Wonton Mein (Wonton Noodle Soup) Recipe
Wonton mein, also known as wonton noodle soup, is pure comfort food. Learn how to make these pork and shrimp dumplings served with noodles, vegetables, and a flavorful broth for a complete meal. See the blog post for allergy adaptations.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch scallions finely chopped, divided
- 1/2 pound shrimp (1 pound if you want shrimp as pictured) raw, deveined, reserve any shells
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper plus more for table
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 16- ounce package wonton wraps medium, 60 count
- 1 16 ounce package fresh egg noodles or equivalent
- 1 pound green leafy vegetables 3-4 baby bok choy or yo choy stems per serving, 1 iceberg lettuce, etc
- 4 cups broth chicken or vegetable
- 2 cups water
Instructions
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Finely chop the scallions. Reserve about 4 tablespoons for garnish, transfer the rest into a medium mixing bowl.
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Peel and devein the shrimp. Reserve the shrimp shells for the broth. Chop the shrimp into pea-sized pieces. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
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Add the ground pork, oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white pepper and stir until the sauces look evenly distributed. Then add the cornstarch and mix in a circular direction until the mixture looks like a lumpy paste. Return to the refrigerator to marinate.
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Place the fresh egg noodles in a large bowl or a plate and use your fingers to separate the noodle strands so they're not clumped together. Set aside
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Fill a large pot halfway with water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil on low heat while you wrap the wontons. Later, you will use this pot cook the noodles and cook the wontons.
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In a medium sized pot, add the broth, 2 cups water, and shrimp shells. Bring to a boil, simmer on low for 10 minutes and turn off the heat.
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Place a wonton wrap on a work surface and add a small spoonful of filling (2 teaspoons, about the size of grape) in the center. Use a finger to wet the eges of the wrapper. Fold one corner to an opposite corner to form a triangle, pinch the edges together. Avoid any air bubbles, gently squeeze them out before you seal the last edge. Wet the left and right tips and bring them up to the center and then fold down. The wonton will look like an envelope, place folded side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
When ready to cook the wontons and assemble the bowls
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When ready to assemble the wonton noodle soup bowls, use a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer to strain the shrimp shells and discard. Reheat the broth, parboil the veggies, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Keep the broth warm. (Optional, if you want to have shrimp in the bowl as well, cook the shrimp in the simmering broth until they turn pink, remove from the pot and set aside until the last step.)
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Bring the large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat, add the noodles, cook for 60 seconds, and use chopsticks or a pasta server to transfer about 1 cup of cooked egg noodles into each soup bowl and any extras into a serving bowl.
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Wait for the water to return to a boil, stir the water in a circular motion, and add the wrapped wontons into the pot. Give the wontons a gentle stir so that they don't stick to the pot or to each other. When you see the first wonton start to float, start a timer for 5 minutes. Watch the pot and adjust the temperature to medium so that the pot doesn't boil over.
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While waiting for the wontons to finish cooking, arrange about 1/2 cup of the cooked vegetables on the noodles. When the wontons are ready, add 8-10 wontons to each bowl, add 2-3 ladles of broth, cooked shrimp if using, and garnish with chopped scallions. Optionally serve with a few drops of sesame oil and/or more white pepper at the table.