To start things off I am posting the recipe for my Wonton Soup. The best wonton soup I've made to date. I infused the miso/beef broth with cilantro stems, ginger, lemongrass, chili, smashed garlic and green onions. The smell in the kitchen will be divine... so prepare for some tasty scents happening in your kitchen.
bunch of cilantro stalks with some leaves left on, washed
2-3 inchpieceof ginger, sliced and unpeeled
4inch piece of lemongrass (cut in half and use the top of your knife to bruise the lemongrass to release more flavor)
8piecesof garlic (peeled and smashed lightly to release more flavor)
fresno chili or your favorite spicy pepper, cut into round slices
1/2 - 1canof coconut milk, optional, if you want a thicker soup
Wontons
1cupground chicken thighs
1cupground pork
a fewpinchesof sea salt
2tbspcilantro, chopped
1-2scallions, chopped
1/2cupgrated sweet onion
chopped fresh fresno chillies, optional, to taste
round or square wonton wrappers (available at your local Asian market in the refrigerator section; choose the smallest size they carry)
Garnishes
12shitake mushrooms (wiped clean and sliced thinly)
finely chopped cilantro
thinly sliced radishes with some of the green stems still attatched
finely chopped green onion
Instructions
Add water into a wok or pot and bring to a boil. Add your beef broth paste, mix well until dissolved and taste for salt after combined together, add the miso paste and taste for salt, I add one tablespoon at a time so it doesn't become too salty, but if it's too salty just add a bit more water until the flavor is to your liking. Add the rest of the ingredients at the same time that are listed above in the broth list. Let this simmer on low heat uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour. The longer you keep this on the more flavor your ingredients will release. Add your sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft.
To make the wontons, combine both meats in a large bowl, add the grated onions, cilantro, scallions, salt and chili peppers is optional for heat. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients together and use measuring tablespoon to dish out the small amounts of filling into the middle of the wonton wrapper. Do not fill too much or the filling will come out once it's cooking. Use your pointer finger and dip it in a bowl of water to wet the edges of two sides or a square wonton or the top side of a round wonton wrapper to seal the wontons. Use your fingers to fold the wrapper in half and make sure all the air is released from the inside of the wrapper and pinch the dough together. then add a dab of water to pinch the left and right side of the square wrapper to create a pocket look as I have shown above in the photo.
I have cooked the wontons two different ways before, so I will let you choose how you want to cook them. One way is to cook them in the broth you created after adding your mushrooms. Another is to boil them separately in a lightly salted water, which I think is a better method in order to keep the broth clean. That takes about 5-7 minutes; I usually test mine by cutting one in half to see if the meat is cooked all the way though which is the best way to tell if they are cooked.
To plate the soup, I place the amount of wontons that you prefer into the bowl first. Then add your broth and garnish.