An authentic tasting Cantonese wonton noodle soup with juicy pork and shrimp wontons, thin chewy Hong Kong noodles, and fragrant homemade chicken stock. Follow this recipe and you’ll create a dish that tastes even better than the restaurant version.
Wonton noodle soup is a luxury comfort food that I’ve missed a lot since moving to the US. Walk along any street in central Hong Kong, and you’ll find a small diner serving this hearty soup on practically every block. For just a few dollars, you’ll get a big bowl of hot wonton noodle soup with handmade wontons and noodles swimming in an aromatic soup that’s been simmering for hours.
It is definitely a more challenging dish for home cooks and it takes some time and effort. But I assure you, you’ll find the result so rewarding and you’ll want to make this dish again and again.
Why this recipe
I first published this recipe nine years ago, and have been perfecting it since then. It was one of the dishes that my Cantonese postpartum nanny made for me and I learned a lot from her. Now I finally have this version that I’m very proud of.
- The wontons are juicy and have a very balanced flavor. The filling uses only a small amount of seasoning such as soy sauce, ginger and pepper to enhance the flavor without being overpowering. It uses egg white to create a silky texture.
- The homemade soup is the star of this dish. After so many experiments, I found that homemade stock is the only way to go. Yes, it takes a lot of time, but this is how you get the most fragrant soup that’s full of gelatin and flavor that coats the noodles nicely and lingers on your tongue.
- This dish does not call for a lot of ingredients and produces an authentic taste. Cantonese cuisine prizes the freshness of the ingredients and uses only enough ingredients to bring out their flavor. My recipe follows the same spirit.
Wonton noodle soup ingredients
What type of noodles to use
Look for the type of egg noodles with “Wonton Noodles” on the package. They are thin, wavy egg noodles that have a yellow color. Once cooked, they are chewy and have a very smooth texture, giving you the authentic experience.
What type of wonton wrapper to use
You should use wonton wrappers that have a yellow color for the most authentic taste and appearance. Sometimes the package has “Hong Kong Style Wonton Wrapper” on it. But sometimes the package simply says “Wonton Skin”. (See the pictures below)
Homemade chicken stock
There is no store-bought chicken stock that comes close to matching homemade chicken stock. Chinese chicken stock is made with chicken bones and meat to create a rich texture full of gelatin. It is thicker than store-bought stock and will coat the noodles, creating a much nicer mouthfeel. It is also made with simple aromatics without any vegetables to add a sweet taste, which is desirable in wonton noodle soup. Once you have the homemade stock, all you need is a pinch of salt with some ginger and scallion for the best wonton soup.
If you don’t want to make the stock from scratch, Better-Than-Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base is your next best bet. It tastes richer than regular chicken bouillon powder, and it has a neutral flavor unlike the chicken stock that comes in a carton. You can also use slightly more bouillon base than the package calls for, to create a richer soup.
How to prepare the wontons
Make the wonton filling
All you need to do is mix everything together and stir it in one direction. You need to keep mixing the filling until it forms a sticky paste. The filling will be a little bouncy and hold together once cooked.
Wrap the wontons
There are many different ways to wrap wontons. In this recipe I used the method that resembles the restaurant-style wontons that go in noodle soup.
- Make a loose fist. Hold a single wonton wrapper on top of it. Add a small amount of filling in the center of the wrapper.
- Close up the wonton with your index finger and thumb while pushing down the filling.
- Keep closing the wrapper until it comes together.
- Pinch the part that’s close to the filling so it forms a little purse.
Once you wrap the wontons, place them on a lightly floured tray and cover them with plastic wrap. You will also want to cover the wonton wrappers with wet paper towels so they don’t dry out.
How to make wonton noodle soup
Boil the homemade chicken stock with ginger, scallions, and salt.
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions in another pot, then add them to the serving bowls. Cook the wontons until floating, and continue to cook for another minute. Transfer them to the bowls with the noodles. Then blanch the vegetables.
Pour in the soup, garnish with green onions, fried shallots, and blanched vegetables, if using.
How to store and serve
You should always cook only the amount of wontons and noodles you plan to serve and eat immediately, because the leftovers don’t hold well.
My favorite way to keep them is to freeze the extra (uncooked) wontons and noodles in small bags. You should wrap up each bundle of noodles in plastic wrap before placing it in the bag. So they stay fresh longer and will be easier to use in small quantities later.
This recipe yields four big servings substantial enough for a one-bowl meal. You can also divide the recipe into six or even eight smaller servings, if you serve it as an appetizer along with other dishes.
If you’re hosting a dinner party, it’s awesome to serve wonton noodle soup with:
Wonton Noodle Soup (Cantonese wonton noodles)
An authentic tasting Cantonese wonton noodle soup with juicy pork and shrimp wontons, thin chewy Hong Kong noodles, and fragrant homemade chicken stock. Follow this recipe and you’ll create a dish that tastes even better than the restaurant version.
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Wonton Filling
- 1/2 lb (227 g) ground pork
- 4 oz (113 g) raw peeled and deveined shrimp chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons ginger finely minced
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Soup
- 1 pack Hong Kong style wonton noodles
- 8 cups (2 l) homemade chicken stock (Footnote 1)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
- 4 green onions white part, sliced
- 1 ” (2.5 cm) ginger large sliced
Topping options
- green onion greens for garnish sliced
- 8 heads choy sum (or baby bok choy)
- Fried shallots
Instructions
Prepare the wontons
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Prepare wonton filling: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the wonton filling. Mix well with a spatula in a circular motion until it forms a sticky paste.
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Prepare a large tray or a plate. Spray a thin layer of oil or sprinkle some flour onto it to prevent sticking.
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Wrap the wontons: Work on the wontons one at a time. Make a loose fist with one hand and place a wonton wrapper over your thumb and index finger. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Slowly close your thumb and index finger to gather the wrapper while using a small spoon to push down the filling, until the wrapper comes together. Pinch the wrapper right above the filling so it seals tightly. (See the blog post above for the detailed wrapping steps in the pictures). Place the wrapped wontons onto the prepared tray, a finger’s width apart. (Now you can store the wontons if not used immediately. See footnote 2 for storage tips)
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Make sure to use a wet paper towel or clean wet kitchen towel to cover the wonton wrappers and the wrapped wontons, to prevent them from drying out.
Assemble the wonton noodle soup (Footnote 3)
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Prepare a big pot for cooking the wontons and noodles. Add about 1 gallon (4 liters) of water and bring it to a boil.
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Add homemade chicken stock, salt, ginger and green onion (white part) to another medium-sized pot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Then cover and turn to lowest heat to keep warm while cooking the wontons and noodles. Taste the soup. It should be slightly salty. You can always adjust the seasoning by adding more salt later.
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Prepare 4 large bowls. Add noodles into the large pot with the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions. Once done, divide noodles into 4 equal portions and transfer into each serving bowl.
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Cook the wontons in two batches if you plan to use them all. When the big pot of water comes to a boil again, add half of the wontons into the large pot. Stir gently with a spatula constantly to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Cook until the wontons are floating on top, then continue cooking for another minute. Transfer the wontons into each of the serving bowls.
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Pour 2 cups of hot chicken soup into each serving bowl.
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(Optional) Blanch the greens in the large pot. Transfer onto the wonton bowls to garnish. Garnish with a spoonful of fried shallot and a pinch of green onions. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- There is no real alternative for homemade chicken stock for this recipe, to create the most authentic tasting wonton noodle soup. If you do not want to make chicken stock, you can use 8 cups of water and add better-than-bouillon roasted chicken base. Add enough so the soup tastes good by itself. It’s not the same but it creates a nice enough soup.
- Store the uncooked wontons: If you are not going to cook and serve the wontons immediately, store them in the fridge for a day, or freeze them for up to three months. Seal the tray of wontons with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. When the wontons are completely frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight ziplock bag to free up freezer space.
- You should only prepare the amount of wonton noodle soup you plan to serve. For each bowl, you will use 1 bundle of wonton noodles, 8 to 10 wontons (or less, depending on how hungry you are), and 2 cups of homemade chicken stock.
- Cook frozen wontons – The method is the same as if you were boiling fresh wontons.
- Serving size: This recipe yields 4 big servings of wonton noodle soup, with 8 to 10 wontons per bowl. You can also make 6 smaller servings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 454kcal, Carbohydrates: 52.2g, Protein: 41.2g, Fat: 7.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.6g, Cholesterol: 209mg, Sodium: 849mg, Potassium: 700mg, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 2.9g, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 2mg
The recipe was published on Mar, 21 2016 and updated on Jan 11, 2025.
