These little bundles of joy take a bit of effort to make, but they are definitely worth all the work. I have two versions for you: pork and vegetable. Both are delicious and are great in soup, pan-fried or just on their own!
Servings: 35-40 wontons
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Pork Wontons:
- 1 package wonton wrapper
- 1 pound ground pork (opt for the fatty kind rather than lean for more flavour)
- 3/4 cups Asian chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup Napa cabbage, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup of water, for sealing the dumplings
Vegetable Wontons:
- 1 cup tofu
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cups cremini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups Napa cabbage, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup of water, for sealing the dumplings
Directions:
For the Vegetable Wontons:
For the Vegetable Wontons, there are a few steps that you need to take before combining your ingredients and filling the wontons. First, you must drain the tofu. Simply slice the tofu in half and press the halves between paper towels. Press down firmly to remove most of the water (you can do this the night before and leave it on a plate in the refrigerator with a heavy plate on top of it). Once drained, finely chop the tofu and add to a large mixing bowl.
Next prepare the mushrooms, heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Finely chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Add the salt and stir until the mushrooms have softened but have not browned, about 5 minutes. Let the mushrooms cool and add them to the large mixing bowl along with the tofu. Continue with the rest of the steps below!
For both Pork and Vegetable Wontons:
Line a large tray with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, vigorously stir the mixture until thoroughly combined.
Use your finger to spread the water on all edges of the wonton wrapper. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Do not overfill the wontons as the wrappers could rip and/or fall apart when cooking.
There are many ways to fold the wontons, but my favourite way to fold them is into an envelope shape. Simply fold the filled wonton in half to make a triangle shape. Make sure to get rid of all the air when you seal them. Place a touch of water on each of the corners, then fold them into the center. And there you have it!
Simply repeat with the remainder of the wrappers, setting them on a parchment-lined tray as you go. Any leftover filling may be frozen and put to use in more wontons, or stir-fried.
Enjoy!
