Have a warming meal with pork and shrimp wonton soup. Each wonton is a pillow of tender pork and shrimp seasoned to perfection. Sip into the comforting taste of the soup, a mix of light soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed, dried mini shrimps, and many more flavorful ingredients.
What Is Pork And Shrimp Wonton Soup?
When eating at a dim sum restaurant, one of the most common Chinese dishes you will see is wonton (馄饨). A wonton, a type of dumpling, is made up of a chewy, translucent skin that encases a soft and moist filling. It is cooked in many ways and comes in various fillings.
You can have pork wonton, beef wonton, and shrimp wonton, to name a few. It can be boiled, steamed, fried, or air-fried. In this recipe, I make the wontons and boil them in water along with the delicious soup base.
The wonton filling is made of diced pork, shrimp paste, salt, sugar, white pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. I also add sesame oil and water infused with a mix of green onion, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. For the flavorful soup base, I combine salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed, dried mini shrimps, green onion, coriander, and lard.
Preparing The Wonton Wrappers For The Soup
In order to make wontons, you will need to have wonton wrappers or wonton skin. These are available in Asian supermarkets or grocery stores with an international section. You can typically find these in square cuts and kept in the refrigerated section.
Got some spare time or in the mood for something homemade? Why not make wonton wrappers yourself by following my recipe on How To Make Authentic Wonton Wrappers? You will need eggs, flour, and cornstarch to make the dough, which needs kneading, resting, and shaping.
Useful Tips For Wonton Wrappers
While wonton wrappers are simple to use, there are a few things that can cause them to tear or open if they are not handled correctly. If you haven’t handled wonton wrappers before, don’t skip this part yet. Here are some reminders on how to fill, store, and seal wonton wrappers.
- It should not be soaking wet when stuffed with filling.This reminder is for the steps before adding it to the soup base. The wonton skin can break when it is soaked with a watery filling. The filling should be moist but not runny. Otherwise, you will have a soggy wrapper that will eventually break when handling it. The assembled wonton should still be a bit dry on the outside before being boiled in the soup. If the filling is too watery, add cornstarch or flour to adjust its moisture level.
- It should not be wet or dried out.Make sure to place the unused wrappers in a dry place. Keep it away from any liquid as you stuff it with a filling to prevent it from getting soaked. However, it should not dry out as well. If you leave your wonton wrappers on the kitchen counter exposed to air for too long, they will dry out and become stiff. Once the wrappers turn stiff, you won’t be able to fold them and they will crack and break easily. To prevent the wrappers from drying out, cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them moist and soft for folding.
- It should be sealed properly with the correct folding technique. For this recipe, I folded the wontons in the Fish Wonton style. You can choose your desired shape as long as it is sealed properly. Choose from my 5 Easy Ways To Fold A Wonton. Some people prefer to seal without dabbing the edges with water. However, if your wontons don’t seal up, you can still dab the edges with water before pressing and pinching to seal. It should not be too wet though, just a smear of water using your fingertips.
- It should be completely airless inside.It is important to take up the filling’s shape to ensure no air is left inside. The air is pushed out as you seal, leaving just the filling. If there are air pockets, it may inflate and break as it is heated.
- It should not be overloaded with too much filling. Wontons are typically bite-sized and do not come in large servings. Fill each wrapper with 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling. This should leave you with a wide border that can be pinched and sealed. If it is overloaded with filling, the edges will be smaller, leaving no room for the wrapper to inflate without opening.
- It should be placed on parchment paper to prevent sticking. It will definitely take a while to finish assembling all the wontons. If the wontons are placed on a plate or kitchen counter for too long, you risk sticking and breaking once you lift them. To stop the wontons from sticking to the surface, place them on parchment paper first as you continue to finish assembling the rest. You can also dust the container or counter with cornstarch to prevent it from sticking.
- It should have ample space to move around the soup as you stir.Do not overload the pot with too many assembled wontons. Otherwise, the wontons won’t have space to be stirred and the skin may stick to one another.
- It can be stored in the freezer to use later on. If you have leftover wonton wrappers, you can keep them in the fridge to extend the shelf life. Store the wrappers in an airtight container or freezer bag. To use the frozen wrappers, let them completely defrost first before using them. It will only begin to crumble once you try to fold it if it is still slightly stiff.
A Breakdown Of The Recipe Ingredients
It is quite a list, but these are what makes this soup so good. You can change the ingredients according to your desired taste. Follow my tips and suggestions below before starting the recipe instructions.
Pork And Shrimp Wontons
- Pork: I use diced pork shoulder to make it easier to blend in a food processor. You can use minced pork instead to skip the blending process. Aside from pork shoulder, pork butt, pork blade, and boneless pork leg are excellent alternatives.
- Shrimp:The shrimp is divided into shrimp paste and diced shrimp. You can use pre-peeled frozen shrimp or fresh. If using fresh shrimp, you will have to peel and devein it before chopping into bits. The shrimp is chopped or blended until it becomes paste-like. I also leave out a small amount of shrimp to make diced shrimp for an extra chunky texture for the filling. If you need to substitute shrimp, I suggest white fish with a mild taste like cod and halibut. Should you decide to remove pork from the filling, you can also try my other recipe for shrimp wonton.
- Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer. Any salt will do, such as sea salt, kosher salt, or table salt.
- Sugar: You can add a hint of sweetness to counter the salty flavors. However, this can also be omitted if you prefer.
- Black pepper: Add a bit of heat with a dash of black pepper powder. You can substitute black pepper with other types of pepper, such as white pepper powder, Sichuan peppercorns, or pink peppercorns. Keep in mind black pepper is woody and piney, while other types of pepper will have varying levels of heat and taste.
- Chicken bouillon powder: Chicken bouillon powder or cube adds depth and enhances the flavor. This can be swapped with vegetable powder, broth, or Italian seasoning mix.
- Green Onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorns water: To make this, mix some green onion, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns in water. Let the ingredients soak up to let the water absorb its flavors. You will need about 150g of this mixture.
- Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a nutty and earthy taste. It imparts a strong and rich aroma to the filling and extra moisture.
Soup Base
For the soup base, mix salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed, dried mini shrimps, green onion, coriander, and lard.
- The water to use is the boiled water from boiling the wontons. The amount of seasonings depends on your preference. Adjust the amount until you get your desired flavor for the soup.
- For the soy sauce, you can swap light soy sauce with dark soy sauce, tamari, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
- There are many types of seaweed used for cooking, such as wakame, kombu, nori, and sea lettuce, to name a few.
- Dried mini shrimps are tiny peeled dried shrimps that are soft and delicate. If you cannot find dried shrimp, you can use other fishy alternatives such as shrimp paste and fish sauce,ensuring to cook them thoroughly.
- Lard is made from pork fat that will add a porky and salty taste to the soup. Refer to my recipe for instructions on making lard. Alternatively, you can substitute it with other oils like beef tallow, coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
Cooking Variations For Pork And Shrimp Wontons
Aside from making it into a soup dish, there are several ways to serve pork and shrimp wontons. In this recipe, I boiled the wontons before adding them to the soup base. In addition, you can also steam, fry, bake, or air-fry them.
You can steam the wontons before combining them with the soup base. However, you can also eat them alone or separately with the soup base. Here are more suggestions on how to cook pork and shrimp wontons:
- Deep-fry the wontons in hot oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Air-fry the wontons for 12 minutes at 200°C (392°F) by following my Air Fryer Wontons (Fried Pork Dumplings)
- Bake the wontons at 200°C (392°F) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
If you choose to eat it alone without the soup, you can serve it with a delicious dipping sauce. You can make a spicy dipping sauce by mixing red chili flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and black vinegar. Another excellent sauce is a ginger-infused sauce with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and sesame oil.
Use a much simpler dipping sauce such as chili oil, chili garlic, or soy sauce with sesame oil. If you need a recipe for dipping sauces, check out my recipes for Four Dumpling Sauce Recipes. These sauces pair well with pork and shrimp wontons, including garlic-flavored dipping sauce, chili-infused dipping sauce, sesame dipping sauce, and hot wasabi dipping sauce.
How To Freeze Pork And Shrimp Wontons
Similar to dumplings, uncooked wontons freeze well. I often prepare a large batch and store some in the freezer for later use. There’s nothing quite like making wonton soup within 10 minutes in the morning.
You can prepare the pork and shrimp wontons ahead of time and store them in the freezer. It can last in the freezer for up to 2 months when stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Here are a few steps to take when freezing wontons:
- Put the wontons in a container lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Make sure the wontons are not sticking together.
- Freeze the wontons while covered.
- When the wontons are frozen, combine them all in one container such as a freezer bag or airtight container. This will free up the space in the freezer since the wontons don’t have to be separated anymore and can be combined without worrying about sticking.
What You Need To Make Pork And Shrimp Wonton Soup
Aside from your basic kitchenware such as a knife and mixing bowl, prepare your cooking pot for boiling and a serving bowl for the soup. If you are using diced pork shoulder, you will also need a blender or food processor to mince the meat. Here are the ingredients to prepare for the wonton and soup base:
Pork and shrimp wonton
- 750g of pork shoulder (diced and blended)
- 200g of shrimp
- 150g shrimp (diced)
- 50g shrimp (made into a paste)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 0.5 tsp of white pepper
- 0.5 tsp of chicken bouillon powder
- 150g of green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorns water
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
- Wonton wrappers
Soup base (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of vinegar
- 10g of seaweed
- 10g of dried mini shrimps
- 10g of chopped green onion
- 10g of Coriander
- 1 tsp of lard
10 Detailed Steps To Make Pork And Shrimp Wonton Soup
Prepare the filling, fill the wonton wrappers, boil the wontons, and prepare the soup base. These are the main steps to remember to make pork and shrimp wonton soup. Follow the detailed steps by watching my Instagram or TikTok tutorial videos as well.
- Clean and dice the pork shoulder.
- Blend the diced pork shoulder in a food processor for a meaty texture.
- Clean and devein the shrimp.
- Cut 150g of shrimp into small pieces and blend the remaining 50g of shrimp into a paste.
- Combine shrimp paste with the pork filling.
- Season with salt, sugar, white pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. Mix well.
- Make the green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorns water by adding green onions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns in a bowl of 150g water. You can use hot water to fully release the flavors.
- Add the green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorn water to the filling and stir well. You can let the water pass through a sieve to separate bits from the water.
- Add diced shrimp and sesame oil and combine well.
- Take a wonton wrapper and place about a teaspoon of filling in the center.
- Wrap and seal the filling by folding and pinching securely.
- Prepare a pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water boils, add the wontons and gently stir to separate them.
- Prepare the soup base by adding salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed, dried mini shrimps, green onion, coriander, and lard to a bowl.
- Scoop out water from the boiled wontons and pour it into the soup base.
- Carefully place the boiled wontons into the soup bowl.
- Serve while hot and fresh! If you love wontons, don‘t forget to make pork wontons, beef wontons, air fryer wontons (fried pork dumplings), and crab rangoon (crab & cream cheese wontons).
Pork And Shrimp Wonton Soup
Ingredients
Pork and shrimp wonton
- 750 g of pork shoulder diced and blended
- 200 g of shrimp
- 150 g shrimp diced
- 50 g shrimp made into a paste
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 0.55 tsp of white pepper
- 5 tsp of chicken bouillon powder
- 150 g of green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorns water
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
- Wonton wrappers
Soup base (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of vinegar
- 10 g of seaweed
- 10 g of dried mini shrimps
- 10 g of chopped green onion
- 10 g of Coriander
- 1 tsp of lard
Instructions
- Clean and dice the pork shoulder.
- Blend the diced pork shoulder in a food processor for a meaty texture.
- Clean and devein the shrimp.
- Cut 150g of shrimp into small pieces and blend the remaining 50g of shrimp into a paste.
- Combine shrimp paste with the pork filling.
- Season with salt, sugar, pepper powder, and chicken bouillon powder. Mix well.
- Make the green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorns water by adding green onions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns in a bowl of 150g water. You can use hot water to fully release the flavors.
- Add the green onion-ginger-sichuan peppercorn water to the filling and stir well. You can let the water pass through a sieve to separate bits from the water.
- Add diced shrimp and sesame oil and combine well.
- Take a wonton wrapper and place about a teaspoon of filling in the center.
- Wrap and seal the filling by folding and pinching securely.
- Prepare a pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water boils, add the wontons and gently stir to separate them.
- Prepare the soup base by adding salt, light soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed, dried mini shrimps, green onion, coriander, and lard to a bowl.
- Scoop out water from the boiled wontons and pour it into the soup base.
- Carefully place the boiled wontons into the soup bowl.
