This homemade vegetable wonton soup puts a peanutty chopped-vegetable filling inside tender wrappers, floating in a clean, aromatic broth. Folding wontons is faster than it looks and quietly addictive. Forty-five minutes gets you a pot that beats the takeout container.
There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of wonton soup to warm you from the inside out. Forget takeout! This recipe guides you through creating the most delicious, delicate vegetable wontons from scratch, swimming in an aromatic ginger and green onion broth. Each spoonful is a perfect balance of savory filling, silky wonton wrappers, and a deeply flavorful, comforting soup. It’s a fun, rewarding cooking project that results in a truly restaurant-worthy meal right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
• For the Wonton Filling
• 1/4 cup / 30g (1.06 oz) shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup / 35g (1.23 oz) finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup / 25g (0.88 oz) finely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup / 25g (0.88 oz) sliced green onions (about 2)
• 2 tablespoons / 15g (0.53 oz) finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons / 5g (0.18 oz) snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml (0.5 fl oz) soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon (40 ml / 1.4 fl oz) cayenne pepper
• 20 square wonton wrappers
• For the Aromatic Broth
• 2 quarts / 2 liters water, for boiling
• 4 cups (960 ml) / 1 liter vegetable broth
• 6 green onions, cut into thin slivers
• 1 1-inch / 2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml (0.3 fl oz) toasted sesame oil
Instructions
1. Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded carrot, red bell pepper, mushrooms, sliced green onions, peanuts, cilantro, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
2. Assemble the wontons: Place about 1 rounded teaspoon of the vegetable filling onto the center of each wonton wrapper. To fold, bring the bottom corner up over the filling, tucking the point underneath. Roll it up halfway, leaving the top corner exposed. Moisten one of the side corners with a dab of water. Bring the two side corners together over the filling, overlapping them slightly and pinching the moistened corner to the dry one to seal securely. Set the finished wonton aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
3. Cook the wontons: Bring the 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Carefully add the wontons one by one. Once the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the wontons are tender and float to the surface. Gently drain the wontons and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
4. Simmer the broth: While the wontons are cooking, combine the vegetable broth, slivered green onions, and the piece of fresh ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, just until the green onions are crisp-tender. Remove and discard the piece of ginger.
5. Serve the soup: Carefully add the cooked wontons to the simmering broth. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and heat through for about a minute. Ladle the soup and wontons into bowls and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
• Per Serving (approximate): 197 calories, 6 g (0.21 oz) total fat (1 g / 0.04 oz saturated fat), 1,164 mg sodium, 30 g (1.06 oz) carbohydrates, 2 g (0.07 oz) fiber, 7 g (0.25 oz) protein.
Pro Tips
• Don’t overfill the wontons. Using about 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 0.2 fl oz) of filling per wrapper ensures they seal properly and don’t burst while cooking.
• For a richer broth, add a few dried shiitake mushrooms to simmer along with the ginger and green onions. Just remember to remove them before serving.
• These wontons are perfect for meal prep. Assemble them and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. You can cook them directly from frozen, just add a few extra minutes to the boiling time.
• Feel free to customize the filling. Finely chopped water chestnuts, cabbage, or firm tofu are all fantastic additions for extra texture and flavor.
FAQ
Q: How can I add more protein to this vegetarian wonton soup
A: To boost the protein, you can add 1/4 cup (960 ml) of finely crumbled firm tofu or shelled edamame to the filling mixture. You can also add cubes of pan-fried tofu directly to the finished broth for an extra protein-packed meal.
Q: Is this wonton soup recipe vegan
A: This recipe can easily be made vegan. The key is to use vegan wonton wrappers, as some brands contain egg. Be sure to check the ingredients list on the package to find an egg-free version. All other ingredients in the recipe are plant-based.
Q: Can I make these vegetable wontons ahead of time
A: Absolutely. This recipe is perfect for meal prep. You can assemble the wontons and freeze them uncooked. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Cook them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the boiling time.
Q: How can I make this wonton soup gluten-free
A: To make a gluten-free version, you will need to substitute two key ingredients. Use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and find certified gluten-free wonton wrappers, which are available in some specialty stores. If you can’t find them, rice paper wrappers can be used as an alternative.
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Homemade Vegetable Wonton Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded carrot, red bell pepper, mushrooms, sliced green onions, peanuts, cilantro, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper.
- Mix until everything is well combined.
- Assemble the wontons: Place about 1 rounded teaspoon of the vegetable filling onto the center of each wonton wrapper. To fold, bring the bottom corner up over the filling, tucking the point underneath.
- Roll it up halfway, leaving the top corner exposed. Moisten one of the side corners with a dab of water.
- Bring the two side corners together over the filling, overlapping them slightly and pinching the moistened corner to the dry one to seal securely.
- Set the finished wonton aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Cook the wontons: Bring the 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Carefully add the wontons one by one.
- Once the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the wontons are tender and float to the surface. Gently drain the wontons and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Simmer the broth: While the wontons are cooking, combine the vegetable broth, slivered green onions, and the piece of fresh ginger in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, just until the green onions are crisp-tender.
- Remove and discard the piece of ginger.
- Serve the soup: Carefully add the cooked wontons to the simmering broth.
- Stir in the toasted sesame oil and heat through for about a minute. Ladle the soup and wontons into bowls and serve immediately.
- Don't overfill the wontons.
- Using about 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 0.2 fl oz) of filling per wrapper ensures they seal properly and don't burst while cooking.
