But that's not Wonton Soup!!

Whenever I go to American(ized) Asian or Chinese restaurants I order the combination dinners but am sure to substitute the Wonton soup for something else, simply because the soup usually consists of a few wonton's in an almost clear broth. . .where's the noodles, shrimp, bits of pork, vegetables?!!! . . .sooooooo disappointing. Although Vietnamese Pho noodle soup is my absolute favorite Asian style soup, Chinese Wonton is a very close second. Nothing beats a steaming hot bowl of soup on cold winter nights. 


I'm fortunate enough to have grown up enjoying authentic wonton soup Vietnamese style (Mi Hoanh Thanh) Wonton Noodle Soup, the kind that's a meal onto itself (it better be a meal considering the work that goes into it!). My boyfriend thought I was crazy whenever I poo pooed the restaurant version of this hearty dish until he started eating mine. Now he's enlightened and wouldn't dare order that meager restaurant soup either.


Ingredients:
Soup base:
3 pounds of pork shoulder
3 cups of chicken or pork broth or 3 bullion cubes
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups of bok choy or green nappa cabbage


Wontons:
1 package wonton wrappers
1 1/2 pounds ground pork (or turkey)
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, minced then mashed
1 stalk green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon black or white pepper
1 tablespoon fish sauce or 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


1 package of fresh Asian Egg noodles (wide or thin)


Directions:

1. Fill large Soup Pot 1/2 of the way with water, add stock, onion and Pork Shoulder and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for about 10 minutes flipping the pork shoulder halfway after 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 3 hours. The pork needs to be very tender and the stock rich in flavor. 
2. As the pork is simmering, in a medium mixing bowl add all the won ton ingredients (except for the wrappers) and mix well by hand. 
3. Assemble the wonton by taking filling each wrapper with 1 full teaspoon of filling, gather up the points and gently pinch together to seal. If the wrappers are a bit dry, dip your index finger into warm water and moisten the corners before gathering. 
4. Set each wonton onto a baking tray. After all the wrappers are used up put into the freezer making sure none of the won tons stick. I do this because this recipe makes about 50 won tons which is way too many to eat in one night for a family of 3 or 4. After about 2 hours in the freezer you can take them out and allocate how many you will eat tonight and put the rest in a container or ziplock for future use. 
5. Once the pork shoulder is cooked, remove to cutting board and cut into thin slices. Add back into broth pot. Add the bok choy or cabbage and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining shrimp and the won tons you'll eat during this meal 8 minutes before eating (about 5 wontons per person). 
6. In a separate smaller pot, add water 1/2 way up and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Bring to a boil and add the Asian egg noodles. The noodles come in bunches, cook each bunch 1 at a time. Cook for about 5 minutes, remove from pot and transfer to dish or bowl for soup assembly. Repeat this process adding more water as necessary until all the noodle bunches are cooked. Note: 1 bunch per person or bowl.
7. Once the noodles are cooked and placed into large Asian soup bowls, ladle the soup broth into each bowl making sure there is a helping of vegetables and 5 wontons per bowl. Top with the pork slices and prawns. Serve with hot chili sauce and a few drops of soy sauce.  Store the left over soup/broth in airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Reheat and cook/add more wontons for each meal. Enjoy! :)