Name: Easy 20-Minute Wonton Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sesame oil (divided); 4 green onions (sliced, green and white parts separate); 4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated); 4 oz shiitake mushrooms (sliced); 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1 12- ounce pack mini wontons (chicken, pork or veggie); 1 pack baby bok choy (halved lengthwise); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

Jump to Recipe

This easy wonton soup recipe is on the table in 20 minutes, with frozen wontons, golden shiitake and baby bok choy in a savoury ginger broth that tastes as if it came straight from your favourite takeaway.

Try my Szechuan chicken or Thai green curry soup next!

black bowl with bok choy and spring onions on top

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Wonton soup is always the first thing I order from our local Chinese and also the dish that disappears first, too.

This recipe is my take on that takeaway classic, built around a bag of frozen mini wontons and just a handful of fridge and pantry staples. It all happens in one pot, and you add the wontons straight from the freezer.

I personally like a generous distribution of wontons in my bowl, which is why I use a whole bag of wontons to about a litre of stock. You get a dumpling in nearly every spoonful, which makes it feel like dinner rather than a starter.

Why you'll love this easy wonton soup

It's on the table in 20 minutes from start to finish.
It's light, brothy and still properly filling.
Chicken, pork or veggie wontons all work here.

What you'll need

Sesame oil - I use it twice, once to fry the aromatics and once stirred in at the end for that toasty takeaway smell.

Spring onions - The whites go into the base and the greens go on top fresh.

Garlic and ginger - Fresh really matters in a broth this simple but if you only have the jarred stuff, that'll do too.

Shiitake mushrooms - They fry up golden and add a deep, meaty savouriness, though chestnut mushrooms will do in a pinch.

Chicken stock - Go for low-sodium, because the wontons, soy and fish sauce all bring plenty of salt of their own.

Mini wontons - Any frozen mini wontons work, whether chicken, pork or veggie, and there's no need to thaw them first.

Baby bok choy - Also sold as baby pak choi; halving it lengthwise keeps the stems crisp while the leaves wilt.

Soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar - This is the seasoning trio that turns your plain stock into a proper wonton soup broth.

Pro tip

Keep the pot at a lively simmer rather than a rolling boil once the wontons are in, or the delicate wrappers can tear.

a bowl of wonton soup with spring onions

How to make wonton soup

This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. The full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Warm half the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the spring onion whites, garlic and ginger for about a minute.

Add the sliced shiitake and cook for 3-4 minutes until they've softened, then pour in the stock and bring it up to a boil.

Drop the wontons in straight from frozen together with the bok choi, turn the heat down to a lively simmer and cook them for 2-3 minutes, until they float and are piping hot.

Turn off the heat and stir in the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar and the rest of the sesame oil. Taste the broth, adjust if it needs it, then ladle into bowls and scatter over the spring onion greens.

Substitutions and variations

For a vegetarian version, use veggie wontons and vegetable stock, and swap the fish sauce for an extra half tablespoon of soy sauce or a teaspoon of white miso.
For a protein boost, stir in a handful of cooked prawns or shredded leftover chicken along with the bok choy.
For a bit of heat, add a spoonful of chilli crisp or chilli oil to each bowl.

Recipe tips and notes

Bigger wontons or dumplings need 5-6 minutes rather than 2-3, so always check the packet.
Always adjust the seasoning at the end when you get to taste the broth to avoid over salting it!
If you want the bok choi to remain super crisp and bright green, only add it in the last minute of cooking.

What to serve with wonton soup

Chicken shrimp fried rice for a full takeaway night
Sesame ground chicken stir fry over fluffy rice
Crispy sweet chilli chicken as the main meal

Leftovers and storage

If you're not eating it all at once, cook only the wontons you need and add the rest fresh to the leftover broth the next day.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The wontons will soften as they sit.
Reheat gently on the hob until piping hot throughout.
I wouldn't freeze the finished soup, as the wontons turn soggy, but you'll already have the wontons in the freezer for next time.

More recipes you'll love

If you've tried this easy wonton soup recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below! I'd love to hear how it turned out.

And for more yummy recipe ideas, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!