Wonton Soup (Recipe)

Ingredients

1/4 pound ground pork

1/2 cup spinach, cooked, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

20 wonton wrappers

4 to 5 cups chicken broth or stock

1/8 teaspoon pepper

12 to 15 cooked snow peas (about 3 ounces)

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

Crushed dried red peppers (optional)

Egg Sheet (optional - recipe follows)

Steps

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the ground pork, spinach, sherry, salt, sugar (if using) and pepper; mix well.

2. Place a generous 1/2 teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper.  Bring the opposite corners together in a fold. Seal the wonton by dotting the bottom edge with water and pinching it together firmly.  Fold the other two corners toward each other and seal.

3. Cook the wontons in gently boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes or until the filling inside is no longer pink.  Drain the wontons thoroughly and divide them among 4 to 5 individual soup bowls.

4. Bring the chicken broth or stock to a boil.  Add the 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Divide the broth or stock among the soup bowls.  Garnish each bowl with 3 snow peas and the sliced green onion.  Add the crushed red pepper and Egg Sheet, if desired.

5. To make the Egg Sheet: Beat 1 egg with 1/2 teaspoon dry sherry and a dash salt.  Heat 1 teaspoon cooking oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat.  Pour in the egg mixture, rotating the skillet quickly so that the egg mixture covers the bottom of the skillet. Cook until lightly browned.  Invert onto a cutting board and cut into thin strips.

Tips:

The wontons can be assembled whenever convenient, then frozen in an airtight container.

Although you can cook the wontons directly in the broth, cooking them in plain water first will help keep the broth clear.

Here's an alternative method for folding the wontons.  Spoon a generous 1/2 teaspoon filling just off-center of each wonton wrapper.  Fold the nearest point of the wrapper over the filling, tucking the point under the filling.  Roll toward the center, leaving about 1 inch unrolled at the top.  Moisten the right-hand corner with water.  Lap the right-hand corner over the left-hand corner, pressing them together to seal.

Wonton wrappers can be purchased prepackaged in most supermarkets and Chinese markets.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes