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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.
This is delicious and easy a winning combination! We will be having this often.
Hey Cindi,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
this recipe was SO simple and easy! The broth was light and so flavorful. i wanted to make homemade dumplings so I followed the ginger chicken dumplings recipe and they were perfect! Definitely a more time consuming task, but worth it. next time I’ll try with frozen dumplings and I’m sure it will be equally as delicious.
Hey Sarah,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Delicious! I boiled the gyozas in a separate pot. And added them to Broth as needed! Which I’d recommend and I might even fry them first to get a crispy shell so they don’t fall apart in soup. Big squirt of sirracha! Perfect on our snowy day!
Hey Bee,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious and very easy to make (I used veggie broth and frozen pork wontons)! Going on the make again list for sure! I made half a recipe of the chili sauce and it was plenty for the 4 bowls that we ate.
Hey Bethany,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Another amazing HBH recipe! DELICIOUS and quick to prepare. I used kale and edamame instead of mushrooms and bok choy (not a fan of either) and it worked really well. I mixed in the remaining chili oil with the leftovers and found that it tasted even better the next day! Thank you for all your incredible, creative recipes, Teaghan!
Hey Courtney,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Sooooo flipping tasty! My whole family enjoyed the soup and it was so easy to put together for a last minute meal. I will totally be making this again!
Hey Meegs,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Could I add noodles to this to make this more of a meal? Also, if I don’t have rice vinegar, is there another substitute I can use?
Hey Risha,
Sure, you could totally add noodles. I would use white wine vinegar in place of the rice vinegar. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I bought frozen dumplings from Costco and it says steam only on the box, in a microwave……well we don’t own a microwave hahahaha so do you think I could just pop them in the soup?! The box mentions no baking or frying them so just want your opinion on it because I would love to try this soup!
Hey Stefanie,
Yes, you can just pop them into the broth and just let them cook in the soup. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, which meatball recipe would use to make this keto? (Trying to skip the wonton skins) thank you!
Hey Hasina,
I would use this recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/sesame-chicken-dumplings/
I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
LOVE this soup! I used Trader Joe’s mini Chicken Cilantro Wonton’s and subbed Kale, my hubby doesn’t like Bok Choy. I also added honey to the chili sauce! Thanks for such a hit!
Hey Melissa,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
I have never made wonton soup before & never really thought too but your recipe inspired me.
It was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be.
Great flavours! I will definitely make it again!
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Lori,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan
This recipe was delicious and sooo easy to make! I couldn’t find wantons, so replaced them with chicken dumplings. It worked, just as the recipe said! My husband is a picky eater and he gobbled it up. This is a definite repeat!
Hey Stephanie,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I combined this broth with the homemade chicken dumpling recipe you posted recently + added broccoli! It turned out soooo good!! Thanks for inspiring <3
Hey Sam,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Omg, this is like a taste of heaven. Phenomenal taste and very easy.I’m obsessed with all your recipes and have been cooking a ton of them. Thank you thank you.
Hey there,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
If you are using kale instead of bok choy, do you still sauté?? Thx!
Hey Jodi,
I would just add the kale directly to the broth. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan