Kitchen Recipe Collection
Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup
The gold standard of Hong Kong breakfasts. Springy, al dente egg noodles and plump shrimp/pork wontons swimming in a fragrant, clear, seafood-infused broth.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 pack thin Cantonese egg noodles
- 200g ground pork with high fat content
- 200g shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 pack square wonton wrappers
- 6 cups high-quality chicken broth
- 1 tbsp dried flounder powder (essential for authentic flavor)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Yellow chives, chopped (for garnish)
- Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), blanched
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Slotted spoon
- Mixing bowls
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Filling
In a bowl, combine the ground pork and chopped shrimp.
- 2
Season Filling
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, wine, and white pepper. Vigorously stir in one direction until the mixture is sticky.
- 3
Wrap Wontons
Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of a wrapper. Moisten the edges, fold into a triangle, and pinch the bottom corners together.
- 4
Prepare Broth
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer.
- 5
Season Broth
Add the dried flounder powder and a pinch of salt. The flounder powder gives the soup its iconic umami depth.
- 6
Boil Water
Bring a separate, large pot of water to a rolling boil for the noodles and wontons.
- 7
Cook Noodles
Boil the egg noodles for exactly 1 minute. They must remain highly al dente ('springy').
- 8
Rinse Noodles
Instantly remove the noodles and plunge them into cold water for 10 seconds to stop the cooking, then dip them back in the hot water for 2 seconds to warm them up.
- 9
Cook Wontons
Drop the wontons into the boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes until they float and the wrappers turn translucent.
- 10
Blanch Greens
Briefly blanch the Gai Lan in the boiling water.
- 11
Assemble Bowl
Place the wontons at the bottom of a serving bowl. Place the noodles neatly on top of the wontons (this prevents the noodles from getting soggy).
- 12
Serve
Ladle the boiling hot broth over the noodles. Garnish with yellow chives and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- Authentic Cantonese wonton soup always places the spoon at the bottom, then the wontons, and the noodles on top, so the noodles do not overcook in the broth.
- Dried flounder powder is the secret ingredient that distinguishes a true Hong Kong broth from generic chicken soup.
Variations
- Shrimp-Only Wontons: Omit the pork entirely for a lighter, pescatarian wonton.
- Dry Tossed (Lo Mein): Serve the noodles on a plate tossed with oyster sauce, with the wonton soup in a small bowl on the side.
Nutrition Estimate
420 calories · 28g protein · 55g carbs · 10g fat · 3g fiber per serving
