I I'm not good at New Year's rituals. In Colombia, it's tradition to run around with an empty suitcase to start a year full of adventure, but personally, I prefer to start the year with a fitness challenge. This year I'm focusing on my abs, and I hope to gain the muscles to play a drum solo. On the other hand, when it comes to cooking, after being heavy with festive food, I like something nutritious yet undemanding, and inevitably that means soups. This week's recipe is a simple stir-and-boil recipe, and the final step is my new favorite ritual of adding pre-made frozen wontons.
Quick wonton soup
The best frozen wontons I've found are fresh asiathere are several vegan options, but my favorites are the mushroom and bamboo ones. It is easily available online and in Chinese supermarkets. You will need a large pot with a lid, large enough to hold at least 2 liters of liquid. I use a 5 liter pot.
preparation 15 minutes
cook half an hour
service 4
Green onion 100g (about 2 bunches) trim and separate white and green
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
8 cloves garlic (25g) Peel and thinly slice.
100g gingerpeel and grate
2 carrots (250g), peeled and grated
20g dried shiitake mushrooms
Kelp 20g, or about 20cm x 15cm
4 teaspoons mirin
4 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
24-32 frozen wontons, or 6-8 pieces per person
Finely chop the whites of the green onions and wash them in a colander under cold water. Shake off excess water and place in a bowl. Slice the green onion leaves very finely, wash them through the same sieve and place them in a second bowl.
Pour the oil into a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the green onion whites and stir, then add the garlic, ginger and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, so that the vegetables get some color. Add 2 liters of water, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl (discarding the solids), return the liquid to the saucepan, and return to medium-low heat. Add the mirin, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and green onions and taste to see if you are happy with the seasoning. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the wontons to the stock and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until cooked through.
To finish, divide the soup stock and wontons into 4 bowls and enjoy.
