This Easy Wonton Soup recipe is ready in just 10 minutes, and it's the quick, cozy bowl I make whenever I need dinner fast. It's filling, delicious, and so flavorful. A light, savory chicken broth is seasoned with dark soy sauce and sesame oil, then loaded with tender wontons and topped with fresh cilantro and green onions. It's a simple homemade wonton soup that tastes like takeout without the wait.
I first shared this recipe in 2017, and it's still one of the most popular on the blog, with over 240,000 shares. It starts with fresh or frozen wontons, so you can use homemade wontons or grab a bag from the store. The trick is a little cold water in the pot, which keeps the wrappers silky instead of soggy.
If you loved this recipe, try our Shanghai Style Wonton Soup, Quick and Easy Vegetarian Ramen, or Tofu Soup next.
Why You'll Love This Wonton Soup Recipe
- Incredibly quick and easy. Since you start with premade wontons, this quick wonton soup comes together in about 10 minutes. It's an easy weeknight meal that's faster than ordering takeout.
- Rich, comforting flavor. Chicken broth is the base, and dark soy sauce and sesame oil add a nutty, umami depth. Fresh cilantro and green onions brighten every spoonful.
- Only a handful of ingredients. You likely have most of them already, and the wontons do the heavy lifting.
- Easy to customize. Swap the stock for a vegetarian version, use any wontons you like, or load the bowl with vegetables like bok choy and napa cabbage.
- Perfect for one or two. The recipe makes 1 to 2 servings, so there's no big pot to manage. Bonus: it's also a light appetizer before a bigger meal.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Wonton Soup Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Equipment
- Watch How to Make this Easy Wonton Soup Recipe
- How to Make the Best Wonton Soup
- Add Cold Water to Keep the Wontons Tender
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Wonton Soup Recipe
- Storage
- How to Serve
- Dim Sum Recipes
- FAQ
- More Asian Soup Recipes
- Tried this recipe?
- Comments
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this quick and easy Wonton Soup, you will need the following ingredients (see recipe card below for quantities):
- wontons - use your favorite store-bought or homemade wontons. Look for them in the freezer or refrigerated section of most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. If you'd rather make your own, try our Chicken and Cilantro Wontons wonton recipe, which has a bright, gingery wonton filling that's perfect in this soup. You can also substitute dumplings such as our Pork Dumplings. Fresh or frozen both work.
- chicken stock and water - start with store-bought or homemade stock. The water keeps the broth light, and using vegetable stock makes it vegetarian.
- salt - season the broth to highlight the flavor of the wontons. Taste first, since stock and soy sauce already add salt.
- dark soy sauce - this special soy sauce has a bolder, slightly sweet flavor that's perfect for a light broth. Regular soy sauce or light soy sauce works as a substitute.
- sesame oil - adds a little nuttiness. Use pure sesame oil and stir it in at the end.
- cilantro - rinse and chop it to garnish and add a fresh, herby flavor.
- green onions - sliced thin, these scallions add flavor and a little bite.
Equipment
You will need a small saucepan, a slotted spoon, measuring cups and spoons, and a large soup bowl.
Watch How to Make this Easy Wonton Soup Recipe
Watch the quick video below to see how simple this soup is, then follow along with the written instructions.
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 into a large soup bowl. Pour the hot broth over the wontons, garnish with cilantro and green onions, and serve hot.
Expert Tip
Add Cold Water to Keep the Wontons Tender
The cold water isn't just to top off the pot. Adding it right after the wontons first float slows the cooking just enough that the wrappers stay tender instead of turning soft and gummy. It also cools the broth slightly, so you can eat the soup right away. Don't skip this step, and serve the soup as soon as it's ready for the best texture.
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the broth. This easy wonton soup recipe has a simple, flavorful broth. Tweak it a little at a time with white pepper, rice vinegar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, or chili oil.
- Add Shaoxing wine. A splash of Shaoxing wine gives the broth a restaurant-style depth. Dry sherry works as a substitute.
- Infuse extra flavor. If you have time, steep sliced ginger, a few smashed garlic cloves, lemongrass, or dried shiitake mushrooms in the broth, then strain them out before serving.
- Add more vegetables. Stir in napa cabbage, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, or a handful of spinach or kale. Greens wilt in 1 to 2 minutes.
- Make your own wontons. Pulse ground pork or chicken with ginger, garlic, and a little soy sauce in a food processor for an easy filling, then fold it into store-bought wrappers.
- Make shrimp wonton soup. Use wontons filled with shrimp or prawns, and try fish broth for a seafood version.
- Make it a noodle soup. Add cooked egg noodles or rice noodles to the bowl before ladling in the broth.
- Use different dumplings. If you can't find wontons, try potstickers or gyoza for a nontraditional twist. They won't have quite the same texture, but they'll still taste great.
- Make it vegetarian. Use vegetarian-stuffed wontons and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Add a soft-boiled egg. Top each bowl with a halved soft-boiled egg for extra protein. Try our Soy Sauce Eggs (Ramen Eggs).
- Spice it up. Add a spoonful of chili oil or a pinch of white pepper to each bowl.
Tips for the Best Wonton Soup Recipe
- Change the broth or dumplings. Chicken broth is a relatively neutral base that works well with chicken or pork dumplings. For shrimp wontons, consider a fish broth, and try beef broth for Beef Dumplings.
- Don't overcook the dumplings. Add the cold water right after the wontons rise to the surface to keep them from becoming too soft.
- Use the right dumplings. This recipe is made for wontons, which are meant to be boiled. Potstickers are meant to be pan-fried or steamed, so thinner-skinned dumplings can work but won't have the same bite.
- Cook big batches separately. If you're making a lot of homemade wontons, boil them in a large pot of water first, then move them to the broth so the soup stays clear.
- Season the broth well. Add a good amount of salt and soy sauce, since the wontons will mellow the flavor.
- Garnish at the end. Add the cilantro and green onions right before serving so they stay fresh and bright.
- Serve right away. Wonton soup is best fresh, while the wrappers are still silky.
Storage
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, then garnish with fresh herbs and onions.
How to Freeze
- To freeze the soup base, chill it and freeze it in freezer-safe containers for 3-6 months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
- To freeze uncooked wontons, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer them to freezer bags. Cooked dumplings can't be frozen. See our Egg and Chive Vegetarian Dumplings for tips on storing.
How to Serve
This easy Wonton Soup is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite Chinese recipes including:
Dim Sum Recipes
Our collection of dim sum side dishes is full of bite-sized, flavorful options that pair beautifully with a steaming bowl of noodles. Try delicate dumplings and fluffy bao buns or crispy spring rolls and savory buns.
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!
In this recipe, the wontons cook for about 5 minutes, until they float to the top. Then you add cold water and let them float again for about 5 more minutes. Cooking time can vary slightly with the size and brand of your wontons, so check the package.
Yes. Fresh or frozen wontons both work in this recipe. Add them straight to the boiling broth without thawing, and cook until they float and are heated through. Frozen wontons may need a minute or two longer. Try our homemade wonton recipe.
Wontons are made with thin, square wrappers and are usually boiled and served in soup. Dumplings like potstickers and gyoza have thicker, round wrappers and are typically pan-fried or steamed. You can use dumplings in this soup, but wontons give the silkiest texture.
A light chicken broth is the classic choice for this Hong Kong-style soup. Pork or vegetable broth also works, and you can use fish broth with shrimp wontons.
More Asian Soup Recipes
Looking for new recipes to try? Here are more soups you might like:
Tried this recipe?
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Easy Wonton Soup
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 servings 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free
Description
Easy 10-minute Wonton Soup is made with a light, savory chicken broth and tender wontons. It's a quick, comforting meal for busy nights.
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
Storage: Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days, within 2 hours of cooking, and store the garnishes separately. Reheat on the stove until piping hot. To freeze, freeze the chilled soup base for 3-6 months and thaw in the fridge. Uncooked wontons can be frozen, but cooked dumplings cannot.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Oriana @Mommy's Home Cooking says
I’m seriously drooling right now! Amazing looking soup. The fact that can be made in 10 minutes makes it even better. Pinned!
Heather | Boston Girl Bakes says
Ooh you had me at 10 minutes 🙂 This soup look awesome...definitely putting this in the dinner rotation next week!
Razena | Tantalisemytastebuds.com says
That recipe looks perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Can't wait to try it.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
I love wonton soup but have never tried to make it at home. This looks totally delicious. Using homemade wontons is great too...the frozen ones are not so good. I will have to give this a try.
Chloé says
This sounds delicious! I love a good, easy soup!
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Allison at Brainy Business Babe says
This sounds yummy! I would make it with the frozen chicken and cilantro wontons from Trader Joe's 🙂