Chinese New Year Soup: Cantonese Wonton Soup

This Cantonese-style Chinese New Year soup brings pork-and-shrimp wontons, tender greens, and mushrooms together in a light, savory broth. Wonton soup is enjoyed throughout the year, and recipes vary by region and family; this version makes a welcoming festive meal without suggesting there is only one traditional way to serve soup for the holiday.

Ingredients

30 square wonton wrappers, about 9 oz (250 g), thawed if frozen
10 oz ground pork (280 g)
5 oz raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped (140 g)
2 tablespoons finely chopped Chinese chives or scallions (8 g)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (6 g)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (15 ml), plus more for seasoning at the table
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (8 g)
¼ teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper (0.3 g), or to taste
10 cups low-sodium chicken stock (2.4 L)
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced (170 g)
6 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise and rinsed well (about 1 lb / 450 g)
2 teaspoons soy sauce for the broth (10 ml), plus more to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 20 g)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for the broth (5 ml)

Instructions

Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped shrimp, chives, ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Stir in one direction for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks cohesive and slightly sticky. This helps the filling hold together inside the wrappers. Keep the bowl chilled while you set up your wrapping area; do not leave raw pork and shrimp at room temperature while working.
Set up to wrap. Place a small bowl of water beside a clean tray lined with parchment. Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a barely damp towel so their edges do not dry out. Put about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet two adjoining edges with a fingertip, fold the wrapper into a triangle, and press out air around the filling while sealing the edges. Bring the two bottom corners together, overlap them slightly, and press to seal with a dab of water. If this shape is difficult, simply fold the wrapper into a triangle and press the edges firmly. Set each wonton on the tray without letting them touch.
Make the broth. Add the chicken stock, crushed garlic, sliced shiitake mushrooms, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce to a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, which usually takes about 4 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes so the garlic and mushrooms flavor the stock. Taste the broth before adding more soy sauce; stock saltiness varies, and the wonton filling is already seasoned.
Cook the wontons. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer, not a hard rolling boil. Lower the wontons into the pot in batches so they have room to move; stir carefully once to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Simmer for 6–8 minutes, depending on wrapper thickness and how cold the filling is. Check a large wonton by opening it and measuring the center of the pork-and-shrimp filling with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS safe minimum temperatures are 160°F (71°C) for ground pork and 145°F (63°C) for shrimp; because they are cooked together here, make sure the filling reaches at least 160°F (71°C). The wrappers should look tender and the filling should be fully cooked.
Add the greens and finish. Add the bok choy to the simmering broth and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the stems are just tender and the leaves are bright green. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil and the sliced scallions. Taste the broth and adjust with a little more soy sauce or white pepper if needed. Ladle broth, mushrooms, greens, and five wontons into each warm bowl, taking care not to break the wrappers.

Tips

Keep the wrappers covered. Wonton wrappers dry quickly, especially around the edges, and dry edges are harder to seal. Work with a few wrappers at a time and return the rest under the damp towel. If an edge has dried, moisten it again before pressing it closed.
Do not overfill or trap air. A heaped teaspoon of filling is enough for most standard wrappers. Too much filling can force the seam open in the pot, while trapped air can make a wonton puff and split. Press gently around the mound before sealing.
Use a practical substitute when needed. Chinese chives give the filling a mild onion-garlic note. If you cannot find them, use finely sliced scallions; the flavor will be fresher and less garlicky. Fresh shiitake mushrooms provide a deep, savory taste, but cremini mushrooms work in a pinch and make the broth milder. Use the same weight.
Freeze extras before cooking. Arrange uncooked wontons in one layer on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Cooking them straight from frozen is convenient; add a few minutes and check the filling temperature rather than relying only on the clock.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup as a first course or as a light main meal. For a larger Chinese New Year spread, offer smaller bowls alongside steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, and other shared dishes. If it is the main course, serve a fuller portion of wontons with extra bok choy and mushrooms, or set out a bowl of plain noodles for guests to add. The soup is best ladled just before eating so the wrappers stay pleasantly tender instead of soaking up the broth for too long.

Put soy sauce, white pepper, and chili oil on the table for individual seasoning. A small squeeze of chili oil adds warmth but is not required; the clear broth is meant to remain the focus. You can also offer sliced scallions or a few drops of sesame oil as finishing touches. For a festive meal, arrange the bowls and garnishes at the table and serve the soup hot, with a spoon for broth and chopsticks for the wontons.

Variations

Make it pork-only. Replace the shrimp with another 5 oz (140 g) ground pork. The filling will be richer and less sweet, and it still needs to reach 160°F (71°C). You may want to add an extra teaspoon of grated ginger or a little more chive to keep the flavor lively.

Try a vegetarian filling. Replace the meat and shrimp with about 10 oz (280 g) finely chopped mushrooms, napa cabbage, and firm tofu. Cook the vegetables first to release moisture, let them cool, then mix with the seasonings and a little cornstarch. The texture will be softer than a meat filling, so avoid overfilling and seal each wrapper carefully. Use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.

Use napa cabbage instead of bok choy. Add 3 cups sliced napa cabbage (about 210 g) to the broth and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until tender. It gives the soup a sweeter, softer vegetable note. Baby spinach is another quick-cooking option; stir in about 4 packed cups (120 g) at the end and cook just until wilted.

Make a noodle bowl. Cook thin wheat noodles separately according to their package directions, drain, and divide among serving bowls before adding soup. Keeping noodles separate prevents them from making the broth cloudy or absorbing too much liquid in the pot. For a more traditional wonton-noodle-shop style bowl, keep the noodles and soup portions modest so the wontons remain easy to eat.

Storage and Reheating

For the best texture, store cooked wontons and broth separately if you expect leftovers. Let the food stop steaming briefly, then refrigerate it within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers. The cooked soup keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. If the wontons sit in broth for a long time, their wrappers soften and may begin to break, although the soup remains usable.

Reheat broth and wontons gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming, stirring carefully so the wrappers do not tear. Check that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C) throughout, as recommended by USDA FSIS; add a splash of water or stock if the broth has reduced. Reheat only the amount you plan to eat. You can freeze leftover broth for up to 3 months for best quality, but cooked wontons may become soft after thawing. For longer storage, freeze uncooked wontons on a tray as described above and cook them from frozen when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is wonton soup specifically a Chinese New Year dish? Wonton soup is eaten year-round, and customs for Chinese New Year differ across China and among families around the world. This recipe is a festive way to serve a Cantonese-style soup during the holiday, not a claim that every household serves the same soup. Dumplings and other symbolic foods also appear in many regional New Year meals.

Can I make the wontons ahead? Yes. You can wrap them up to one day ahead, arrange them in a single layer, cover the tray, and refrigerate. For a longer make-ahead window, freeze them individually on a tray and then bag them. Do not thaw frozen wontons before cooking, because the wrappers can become wet and fragile.

Can I use frozen wonton wrappers? Yes. Thaw them according to the package instructions, usually overnight in the refrigerator, and keep them covered once opened. Avoid separating wrappers while they are still frozen, since they can crack. If the package contains more wrappers than you need, freeze the unused portion according to its label.

Why did my wontons open in the soup? Common causes are overfilling, dry wrapper edges, trapped air, or a broth boiling too vigorously. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling, press the seam firmly, and cook at a gentle simmer. A small tear is not a safety problem if the filling reaches its safe temperature, but the broth may become cloudy and the dumpling will be less neat.

Can I cook the wontons in water and add them to the soup later? Yes. This is useful if you want a particularly clear broth or are preparing bowls one at a time. Simmer the wontons in a separate pot of water until their filling reaches the required safe temperature, then transfer them to bowls and ladle hot broth over them. Do not use the cooking water as broth unless you like its starchier, less clear flavor.

How many wontons should I serve per person? Five wontons per serving makes six moderate bowls with this recipe. For a multi-course holiday meal, three or four may be enough as a starter; for a main course, serve six or more and add noodles or extra greens. Wonton sizes vary, so use the filling amount and the number of pieces as a guide rather than expecting every wrapper to be identical.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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