Wonton Soup Like Grandma Used to Make!

Why It Matters

Recreating this traditional wonton soup at home makes authentic Chinese flavors accessible, preserving culinary heritage while driving demand for quality pantry staples and encouraging home‑cooking confidence.

Key Takeaways

• Simmer broth with scallions, ginger, chicken powder, sesame oil.
• Combine shrimp and pork with mushroom powder, corn starch, soy sauce.
• Seal wontons using “golden purse” technique for airtight folds.
• Cook wontons 1‑2 minutes, then add blanched bok choy.
• Finish soup with scallion, white pepper for bright, umami flavor.

Summary

The video walks viewers through a nostalgic, grandma‑style wonton soup, beginning with a quick broth built on scallions, ginger, chicken powder, sesame oil and a splash of oyster sauce. The host emphasizes simplicity, using pantry staples and a box grater to extract fresh ginger pulp, then moves to the filling where shrimp and pork are marinated with mushroom powder, corn starch, premium soy sauce, sugar, white pepper and a drizzle of sesame oil. Key techniques include chilling the filling for thirty minutes to firm it, then shaping each dumpling with a “golden purse” fold—wetting the wrapper edges, placing a teaspoon of filling, and sealing three sides to lock in the protein. The wontons are dropped into boiling water for just one to two minutes, coaxed to float, and then paired with blanched bok choy leaves that retain a bright green hue. The host highlights sensory details, noting the soup’s rich, comforting aroma and the umami burst from the pork‑shrimp filling. A final garnish of thin scallion strips and a pinch of white pepper adds a fresh, peppery finish, while the removed aromatics keep the broth clear yet flavorful. For home cooks, the recipe demystifies authentic Chinese dim‑sum flavors, showing that with a few common ingredients and a simple folding method, anyone can recreate a restaurant‑quality wonton soup that connects generations and celebrates cultural heritage.

Original Description

Jet's pork and shrimp wontons in a quick broth take Jet Tila back to his childhood 🫶 #ReadyJetCook

Get the recipe 👇

Wonton Soup

Recipe courtesy of Jet Tila

Level: Intermediate

Total: 1 hr 20 min

Active: 50 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Pork and Shrimp Wontons:

1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) coarsely ground pork

1/2 pound (225 grams) peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) premium soy sauce

2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) oyster sauce

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder

Few drops sesame oil

Pinch kosher salt

2 dashes ground white pepper

24 yellow wonton wrappers

Soup:

1 bok choy, quartered (about 4 ounces/115 grams)

5 cups (1.2 liters) Quick Chinese Chicken Broth, recipe follows

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Ground white pepper

Quick Chinese Chicken Broth:

6 cups (1.4 liters) water

3 scallions, halved

One 3-inch piece ginger

4 tablespoons (40 grams) chicken powder

1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) sesame oil

2 teaspoons (12 grams) oyster sauce

Directions

For the pork and shrimp wontons:

Combine the pork, shrimp, soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallion, ginger, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt and white pepper in a bowl and knead for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture turns sticky. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes so it firms slightly for easier wrapping. Keep the wrappers covered with a damp towel.

To make the wontons, moisten the edges of a wrapper, place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, and shape the wonton purse-style by bringing the edges of the wrapper up over the filling and pressing and sealing them together at the top. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

For the soup: Bring about 2 quarts of water in a medium saucepan to a rolling boil. Boil the wontons in the water for about 2 minutes or until they float to the surface. Remove the wontons with a sieve, drain for a moment and divide them between 4 bowls.

While the water is still boiling, blanch the bok choy for about 1 minute in the water until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove with a sieve, drain for a moment and divide between the bowls. Ladle the Quick Chinese Chicken Broth between the bowls. Hit each bowl with some scallion and a pinch of white pepper and serve.

Quick Chinese Chicken Broth:

Add the water, scallions and ginger to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — look for small, steady bubbles around the edges (not a rolling boil) to keep the broth clear.

Whisk in the chicken powder, sesame oil and oyster sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, until the broth smells aromatic and turns a golden color. Strain if you want a clearer broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning — if it’s too salty add a splash of water. Remove the ginger and scallion when ready to use the broth in soup.

Adapted from "101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die: Discover a New World of Flavors in Authentic Recipes" by Jet Tila © Page Street Publishing 2017. All rights reserved.