Wontons
- 3 Shiitake Mushrooms, small (or 1 large one)
- 1 Bok Choy, cut in half-lengthwise
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Fish Sauce
Instructions
Make the Broth
- In a Dutch Oven or a heavy-bottom soup pot, add the Vegetable Oil on medium heat. Add the Garlic and Sichuan Peppercorns. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the Ginger, Green Onion, the Whole Chicken, Water, pinches of Salt, and Star Anise.
- Bring to a boil on high heat. Then lower to medium-heat and simmer for about 3 hours.
- Remember to check on the broth and strain off the extra floating fat once in a while and make sure the chicken is not boiling.
Make the Wontons
- In a mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients: chunks of Shrimp, ground Pork, Green Onions, Egg, Ginger, Garlic, Light Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Sesame Oil, Cornstarch, Chinese Cooking Wine, Sugar, Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Mix well.
- Prepare a small bowl of water. Dip your fingertips into the water bowl and wet the edges of one of the wrappers. Add a heaping 1/2 tsp of filling in the center. Then wrap it into a round shape and pinch the edges (Please watch my video instruction to learn my two favorite ways of wrapping the wontons).
- Repeat the same procedure. This recipe can make 38-40 medium-size wontons.
Assemble the Wonton Noodle Soup (2 servings at a time!)
- Remove the Chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Strain the Chicken Stock into another pot and set to medium heat. Add the Light Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, and Ground Black Pepper. Give it a taste to see if you need to add a pinch of Salt.
- Turn to medium high heat. Cook two portions of Egg Noodles in the broth until cooked through. Remove and place it in two serving bowls.
- Put the Bok Choy and the Shiitake Mushrooms in the broth for a few minutes. Remove and place them in the serving bowls.
- Cook 12 Wontons in the broth for 5-6 minutes. When placing them into the pot, remember to rotate them to prevent sticking. Once cooked, place 6 Wontons into each serving bowl.
- Add the Light Soy Sauce and Fish Sauce to each bowl. Then add 2 cups of Broth separately.
- Garnish with chopped Green Onions. Enjoy your freshly made Wonton Noodle Soups!
Video
Notes
- For serving more people, you can cook the Egg Noodles, Bok Choy, Shiitake Mushroom, and Wontons separately in another pot of boiling water. Place them in each bowl and add the hot Chicken broth in the end before serving.
- Remember to check out my video instructions to learn my favorite two ways of making the Wontons.
- You can also add a few slices of Chicken to your Wonton Noodle Soup.
- Add some Water in your broth accordingly during the cooking process and season it with some salt to your taste.
- You can freeze the leftover Wontons. When ready to use, take them out the freezer directly and cook them in a pot of boiling water.
A hot bowl of this Wonton Noodle Soup definitely brings back wonderful memories. You can taste the tenderness of the wontons and the chewy noodles. The soup itself is filled with delicious flavors. The Bok Choy and the Shiitake Mushroom add taste and beauty. This is a hearty meal to serve for your family and friends and it is perfect for dinner, lunch or even breakfast.
I hope you enjoy making this Cantonese Style Wonton Noodle Soup — a nice bowl full of delightful happinesses!
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