Easy 10-minute Wonton Soup is filling, delicious, and so flavorful. With a light, savory broth and tender dumplings, this homemade wonton soup is the perfect lunch or dinner for cozy nights in. The best part? It's easy enough that you can make it in no time at all. With just a handful of simple ingredients, this soup is ready in only 10 minutes! It'll become your new go-to recipe when you want a warm, comforting meal in a hurry.
There's something so satisfying about a big bowl of wonton soup. I love the warm, fragrant broth and biting through the tender wonton wrappers into the bright, gingery ground pork or chicken filling inside. This version starts with fresh or frozen wontons, so you can either use your favorite homemade wontons or grab some from the store. Either option will work wonderfully with this simple delicious broth!
Why You'll Love This Wonton Soup Recipe
- Incredibly quick and easy to make. This traditional Chinese dish is one of the easiest weeknight meals. Since you're starting with premade dumplings, this soup will come together very quickly. Just warm up some chicken stock and water in a pot, boil the wontons, then top with the seasonings. Serve and enjoy! It's the ultimate easy meal for busy nights (and way better than takeout). Seriously, put down the phone and put down that take-out menu!
- Rich flavor. This simple wonton soup recipe is all about flavor. The chicken broth is the base, and the dark soy sauce and sesame oil add a nutty, umami flavor. The fresh herbs and onions bring a brightness that ties the flavors from the fragrant dumplings and broth together. It's such a wonderful, simple dish that tastes amazing!
- Easy to customize. There are so many easy ways to adapt this dumpling soup. Start by replacing the chicken stock with veggie stock for a vegetarian dish. Use any wontons you'd like, whether that's ground chicken, pork, veggies, etc. Adjust the broth to your flavor preference by adding oyster sauce, fresh ginger, or homemade chili oil. You can also load it with more veggies, like fresh mushrooms, baby bok choy, napa cabbage, and more. Make it your own!
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious wonton soup, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- wontons - use your favorite store-bought or homemade wontons, like these Chicken and Cilantro Wontons. You can also subsitute with dumplings such as these delicious Pork Dumplings. Either frozen or fresh will work!
- chicken stock and water - start with either storebought or homemade broth for this chicken wonton soup recipe.
- salt - season the broth well to highlight the flavors in the juicy wontons.
- dark soy sauce - this special soy sauce has a bolder, sweet flavor that is perfect for the light broth. You can substitute it with regular soy sauce as well.
- sesame oil - add a little nuttiness with pure sesame oil.
- cilantro - rinse and chop the cilantro to use as a garnish and add a herby flavor.
- green onions - sliced a few green onions to add flavor and bite to the soup.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a small saucepan and a bowl.
How to Make the Best Wonton Soup
There are really just two main steps to follow for this super easy soup. Cook the wontons, then serve.
- Boil the wontons. In a small saucepan, add chicken stock, water, and salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add wontons and cook until they float to the top, about 5 minutes.
- Add water. Then, add more water. Let the wontons float to the top again, about 5 more minutes.
- Season. Once the wontons float to the top again, add soy sauce and sesame oil and goive the soup a gentle stir.
- Serve the soup. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the wontons out and place into a large soup bowl. Top up with the soup base. Garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve hot.
Wonton Soup Recipe Video
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the broth. This easy wonton soup recipe calls for a simple but very flavorful broth. You can easily adjust the flavor of the broth by adding different spices or sauces, like a little white pepper, rice vinegar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili oil, and more. Start with the base recipe and tweak it a little at a time.
- Infuse extra flavor. If you have extra time, you can also steep some fresh ginger, lemongrass, or dried shiitake mushrooms in the broth. Strain them out before serving.
- Add more veggies. Complement the fresh herbs by adding extra vegetables, like Napa cabbage, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, and more.
- Use different dumplings. This delicious Chinese soup uses traditional wontons. If you're unable to find wontons in your grocery store, you can try using potstickers or gyoza instead for a nontraditional twist. They might not have quite the same texture, but they'll still taste great!
- Make it vegetarian. For a vegetarian wonton soup, simply use vegetarian-stuffed wontons and vegetable stock, instead of chicken stock.
How to Serve
This easy Wonton Soup is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite Chinese side dishes including:
- Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns
- Vegetarian Spring Rolls
- Crispy Bottom Pan-Fried Vegetable Buns
- Chive Pancakes with Sourdough Starter
- Miso Garlic Chicken Wings
Love dumplings and noodles? You'll love these 25 Best Dim Sum Recipes too!
Wonton Soup Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Change the broth or dumplings. Chicken broth is a great, relatively neutral base that works well with chicken or pork dumplings. However, if you want to use shrimp wontons, consider using a fish broth instead. Try beef broth for Beef Dumplings.
- Don't overcook the dumplings. To keep the dumplings from becoming too soft, add cold water to the pot right after the dumplings rise to the surface. This will slow down the cooking process just enough and make it easy to eat the soup right away.
- Use the right dumplings. Although you can technically use potstickers or other types of premade dumplings, this recipe is specifically made for wontons. They're meant to be boiled, whereas potstickers are meant to be steamed. Thinner-skinned dumplings can still be used in this version of wonton soup, but they won't have the same bite and texture.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Store the leftover cilantro and green onions separately.
How to Reheat
Wonton soup is best served fresh to maintain the texture of the wonton wrappers. If you have leftovers, place them in a small pot on the stove and warm the mixture until piping hot. Garnish with fresh herbs and onions.
How to Freeze
If you'd like to freeze the leftovers, you can freeze the chilled soup base store in freezer-safe containers and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. The dumplings cannot be frozen after cooked. You can freeze them before cooking. See our Egg and Chive Vegetarian Dumplings for tips on storing.
FAQ
Although Chinese wonton soup recipes vary across the country, most of them start with a simple broth. This version of wonton soup is made in the Hong Kong style, with a mild chicken broth, tender chicken or pork dumplings, and the rich flavors of dark soy sauce and sesame oil. The soup broth has a savory, nutty, and umami flavor that's the perfect balance for the flavorful dumplings. Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions for an extra pop of color and flavor.
A good bowl of wonton soup can definitely be enjoyed as a meal on its own, but it's much more fun to eat with your favorite dim sum or Chinese takeout recipes. Pair it with steamed buns, egg rolls, steamed veggies, Char Siu Chicken, Instant Pot Braised Pork, Pork Noodles, Miso Black Cod (Sablefish), and so much more.
This amazing wonton soup can easily be stored for later. The best way is to chill the leftovers in the fridge, then reheat them in a pot on the stove the next day. You can also microwave a bowl of the soup for 2-3 minutes at a time or until fully heated. The dumplings may begin to soften after being heated twice, so it's best to warm the soup up quickly. Don't forget to add your garnish right before serving!
More Asian Soup Recipes
- Shanghai Style Wonton Soup
- Chinese Hot Pot at Home
- Quick and Easy Vegetarian Ramen
- Vietnamese Pho
- Coconut Curry Ramen
- Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
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Recipe
Easy Wonton Soup
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 servings
Description
Easy 10-minute Wonton Soup is filling, delicious, and so flavorful. With a light, savory broth and tender dumplings, this homemade wonton soup is the perfect lunch or dinner for cozy nights in. The best part? It's easy enough that you can make it in no time at all. With just a handful of simple ingredients, this soup is ready in just 10 minutes! It'll become your new go-to recipe when you want a warm, comforting meal in a hurry.
Ingredients
- 8-12 wontons, fresh or frozen (I use chicken and cilantro wontons)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon green onions, sliced
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add chicken stock, 1 cup of water, and salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add wontons and cook until they float to the top, about 5 minutes.
- Add one cup of cold water and let the wontons float to the top again, about 5 more minutes.
- Once the wontons float to the top again, add soy sauce and sesame oil and goive the soup a gentle stir.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop the wontons out and place into a large soup bowl. Top up with the soup base. Garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve hot.
Notes
How to store: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Store the leftover cilantro and green onions separately.
How to reheat: Wonton soup is best served fresh to maintain the texture of the wonton wrappers. If you have leftovers, place them in a small pot on the stove and warm the mixture until piping hot. Garnish with fresh herbs and onions.
How to freeze: If you'd like to freeze the leftovers, you can freeze the chilled soup base store in freezer-safe containers and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. The dumplings cannot be frozen after cooked. You can freeze them before cooking. See our Egg and Chive Vegetarian Dumplings for tips on storing.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
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Kylie Wright says
Love this recipe. I added some chopped bok choy for extra flavour. My husband loved it!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
That's awesome! So glad you guys loved the recipe 🙂
Corinne Scheldrup says
Where do you buy frozen wontons ??
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I make my own (click here for recipe). You can also find them at Costco or at an Asian grocery store. You might also find them in your local grocery store, depending where you live.
Candi says
Trader Joe’s Mini Chicken Cilantro Wontons
Krystle says
Do you put the chicken and cilantro wontons in fresh, thawed or frozen? I can not wait to try this!!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I usually put them in frozen unless I have just made a fresh batch. They cook really fast! The instructions will be the same whether you use fresh or frozen (frozen wontons will take a minute or 2 longer to float to the top (step 3) than fresh ones) 🙂 Enjoy!
Sarah says
Super easy and super yummy! My kids love it!
Stacy Sayes says
What can I use instead of sesame oil ?? I am Allergic to it I really want to make this. It is one of my favs
Jean Begg says
You have 7 cups of water for one serving. Is that correct?
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
5 cups water in total to cook the wontons. But you won't be pouring the entire soup base into your bowl, so your serving will not be 5 cups... it will be whatever fits into your bowl. Although the majority of the water is essentially chicken stock when you mix it with the required chicken stock base. I will update the instructions to make that more clear. Thanks! 🙂