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25 Minute Wonton Soup with Sesame Chili Oil…better than the takeout version…quicker, and healthier too! Classic Chinese inspired wonton soup is made easily at home with store-bought wontons simmered in a warming soy sauce based broth. Add fresh flavor with ginger and garlic. Add color with charred baby bok choy. I like to finish each bowl off with an addicting toasted sesame chili oil spooned over top. Perfect for cold nights when you’re craving a wonton soup, but don’t want to leave home.
I hate to talk about the weather…but I’m going to talk about the weather…for just a second. Because it’s one of the reasons this recipe came to be. It’s been COLD here, I’m talking well below zero at night. Clear sunny skies during the day, bring cold, bone-chilling, temperatures at night.
The only thing I’ve been wanting to make is soup. I’ve had wonton soup on my “to make” recipe list now for months. Asher spurred on the idea with her newfound obsession over wonton soup, but I just hadn’t gotten around to making it until now.
To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had wonton soup from takeout before. Well, maybe when I was a kid from this spot that we used to go to in Rocky River. But I don’t really remember wonton soup ever being a part of my diet. So to be fair, I can’t really say this is better than takeout. But I can say it’s really darn delicious and the easiest to put together.
A few months ago, Asher asked me if I could make wonton soup. When she asked, I was shocked she even knew what wonton soup was, and even more shocked that she had enjoyed a bowl. As far as kids go, Asher is what I would call an OK eater. She can be very, very picky, but if she’s in the right mood, I can get her to try new things…especially if there is a chocolate chip cookie in her future.
I will say that she’s not afraid of a vegetable, she actually really enjoys them, so that’s great! Maybe she’s more than an OK eater then, huh? When it comes to anything spicy, she usually will not try it. But the girl loves soup and she loves anything salty, so I guess it makes sense that she’d love wonton soup.
I made this one with her in mind, which is a first for an HBH recipe. I left the chili oil for serving so that everyone can use it to their taste.
The verdict? DELICIOUS.
I served this the other night for my mom’s birthday (along with cake…of course) and both Asher and mom enjoyed not one, but two bowls. Even my dad enjoyed a bowl, and he’s not one to love soup.
‘Twas a hit with the whole fam.
Here are the details, this one is quick.
All in all, most wonton soups are very simple and basic. The broth and wontons are the star, but I made the vegetables a little extra special too.
For the wontons, I recommend using store-bought to keep things quick and easy. Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a really nice selection, especially if you live in a larger city. I try to always keep frozen wontons in the freezer for quick and easy dinners. Every time I run out, they get added to my grocery list. We cook them up a lot. They’re great for busy nights when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Of course, if you’re feeling like making wonton soup completely from scratch, make a batch of either these ginger chicken dumplings, or a batch of these mushroom dumplings. They’re my favorite and easier than you’d think to make! You just need an extra half hour.
Once you have your wonton situation figured out, start in on the soup.
The one thing I like to do, that isn’t traditional, is to char my vegetables before adding in any broth. Most wonton soup recipes just toss everything right into the broth, but I think it adds so much more flavor to give things a little char first, especially the bok coy. It takes on a whole new flavor that’s so delicious. The char adds so much, so don’t skip this step.
Then everything else goes into the pot. I use lots of fresh ginger, garlic, and shallots, toss in some mushrooms, and then added the broth. To keep things easy I boiled the wontons right in the soup, then seasoned it with soy sauce and rice vinegar.
If you don’t plan on eating the soup all at once, I would boil the wontons separately to ensure they don’t get too soggy while sitting in the soup’s broth.
Now the toppings…
This soup is traditionally topped pretty simply with green onions. Sometimes chili oil and shrimp paste are used in the street style versions.
For my wonton soup, I did lots of green onions, homemade chili oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
I love a little chili oil on top of Asian inspired recipes. I’m always mixing them up and creating new combinations, but I think this chili oil will become a new go-to. The one secret ingredient? A splash of balsamic vinegar adds just the right amount of tanginess that balances the spice so well.
So my suggestion? Take some time this week or this weekend to make some homemade wonton soup. It’s so much easier (just 30 minutes) than you’d think, and healthier too. You could even add additional veggies like broccoli to bulk things up a bit!
The perfect January night at home with the family.
Looking for more Better Than Takeout Style recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles
Better Than Takeout Szechuan Noodles with Sesame Chili Oil
Lastly, if you make this 25 Minute Wonton Soup with Sesame Chili Oil, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
25 Minute Wonton Soup with Sesame Chili Oil
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 327 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 4 baby bok choy, halved, or 1 bunch kale
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 20-30 fresh or frozen wontons/dumplings, or potstickers (they all work!)
- green onions and toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Chili Oil
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- 1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and cook 3-4 minutes until charred on the edges. Transfer to a plate.2. To the same Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon oil, the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the wontons and cook until they float, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the bok choy, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Remove from the heat. 3. To make the chili oil: combine everything in a small bowl. 4. Divide the bok choy between bowls, then ladle the soup over. Top each bowl with green onions. Serve the chili oil on the side.
Have to make wonton soup coz family sick with flu. Found your simple and easy recipe. Thank you made my sick kids love it. Added egg noodles and coriander on top for extra slurping 😁.
Made the chili oil but my sesame oil is only little bit left so instead I used cooking oil but I toasted a teaspoon of sesame seeds then add the cooking oil on the pot. Turns out good for.
Hi Marnie,
Happy Sunday!!🏖️🌤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! Hope your kids feels better soon! xT
By far my new favorite soup EVER!!! THANK YOU!
Hey Angela,
Happy Sunday!!🏈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Delish and quick! I decided in the grocery store to make this when I saw the baby
Bok Choy. I had planned traditional chicken and noodle soup as I made the broth the day before. So glad I did. I didn’t find the wontons but knew I had potstickers at home. Frozen fresh garlic and ginger portions made prep really fast. Used Sichuan Chili Crisp I had on hand.
Will definitely have this on rotation at our house.
Hey Susan,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
True to form – this was delicious and easy. And as other have said, the chili oil made it. It was everything.
My husband got chicken wontons and I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t get to try those but he loved them. And I loved the brazed bok choy and mushrooms. Soooo yummy!! This soup tastes like it’s cooked a lot longer than 30 minutes. What a winner!
Hey Kristen,
Happy Sunday!!💕 Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xx
As advertised, easy and delicious. I did not make the chili oil, but we used NYT Chile crisp we had on hand.
Hey Judy,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Wow! This soup was delicious!! Full of so many good flavors. Had some homemade wontons left over from our Lunar NY celebration, but I’m sure it would be good with any frozen ones . Definitely on a regular rotation at our house!
Hey Nancy,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Sooooooooo good! I subbed spinach because I forgot bok Choy. And I cheated and used Trader Joe pot stickers! YUM! My new fav! Thank you!
Hey Dana,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
This is by far the best Wonton Soup I’ve made. It was not too sweet like most others, but a nice balance with the wine vinegarMy husband not only had 2nd helpings but even 3rds! The chili oil on top brings out all the flavors. Delicious!
Hey Ann,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Super delicious! Everyone enjoyed it! I made the wontons in the morning and out the soup together in the evening. Will definitely make again.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Amazing recipe! Made it in 25 minutes just like it said —so fast, easy, and super flavorful! Going in my top ten rotation for sure!
Hey Binni,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
This was easy and delicious! Found some super yummy mini wontons in the freezer section. The chili oil made this dish!! And I doubled the rice wine vinegar.. I love the vinegar in this soup. Will probably add more veggies next time to make it a more filling dinner. But definitely going in my soup rotation.
Hey Elissa,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
I’ve been making your recipes for a while and love them all, but this is now my favorite! So easy to throw together and the flavors were spot on. I used bibigo brand frozen mini wontons and they were perfect, also I had to use Swiss chard and spinach because I couldn’t find bok choy. The chili oil just knocked it out of the park. This will be on repeat all winter. Thank you!
Hey Sam,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
This looks delish! Do you happen to have a subsititue for the mushrooms? I’m allergic (I know, it’s a weird allergy) and always just leave them out but based on the recipe it looks like I might need another vegetable to add in. Thanks!
Hey Michele,
Zucchini would be delicious in place of the mushrooms! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This soup was so delicious and yes, you can say this is better than take out!! The flavor was spot on, thank you.
Hey Babette,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was tasty! Have a great weekend:)
This was dynamite! Of course I had to add a bit of Sriracha but the chili oil added a lot of flavor too. Definitely wb making it again!
Hey Terry,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)