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Basic Won Ton Soup



I got this question today in my email. A reader emailed me to ask for the "wan tan" or "won ton" soup.


Please help me with the recipe for the broth (only) for won ton soup. Every Chinese reataurant makes it and has the same taste which I am addicted to. Tried with plain chicken broth and added garlic powder, celery, some soy sauce and green onion, perhaps some white wine and sesame oil but not the same. Can you help?


Here's my answer:

I've tasted the Malaysian versions of wan tan soup, not the American Chinese restaurant version. So my answer and reply to this reader is based on what I have tasted.

I recently watched a TV programme where I learnt how wan tan soup is made.

They used "ikan bilis" or dried anchovies as well as dried red dates. I am not sure if they added chicken bones or meat bones but it is OK to do so as this adds to the 'sweetness' of the soup. Please do not be mistaken about 'sweetness'. Sweetness usually means a clear tastiness to the soup and has nothing to do with it being sugary sweet.

We don't add garlic powder to soups. Neither do we add white wine.

If you're good with making won ton soups, please share your version of this soup. I would really appreciate it! 
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I think I know the soup your reader is talking about. It is also commonly served in Chinese restaurants in Japan also. I love this simple soup, and I figured out how to make it after experimenting and making derivations from real won-ton soup. Of course the soup is great with wontons as well, but this is just the basic soup below.

My general recipe:

* 2 quarts of water
* a 3 cm by 3 cm chunk of fresh ginger
* light soy sauce
* sesame oil
* scallions or naga-negi
* left over meat scraps, or some sort of bullion, or even just dried mushrooms

This soup is easy to make along with other dishes as you can use the bones from the meat to flavor the soup. If you only have boneless meat, then you can use any sort of bullion: pork, beef or chicken. I usually use either chicken bullion or chicken bones as the family loves chicken.

1) In a big soup pot boil the water and add the meat bones or bullion. Try to strain out the fat and bubbles that percolate up to the top of the pot.

2) After you have a good boil going, turn down the flame to a low-medium, and then add two tablespoons of soy sauce for coloring and flavoring. Add more if you'd like, long-live sodium!

3) Take the ginger with the skin on and cut it into 1/3 centimeter slices and throw it in the pot. The key to this soup is the ginger!

4) Add a teaspoon or two of sesame oil for flavor.

5) I like to add diced scallion or naga-neki and let it cook into the soup. You can wait and add this at the last minute if you like the scallions to be less soggy.

6) Let the soup go on a low flame and let it cook while you're working on other dishes. Take it off the low flame just before serving.

It is important to try the soup after you know it has been cooking for awhile and it is safe to drink it. Adjust the taste as you like.

This is such an easy soup to have going while you make other dishes. As I write this, I have a some mapo dofu on one flame, and this soup on the other!
5:34 AM
Krista Goon said…
Hi GaoShanCha: Thanks so much! I really appreciate that you took time to comment and give us all a recipe for this soup. This is also something new for me and I'm really excited to try out this simple soup.
2:04 PM
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