Chicken Noodle Wonton Soup

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Use purchased ground chicken (1 lb), or finely mince boneless skinless chicken thigh for the one-pound raw chicken supply. Keep the chicken refrigerated while preparing the other filling ingredients.

   Uses 1 lb raw ground chicken

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Combine the prepared raw chicken with the parsley (½ cup), minced garlic (1), ¼ cup filling water, dry sherry, juice of half the lemon, filling oil (1 tbsp), filling salt (1 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), thyme, black pepper (½ tsp) and melted butter (2 tbsp) that is no longer warm. Stir in one direction for about 10 minutes, until cohesive and paste-like. Keep the filling refrigerated whenever pausing.

   Uses Prepared raw ground or finely minced chicken · ½ cup finely chopped parsley, or to taste · 1 garlic clove, minced · ¼ cup water for the wonton filling · 2 tbsp dry sherry cooking wine · Juice of ½ lemon · 1 tbsp oil for the wonton filling · 1 tsp salt for the wonton filling

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Line a large tray with parchment. Put the separate sealing water in a small bowl. Bring a small pot of separate taste-test water to a boil, keeping the raw filling refrigerated while it heats.

   Uses Clean room-temperature water for sealing the wrappers · Water, enough to boil two taste-test wontons, then discarded

4. 4

   Step 4: Make two test wontons. For each, moisten one edge of a square wrapper with sealing water, put 1–2 tsp prepared filling in the centre and fold in half. Seal the edges, moisten one corner, overlap the two filled-side corners and press together. Use only as much filling as seals securely.

   Uses Two wrappers drawn from the one package for the taste-test samples · Prepared raw filling drawn for the two test wontons · A little of the same clean sealing-water supply

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Boil the two fresh test wontons in the sample pot for about 5–6 minutes, until their wrappers are cooked and the filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Lift and drain them before tasting; never taste raw poultry filling. Adjust the remaining refrigerated raw filling with its listed seasonings only if needed after tasting.

   Cook the two fresh taste-test wontons · 5 minUses Two sealed raw sample wontons · The same separate sample-cooking water, used only for these two tests · Remaining raw filling kept refrigerated for any seasoning adjustment · Additional listed filling seasonings, only if needed after tasting the fully cooked samples

6. 6

   Step 6: Assemble the remaining wrappers using the same sealing method and 1–2 tsp filling per wonton, reducing the spoonful if needed for a secure seal. Keep unused filling cold while working. Place the wontons on the lined tray without touching. The author’s full batch is about four dozen; promptly refrigerate or freeze any surplus filling or wrappers separately.

   Uses Remaining wrappers from the same package after the two samples · Remaining raw filling after the cooked-sample seasoning check · A little sealing water for the remaining wrappers

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep about six fresh wontons per person for four soup bowls, covered and refrigerated while preparing the broth. Freeze the remaining raw wontons promptly for another meal on the parchment-lined tray without touching, covered, until solid; then transfer to airtight freezer containers or bags. Cook frozen wontons directly from frozen without thawing.

   Uses Assembled raw wontons, divided between the four-bowl meal and freezer surplus

8. 8

   Step 8: Heat the separate 1 tbsp soup oil in a soup pot. Sweat the diced half onion until translucent. Add the diced carrots (3) and celery (3) and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring.

   Cook the carrots and celery · 2 minUses 1 tbsp oil for the soup vegetables · ½ white onion, diced · 3 medium carrots, diced (source guide: about 1 cup) · 3 celery stalks, diced (source guide: about 1 cup)

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Add the separate 5 cups chicken broth to the soup vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with the separate soup salt and pepper to taste and keep the soup hot.

   Simmer the soup vegetables in broth · 20 minUses Onion, carrots and celery sautéed in the soup oil · 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth for four soup servings · Salt and pepper, to taste, for the soup

10. 10

    Step 10: Bring a separate pot of wonton-cooking water to a boil. For this four-bowl meal, cook about six selected fresh wontons per person for 5–6 minutes, until their wrappers are cooked and chicken filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Lift and drain, leaving the boiling water behind. If using previously frozen wontons instead, follow the separate frozen route.

    Boil the selected fresh wontons · 5 minUses Only the fresh wontons selected for four bowls, about six per person · Separate water, enough to boil the selected soup wontons, then discarded

11. 11

    Step 11: Alternatively, for a four-bowl meal using the frozen wontons, put about six per person directly from frozen into boiling wonton-cooking water. Boil for 7–8 minutes, until the wrappers are cooked and the chicken filling reaches 165°F/74°C. Lift and drain, leaving the boiling water behind; this replaces the fresh-wonton cooking route.

    Boil the selected frozen wontons · 7 minUses Alternatively, frozen wontons from the saved batch selected for four bowls · Separate water, enough to boil the selected soup wontons, then discarded

12. 12

    Step 12: Divide the drained, fully cooked wontons from the chosen fresh or frozen route among four bowls, about six per person. Ladle the hot broth and vegetables over them and serve.

    Uses Cooked fresh wontons lifted from their discarded water · Alternatively, cooked frozen-route wontons lifted from their discarded water · Hot five-cup vegetable soup for all four bowls