I personally think the wonton soup came out a lot better (and healthier) this time around!
Second Batch
Excellent amount of broth
Vegetables and wontons had a good flavor
Broth was a little less than stellar (due to less salt), but still very good
Trial Batch
Very little broth (evaporated water left only super concentrated sodium)
Vegetables too salty to enjoy
Pretty much high blood pressure in a bowl
I tried keeping the pot constantly covered, unless I was stirring or adding something, and adjusted the broth--instead of using just bouillon, I only used about four cubes for a HUGE pot's worth of water, and added some other, less salty spices instead. Also, one of my helpers--Thing 2, Taylor--suggested lowering the heat of the broth. I took her advice a step further and took the pot off of the hot eye when something didn't need to be boiled. The results? Hardly any of the water evaporated!
Just goes to show--having great friends to help out in the kitchen have a surprising amount of benefits. Everything was finished in a third of the time it would have taken me alone. Especially rolling out, filling, and folding probably 30-35 wontons.
Also, a quick note on the wonton wrapper recipe I used--the wrapper came out absolutely perfect once again! They had an excellent texture and were overall very easy to make. However, using the original recipe amount, which was supposed to yield 72 wrappers, only came out to about 35. Now, after cooking this twice and having the same kind of results, I'm inclined to think our pieces of dough per individual wonton may have been a bit too big (even though I thought they were too small, they swelled up after boiling in the broth). For some of the wontons, the ratio of wrapper to beef was probably 2:1.
But I'd totally use the recipe again, just with smaller pieces of dough. If you opt to use the recipe, you'll see what I mean.
Beef Wonton Soup
Ingredients
1 prepared recipe for wonton wrappers (they don't have to be rolled out yet, but I think it would be easier on you)About 1/4 lb. ground beef (depending on how many people you're feeding)
About 8 cups water (I just filled a big pot and added bouillon and seasonings to taste)
4-5 beef bouillon cubes
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground ginger (not much)
About 2 sliced cups of each:
Eggplant
Green peppers
Onions
Mushrooms
Sliced chives (garnish; I had none to use for the picture above)
1 egg
About 1 tbsp water
Instructions
1.) Get your water boiling over a medium high heat. KEEP IT COVERED!
2.) Meanwhile, start slicing up your vegetables. Set them aside.
3.) Once the water comes to a full boil, start adding bouillon, garlic and onion powder, and ground ginger to taste. Once you're satisfied with the flavor, add the vegetables. Let the soup boil, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and tender. Remove from heat, keeping covered.
4.) Get your beef crushed up and cooking over a medium high heat, and season as you like it. I generously used garlic and onion powder. Cook until completely browned (maybe even a little crispy); drain.
5.) Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl. This is your egg wash.
6.) Take one raw wonton wrapper, lay out flat. Brush/rub on a little bit of egg wash onto the edges (this will help the wrapper seal).
7.) Spoon about 1-2 spoonfuls of beef into the center. Carefully fold one half of the wonton wrapper over the beef and press against the opposite edge. Using a spoon, press down the edges to seal.
8.) Repeat steps 6 and 7 with all your wonton wrappers. You'll kind of get into your own rhythm/method of folding the wontons the more you fold them.
9.) Carefully place all of your wontons into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until the wontons are al dente (firm to the touch; the texture will be somewhat similar to that of cooked pasta).
Serve hot and enjoy!!
Everyone in the house gobbled the soup up. It was very filling and pretty healthy! Like I said, the broth was sooooo much less salty--almost a little watery, but hey. I prefer that over too salty. Plus, I think the subtlety of the broth really allowed the flavors of the vegetables and wontons to stand out. Overall, I definitely learned a few lessons from doing a trial run first.
:)
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