Chinese recipe

Pork-and-shrimp wonton soup

Name: Pork-and-shrimp wonton soup
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese cuisine
Ingredients: 48 sheets (about 384 g) square wonton wrappers; 225 g ground pork; 225 g peeled shrimp, finely chopped; 15 g ginger, finely minced; 30 g scallion, finely chopped; 15 ml light soy sauce; 30 ml Shaoxing wine; 30 ml sesame oil for filling; 3 g fine salt; 1.5 L chicken stock; 40 ml light soy sauce for broth; 15 g ginger for broth; 20 ml sesame oil for broth; 1 g white pepper; 30 ml water for sealing wrappers; 20 g scallion for garnish; 2 L water for boiling the wontons

Silky square wontons filled with pork, shrimp, ginger, and scallion, served in a clear sesame-scented chicken broth.

Northern and Cantonese China

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Real finished-dish brief: a deep white bowl with 8–10 plump, semi-translucent wontons in clear golden broth, a whole baby bok choy beside them, ginger threads, and fresh scallion rings floating visibly on top. — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by ZhengZhouSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

48 sheets (about 384 g)
square wonton wrappers
225 g
ground pork
225 g
peeled shrimp, finely chopped
15 g
ginger, finely minced
30 g
scallion, finely chopped
15 ml
light soy sauce
30 ml
Shaoxing wine
30 ml
sesame oil for filling
3 g
fine salt
1.5 L
chicken stock
40 ml
light soy sauce for broth
15 g
ginger for broth
20 ml
sesame oil for broth
1 g
white pepper
30 ml
water for sealing wrappers
20 g
scallion for garnish
2 L
water for boiling the wontons

Method

01
Mix pork, shrimp, ginger, scallion, soy, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and salt in one direction for 3 minutes until sticky and cohesive; refrigerate 15 minutes.
02
Place exactly 12 g filling in each of the 48 wrappers. Moisten the edges with water, fold into a triangle, press out all air, then bring the two lower corners together; keep finished wontons covered.
03
Warm stock, broth soy, ginger, sesame oil, and white pepper in a saucepan over medium heat to 85–90°C; hold at a bare simmer, never a rolling boil.
04
Bring a separate pot with 2 L water to a full boil over high heat while keeping the broth at a bare simmer.
05
Cook 16 wontons per batch at a gentle boil for 3–5 minutes. They should float, the wrappers look semi-transparent, and the pork-and-shrimp centres reach 74°C; scoop out immediately.
06
Place 12 wontons in each of four bowls, pour over the hot broth, scatter scallion, and serve within 5 minutes so the wrappers stay silky.

Practical notes

Tips

Beat the filling in one direction until it becomes a paste; loose filling leaks during boiling.
Freeze uncooked wontons in a single layer before bagging if making them ahead.

Common mistakes

Overfilling stretches the wrapper and causes split seams.
A rolling boil knocks delicate wontons apart; keep the pot at a gentle simmer.

Substitutions

ground pork (225 g) → ground chicken thigh (225 g): Cook the center to 74°C.
chicken stock (1.5 L) → vegetable stock (1.5 L): Use mushroom stir-fry sauce in place of oyster-based seasonings.

Storage

Keep uncooked wrapped wontons refrigerated for up to 1 day or freeze in a single layer up to 2 months; boil from frozen for 5–7 minutes. Refrigerate assembled soup for only 1 day because wrappers soften.

Cultural context

Wontons have many regional forms; Cantonese versions often use delicate wrappers and clear broth, while northern versions may use more aromatics and shrimp. This bowl combines the classic pork-and-shrimp filling with a simple broth.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.