Comforting Chicken Wor Wonton Soup

 When I was just a little toddler, viewing the streets of New York through my small baby eyes, I remember my mother feeding me lots and lots of shrimp and wonton soup. These two foods were my staple, and being the little half-Japanese kid that I was, I would constantly ask for "Ebi!" "Ebi" (meaning "shrimp" in Japanese). I gorged those sea creatures down like no tomorrow. Wonton soup also always has held a soft spot in my heart. After a tired day at work today, feeling a little weary, with my feet hurting a little, I determined to make Wor Wonton Soup. I gathered ingredients from the local Chinese store, a pack of square wonton wrappers, baby bok choi, snow peas, carrots, chicken breast and chicken broth I bought from a grocery store, and headed home.

 One of the things I love about making wonton soup is the aroma of flavors that greet you every step of the way. I enjoy thinly slicing the green onions (though they made me cry a little), mincing up cloves of garlic and inhaling that sudden, pervasive, garlicky smell in the air, and chopping up pungent yet addicting chunks of ginger root. After mixing the minced chicken and aromatic ingredients together in a small bowl, I begin by taking up a square wonton wrapper, feeling it's cool and floury surface with my fingers, its thin and supple, yet firm texture, and yellowy-ness.

I wet my fingers and put a layer of water around the edges of the wonton wrapper. Using a little teaspoon, I gingerly pick up just a little mound of meat mixture, and place it in the middle. I fold the wonton in half, sealing the edges and turn it so it is facing the other direction. I fold it in half again, but while doing so, pinch the edges of the wonton together in a cute tortellini-like shape. Then, I make like 50 more wontons. It's actually quite fun when done with others!

Surprisingly, the broth for wonton soup is simply chicken broth. I bought 4 lbs of chicken broth from Kroger, but any kind of chicken broth will do. Homemade is even better tasting. After making the wontons and washing the baby bok choi, snap peas, and diagnally and thinly sliced carrots, I bring the chicken broth to a boil, drop the wontons in and let them cook for a couple of minutes. A delicate steam greets your face as the light flavor of chicken broth marries the flavors of wonton noodle and the wonton filling. It's almost like rebirth. It feels miraculous, delicious, hot, steamy, and so comforting. I bite down into the tender wonton noodle and it gives way to a mouth-watering, meaty yet fragrant core, slurping up the soup and vegetables as I go. It's really relaxing. It's like coming home again, over and over :).

Comforting Chicken Wor Wonton Soup
adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com by Marbalet
*enough for a big pot of soup, halve the ingredients if you want a smaller portion

Ingredients:

For the wontons:

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced (or more if you like!)
• 2-3 green onions, chopped finely
• square, thin wonton wrappers (make sure they are defrosted before you start!)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar

For the soup:

• baby bok choi
• 2-3 carrots
• sugar peas
• 4 lbs chicken broth
• green onion for garnish

Method:

• Mince chicken breast meat until very fine. Mince all wonton filling vegetables very fine, and mix all filling ingredients, including soy sauce and sugar, all together.
• Place a small bowl of water in front of you for dipping your finger in. Pick up a wonton wrapper, place in your palm and wet all edges with water from your finger. Place 1/2 teaspoon filling mixture in the middle of the wrapper. 
• Fold wrapper in half, sealing all edges. Turn wonton wrapper so that the edges you just sealed are facing toward you. Fold in half again, and while folding, twist wonton so that you overlap the top corners of each side of wonton. Watch this helfpul video I found on Youtube and you will get it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWIVfA9uteY
• Put them all on a plate, get a friend or reluctant husband to help you ;)
• Put all chicken broth in a pot and heat till boiling. Drop wontons in and let them cook for 2 minutes or so. Put all the bok choi, carrots, and snow peas in and let it all cook for another five minutes of medium high heat. 

Enjoy!

Kaori