Clear Wonton Soup Broth Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Chicken

by: Mark

September11,2016

5

3 Ratings

  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Makes 1 gallon

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

My favorite local Chinese restaurant has an incredible wonton soup. Crystal clear, yellow, and perfectly seasoned... delicious. Although the wontons are the star of the dish, I could slurp cup after cup of the delicious broth. I asked the owner about the recipe. What was in it? How can I make it? Needless to say, she wasn't about to give up any ancient Chinese secrets.

Flash forward six years. Same owner, same restaurant, and same delicious soup, so asked her again as I had many, many of times before "How to you make this broth?" She rolled her eyes, lowered her voice and said, "It's just salt, msg, a little sugar and yellow food coloring." My culinary world crumbled. How could this be? No chicken? No vegetables? No spices? And to add insult to injury, fake yellow food coloring. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. She then gave me this mischievous smile and added "It's all about balance." In her defense, the wontons were the star of the soup. All that was needed was a subtle, balanced broth to allow them to float.

From a cooking perspective, this whole incident bugged the heck out of me. How could something so delicious come from 3 ingredients (I still do not believe food coloring is an ingredient). Then I kept hearing the last thing she told me.... It's all about balance. So what do we have? Salty, sweet, and umami in a pot of water. She gave me the base ingredients, now I had to find the balance. I probably made 30 or 40 batches until I came up with something that was very close to the broth used in the restaurant. Oftentimes I would make 3 or 4 gallons in separate pots so I could tweak the recipe in each pot and test them side by side. Sometimes I would pickup up a quart of the takeout soup so that I could compare my version to the baseline. Every batch started with one gallon of tap water.

If you want the most basic liquid that you can substitute as broth here it is: 1 gallon water, 2 TBS kosher salt, 4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp msg, and 4 drops yellow food coloring. Don't scoff, it took me six years of begging and 3 months of testing to get that ratio. Serve this in a bowl with a few pieces of thinly sliced scallion and a pinch of white pepper and you'll be amazed. Oh, the food coloring? Call it the placebo effect. It does nothing to add flavor, it just gives the visual cue of a long simmered broth. Don't believe me? Try omitting it. Side by side tasters will pick the yellow broth every time.

My up-converted recipe. Why it works...

The salt & MSG ratio is the same, 2 TBS Kosher salt and 1/8 tsp. MSG per gallon of water. Instead of table sugar I rely on the carrot and onion to provide natural sweetness and of course flavor. The celery, ginger, and peppercorns just up the flavor. One chicken thigh provides a little chicken flavor and just enough fat to float on top of the soup while the pressure cooker extracts the maximum amount of collagen from the thigh. And the crown jewel, turmeric replaces the food coloring.
Mark

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 chicken thigh, skin on
  • 1 carrot, coarsly chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsly choppped
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 3 dime-sized pieces of ginger
  • 2 tablespoonsKosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoonturmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoonMSG, (don't leave it out)
  • 5 white peppercorns, black can be substituted
  • 1 gallonWater
Directions
  1. In a small pot bring chicken thigh to a rapid boil. Boil for 5 minutes.Discard water, clean and rinse thigh under running water
  2. In a large pressure cooker add all ingredients.Bring to a boil, skim for 5 min.Cover, and bring up to max pressure for 1.5 hours
  3. Strain and discard vegetables and chicken.
  4. Cool, and defat if desired.

Tags:

  • Soup
  • Chinese
  • Chicken
  • Chicken Thigh
  • Appetizer

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  • Dana Wilcox

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  • Vimal Ramdin

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15 Reviews

Carmen12 October 13, 2022

While I'm sure MSG is use, and of course the water, salt, and possibly sugar, I'm not so sure that that is all there is. I used to eat lunch at a fabulous open kitchen Chinese restaurant in Fresh Meadows, Queens NY years ago. I don't even know if the place is still there, but one thing I know for certain is that they used a lot of chicken to make their wonton soup and egg drop soup. A huge restaurant pot filled to the brim with whole chickens. Those chickens would be removed, and their meat used for the dozen other meals they made (Sichuan Chicken, Chicken and Chinese vegetables, Chicken and Broccoli, Chicken Chow Mein, Chicken Egg Foo Young, Chicken Fried rice, and lots more). The only thing I've ever saw them use raw chicken for was something like Sesame Chicken, General Tso's, and a few other dishes. I once asked the owner how he made his soup so crystal clear and he told me they strain the soup three times, once in a metal fine sieve strainer, and then lined with cheesecloth. Then they use raw egg whites to clarify it even further and strain it again. They served their wonton soup with seaweed, green onion, and julienned roast pork on top. Though it is well over 30 years ago, if I think about it, I can still taste that Wonton soup to this day. It was that good.

Heidi S. January 20, 2022

If you don’t have a pressure cooker; can you just cook on stove in heavy pan?

Mark January 20, 2022

Yes. Simmer partially covered and 30 minutes additional cook time. If you loose too much liquid due to evaporation, occasionally add water to maintain the same level. If you have an instant pot that would work in place of a pressure cooker.

Yvonne August 18, 2021

I rarely leave reviews but had to for this one. I also had a similar experience when my favorite Chinese restaurant was selling to new owners. I was disappointed that I would no longer have access to their amazing wonton soup. After some pleading the owner shared her recipe on how to make her wontons and broth. To my disappointment I was shocked to learn that the delicious broth was made with salt and msg and topped off with sesame oil and white pepper. I was unable to make myself to make it and resorted to a chicken bone broth which never had that authentic wonton soup profile. I have now made this broth recipe several times using the original recipe shared with me for the wontons. Everyone I have served it to have all stated it is one of the best they have ever had. I do add some soya sauce and white pepper when serving. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!

Josh N. May 6, 2021

Decent broth but not even close to chinese wonton broth

Dana W. July 19, 2020

Brilliant and so close to my favourite broth it’s crazy! I had to try after reading your story. And this amazing broth. I did add another thigh because I had more. Probably only needed one!

Mark July 20, 2020

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the broth.

Ron April 26, 2020

Awesome story and recipe
Thank you

Vimal R. March 8, 2020

how much water for this both?????

Mark March 8, 2020

1 gallon.

Mark March 8, 2020

I updated the recipe accordingly. Thanks.

foodie1 October 6, 2019

Excellent! I would like to know the kosher salt brand for exact ammount of salt and there are at lest 2 complimenting MSG components out there so I am curious on brands of msg. IE monosodium glutomate, disodium guanylate, and disodium inosinate all contribute to unami

Mark November 21, 2019

I use Morton Kosher salt. Also, for my MSG I use Accent. Thank you very much for the feedback.

Mark November 21, 2019

THANK YOU!!! for the additional information. I'll do more research. Happy Cooking! ...and eating!

foodie1 October 6, 2019

5 starts. Thanks for sharing Mark. Could you share what brand of kosher salt you use. The weight/ammount varies quite a bit between brands because of the crystal size. Also I was curious what brand of MSG you use or tried. There are several unami components depending on brand. My local Thai place makes a clear broth, a little bit of chicken and fresh scallions. Its delicious.

Clear Wonton Soup Broth Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the broth in wonton soup made of? ›

Making the broth with a combination of chicken backs, pork trotters, dry-cured ham, dried shrimp, and glutamate-rich seaweed results in an extra-savory and rich soup. Brining the shrimp that fill the wontons in a solution of salt and baking soda preserves their juiciness and makes them crisp.

What is clear soup broth made of? ›

Lesson Overview. Broth-based clear soups are highly-flavorful, clear liquids that have been made by simmering meat, fish and/or vegetables in a liquid. Present in every culture, classic examples of these extremely satisfying and homey soups are Vietnamese phở, matzo ball, Italian brodo, and chicken noodle.

Are stock cubes clear soup? ›

Broth, or bouillon, is a common clear soup. Broths come in a variety of flavours, including chicken, turkey, beef, vegetable and mushroom. Bouillon can also come in a powdered form, and stock cubes are a famous example of a powdered broth or bouillon base.

What is the liquid in soup made of? ›

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.

What is in 10 ingredient wonton soup? ›

Instructions
  • In a small saucepan, combine high quality chicken stock, scallion whites, ginger, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, white pepper, msg, sugar, and sesame oil. ...
  • In a large pot of boiling water, add the wontons (fresh or frozen) and cook over a low boil until they float.
Apr 12, 2024

How do you make crystal clear broth? ›

However, in an Asian restaurant, chances are they are making clear stock, which involves:
  1. bring the pot with bones, vegetables (charred onion and ginger) and cold water to a boil and skim the top until there are no more floating scum.
  2. reduce heat and gently simmer for about 3 hours.
  3. cool the stock fast and refrigerate.
Nov 29, 2013

Can you buy clear broth soup? ›

Hot Pot Clear Soup 110G | Woolworths.

Is bouillon the same as clear broth? ›

Bouillon requires cooking for anywhere up to 24 hours, but at least 8 hours of simmering. By the time bouillon is finished, the bones used should be softened and easily broken under strong pressure. An easy way to distinguish the two is that bouillon is a more concentrated and aromatic form of broth.

What are the 3 types of clear soups? ›

Clear soup is a consommé, a broth, or a bouillon that may be created hot, cold, liquid, or jellied.

What is another name for clear broth? ›

In cooking, a consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavoured stock or broth that has been clarified, a process that uses egg whites to remove fat and sediment.

What are examples of clear broth? ›

Clear, fat-free broth such as bouillon or consomme.

What is an example of clear soup for colonoscopy? ›

You can still have smooth soups with no bits (e.g. tomato, vegetable Bouillon), jelly, ice cream, Ambrosia custard, Complan drinks, Bovril and Oxo drinks, and water, clear juices, fizzy drinks, coffee and tea.

How clear does broth need to be for colonoscopy? ›

Clear chicken broth, beef broth or consommé Do not drink anything red, blue or purple. Absolutely no dairy products. Absolutely no juices with pulp.

What clear soup can you have before colonoscopy? ›

2 days before your procedure

Avoid foods such as fruit, green, vegetables, cereals, baked beans and brown bread. Choose foods from the 'foods allowed' list. You cannot have red or purple coloured drinks. Clear Fluids include water, dilute cordial, black tea, black coffee, Bovril, Oxo, strained clear soup, lemonade.

What is Chinese broth made of? ›

Chinese Chicken Broth is quite different from Western-style chicken stock. Apart from the main ingredient, chicken, you only need green onions and a piece of ginger. My Easiest Chinese Chicken Stock uses a whole chicken. Put everything together in a pot with a plenty of water and boil it for 3-4 hours.

What is the filling in a wonton made of? ›

Make the Pork and Shrimp Wonton Filling

To the pork and shrimp, add chopped scallions, minced garlic & ginger, then season with light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, sugar, and msg. Mix in ONE direction with your hand until you see streaks on the bowl as seen in the images below.

How is Chinese soup so thick? ›

Gēng (Chinese: 羹; pinyin: gēng; Wade–Giles: keng1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: keⁿ / kiⁿ) is type of thick or clear soup found in Chinese cuisine. Its thickening agent is usually starch which makes the soup translucent and smooth.

What is the liquid in chicken soup called? ›

Chicken broth is the liquid part of chicken soup. Broth can be served as is, or used as stock, or served as soup with noodles. Broth can be milder than stock, does not need to be boiled as long, and can be made with meatier chicken parts. Chicken bouillon or bouillon de poulet is the French term for chicken broth.

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