Homemade Wonton Soup

Our family loves wonton soup. By doing some of the prep ahead of time, the soup can be on the table in under 15 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal. 

Steve got me this set of melamine take-out boxes for my birthday and I'm in love. They're so cute and the perfect size for a serving of soup. I already had the spoons (affiliate link). 

So what's the secret to homemade wonton soup on the dinner table in minutes? Making a huge batch of wontons ahead of time and freezing them. 

Then all I have to do is heat up some broth, add plenty of ginger and whatever veggies I have on hand, and then drop the frozen wontons into the boiling broth. In minutes, dinner is on the table.   

You can put pretty much anything you want into your wontons. Start with a ground meat, then add shredded veggies, some aromatics, and a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil. I usually wing it, but for posterity's sake I actually measured this time so I could record what I used. 

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Beef Wontons

                                       8 oz. ground beef                                             1 T. ginger, minced
                                       1/2 c. shredded carrots                                   1 T. soy sauce
                                       1/4 c. shredded cauliflower                           1 tsp. sesame oil
                                       2 cloves garlic, minced                                    square wonton wrappers
 

Brown ground beef in a large frying pan. Transfer the cooked beef to a bowl, leaving the rendered fat behind. Saute the carrots and cauliflower in the pan until just tender. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 more minutes. Return the beef to the pan, then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Remove from heat. 

Create a comfortable station for filling the wontons (it will take awhile!). You'll need a small dish with water and a cookie sheet to put the filled wontons. 

Put a wonton wrapper into one hand and use the other hand to spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into the center. Do not overfill!

Dip a finger into the bowl of water and use it to moisten along two of the edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally so that the moistened sides line up with the dry sides. Press the air out around the filling as you fold, then pinch all along the edges to seal. 

Set the filled wonton on the cookie sheet. Continue, placing each wonton onto the cookie sheet, making sure they don't touch. When the tray is full, cover the wontons with plastic wrap and put it into the freezer. When the wontons are completely frozen, after approximately one hour, transfer them to a ziplock bag and return them to the freezer.