Won Ton Soup with Noodles and Bok Choy

As you may know, this Friday, January 31st, kicks off Chinese Lunar New Year or 'Spring Festival' which lasts until February 14.  This new Chinese Lunar New Year will be the Year of the Horse. You can find some interesting and fun facts about Lunar New Year here. To find out if you were born in a Year of the Horse or what your Chinese astrological sign is, look here.

If you have a favorite team in the Super Bowl this Sunday, whose mascot is a horse,  this may be your lucky year :) 

In honor of the Chinese Lunar New Year, I decided to try making Wonton Soup.  I had never made wonton soup before but was inspired by a lovely post from my friend, Monique, at La Table de Nana.

I did a Google search to find out how to wrap wontons and chose the' flower bud' fold simply because I have major spring fever with the brutally cold winter we are having. Thinking of flower buds while making them just made me smile.  The fold is demonstrated in this video along with two other folds.  Making wontons is a little labor intensive but it's relaxing if you do it on the weekend, which I did. 

I also did a few internet searches on wonton soup recipes and, since I wanted a slightly 'heartier' soup for my husband, picked parts of the recipe Monique shared and the one for wonton noodle soup that I found at Steamy Kitchen. I enjoyed the addition of the baby bok choy and the suggestion to serve it with chili garlic sauce on the side.  Delicious!  I had a hard time finding ground pork that I felt was lean enough.  Next time, I may grind my own or have the butcher grind a leaner piece of pork for me.

I am so glad I was inspired to try making wonton soup.  There are many variations you can find and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. You could even make it totally vegetarian and use a hearty vegetable stock and fill the wontons with a variety of vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, bean sprouts and tofu. Also, if you decide you like it, you can freeze wontons after cooking them and freeze them for a quick meal in the future.  Steamy Kitchen has excellent tips for freezing. 

Happy Lunar New Year to all of my friends and followers and may it be a lucky one for all of you. 

Wonton Noodle Soup with Baby Bok Choy

Adapted from La Table de Nana and Steamy Kitchen

Printable Recipe

Serves 4-6

¼ pound lean ground pork
¼ pound large shrimp, deveined and chopped
5-6 strands of fresh chives, or 4 green onions, sliced thin (2 for the wontons and 2 for garnish)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (or 1 beaten egg white) as a binder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root
Cornstarch slurry made with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ¼ cup water
1 lb of won ton wrappers thawed
6 ounces dried wonton noodles or thin egg noodles
½ pound baby bok choy, rinsed well
2 quarts chicken broth or stock (I always have Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock on hand)
salt and pepper

Optional garnishes:
Sesame oil for drizzling over soup
Chili Garlic sauce
Sliced green onions or chives

In a large bowl, combine the pork, shrimp, green onion or chives, cornstarch or egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and grated ginger. Mix well. Put a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper, brush cornstarch slurry on all edges. Fold corners together to make a triangle, pressing outward gently to remove any air bubbles. Finish using whatever wonton fold that you wish using extra slurry to secured. Place on clean, dry plate in one layer and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent drying. Repeat with remaining filling and wontons. My recipe made 32 wrapped wontons.

In a large stockpot, add all the stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add filled wontons and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the top. Remove with a spider or sieve and place on a large dish with sides and cover with a damp paper towel.

Return the stock to a boil and add the noodles. Cook according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes, add the bok choy. Add any loose leaves during the last minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Return as many wontons that you wish to serve back into the pot to reheat for a minute. Ladle the wontons, noodles, stock and boy choy into serving bowls. Garnish with more chives or chopped green onions, drizzle with a little sesame oil and serve with chili garlic sauce, if desired.