Easy Hot and Sour Wonton Soup

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 people)

Make the Wonton (Makes 30-35 wontons)

• 227g of ground pork
• 1/2 cup of diced scallion
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1/2 inch of ginger, grated
• 1/3 tsp of white pepper powder
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
• 30-35 wonton wrappers

Make the Sour Broth

• 2.5 tbsp of pork lard, can be replaced with vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 2 tbsp of diced white part of the scallions
• 2 tsp of minced ginger
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn
• 4 cups of water or stock
• 1/3 cup of Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of salt or to taste
• A handful of seaweed, optional
• 2 tbsp of hot chili oil, optional
• 2 tbsp of diced cilantro for garnish
• 2 tbsp of diced green part of the scallions for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the ground pork, diced scallion, grated garlic, ginger, white pepper powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil in a mixing bowl. Stir the filling in one direction for a few minutes to develop the texture.
2. If your wonton wrapper is frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or leave it on the countertop for 1 hour in advance.
3. Put 1.5 tsp of filling in the middle of the wrapper, then gather the edge and pinch it. Wonton doesn’t need to be sealed completely, so don’t worry about the shape. Set the wonton into the fridge for now.
4. Add the pork lard to a stock pot, and saute the minced garlic, ginger, and diced scallions over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes or until they are slightly golden on the edge.
5. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorn and continue to stir for a minute or until the aromatics are golden brown.
6. Pour in 4 cups of water or stock if you have some at home and bring it to a boil.
7. Season the broth with Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and some salt to taste. If you use store-bought stock that is already salted, you may not need to add salt.
8. Add a bunch of dried seaweed and cook for 20 more seconds. Set the broth aside. If you don’t have seaweed, feel free to skip it or replace it with mushroom slices. Although the mushroom texture is completely different, it also adds another dimension to the flavor.
9. Boil a pot of water in a separate pot. Use a spatula to swirl the water to create a cyclone. Then add the wontons and cook on medium-low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Avoid using high heat because we don’t want the water to boil viciously; otherwise, the wrapper will start breaking.
10. Combine the cooked wontons with the sour broth. Add diced scallions and cilantro as garnish. Drizzle in some hot chili oil for a spicy kick.