I I’m a fan of New Year’s rituals. In Colombia it is tradition to run with an empty suitcase to invite a year full of adventures, but personally I prefer to start the year with a fitness challenge. This year’s is focused on the abs, hoping to gain the type of muscles you can play a drum solo on. When it comes to cooking, on the other hand, and after the heaviness of party dishes, I like something nourishing but not demanding, and that inevitably involves soup. This week’s is a simple stir-boil recipe, with the final step – and my new favorite ritual – being adding ready-made frozen wontons.
Quick wonton soup
The best frozen wontons I’ve found are made by Fresh Asia, which has a few vegan options – my favorites are the mushroom and bamboo ones. They are easily available online and in Chinese supermarkets. You will need a large pot with a lid, large enough to hold at least two liters of liquid; I use a five liter saucepan.
Preparation 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 4
100 g of spring onions (about 2 bunches), trimmed, whites and greens separated
3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
8 cloves of garlic (25g), peeled and thinly sliced
100g gingerpeeled and grated
2 carrots (250g), peeled and grated
20 g dried shiitake mushrooms
20 g of kombu in pieces, approximately 20 cm x 15 cm
4 teaspoons of mirin
4 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
24-32 frozen wontons, or 6-8 per person
Chop the spring onion whites, put them in a colander and rinse under the cold tap. Shake off the excess water and put them in a bowl. Slice the spring onion leaves very finely, rinse them in the same strainer, then put them in a second bowl.
Pour the oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the spring onion whites, then add the garlic, ginger and carrots, and cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes so that the vegetables take on a little color. Add two liters of water, the shiitake and kombu, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl (discard the solids), then pour the liquid back into the saucepan and return it to low-medium heat. Add the mirin, soy, salt, white pepper and spring onions, taste and check that the seasoning suits you. When desired, add the wontons to the broth and boil for five to six minutes, until cooked.
To finish, divide the broth and wontons into four bowls and serve.
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