My Brain Soup Recipe Needs a Tweek

CarrieCans
CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
edited November 8 in Recipes
So yesterday i got hungry for some wonton soup. Decided to make it homemade without a recipe. It was yummy and the nutrition info made me happy but it certainly was not wonton soup and needs serious help. I do not know anything about making any authentic Asian dishes.

I sauteed ginger and garlic and then added chicken broth, green onion, celery, button mushrooms and bamboo shoots to make a broth.

For the wontons i used store bought wrappers and filled them with ground turkey, egg, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and crushed red pepper.

It was good but i think it's missing something. The only "POW" that it had was the red pepper which was actually semi unpleasant. I don't like my tongue being on fire and will definitely reduce that next time.

I know it's not easy without actually tasting it but any suggestions on a way to make it better?

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Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    An internet search for a recipe?
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
    I tried searching this morning. They all included ingredients that i can't buy local like, Fish Sauce (i am not attempted to make that homemade), Oyster Sauce, Hot Chile Oil, Napa Cabbage, Sake.... the list goes on.

    Sometimes i buy spices and such online but only when i can buy quantities that justify the shipping price. Right now it's not in the budget.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
    I found this recipe right away. I would leave out some of the option ingredients if you don't have them available. It looks like it would be simple.
    http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-wonton-soup-216505
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    edited December 2014
    I have a few suggestions but I'm no expert. I do however eat a fair bit of Asian food since it's so common in Australia.

    Firstly if you don't mind ground pork, I would be using that instead of the turkey for a more authentic flavour plus chinese 5 spice powder. I'd also have some grated ginger in the stock or shreds if you don't mind biting into it. I prefer to grate it. From what I can guess you don't have an Asian supermarket there is that right because if you do have one I'd add maybe a couple of star anise, and a dash of sesame oil at the end.

    Dry sherry can be substituted for the Sake which I wouldn't have used in it anyone since I'd use Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry). I thought Napa cabbage was common in the USA but really you could use any chinese green vegetable like bok choy or sliced snow peas or if you had to I'm sure a little of whatever cabbage you have won't hurt. Hope I've not confused you. PM me if you want any more details. Best of luck next time. Love Asian soups!
  • irenehb
    irenehb Posts: 236 Member
    Also live in Australia, and agree with mockchoc. 5 spice added to the wonton mix, maybe some chinese cooking wine in broth (shao hsing) and near the end add some fresh coriander/cilantro or thai basil. As far as vegetables, bok choy, bamboo shoots, thinly sliced carrot, snow peas, mushrooms (most types are ok) go well in noodle soups.
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
    Thank you everyone!

    I used the ground turkey in place of pork because it was half of the price. Next time i will try pork and see how much of a difference that makes.

    I added the Chinese 5 spice to my wishlist. It's not something i can get here but i have seen it mentioned in a number of recipes. I have star anise. Yummm. I got lucky and found it at an Mennonite Market.

    Typically all of these ingredients would probably be common in Pennsylvania except i live in what i like to call the Pennsylvania Bermuda Triangle. I am about an hour away (in any direction) from any big city and 3 hours from Philadelphia. This town is so small, the phone book is as big as a one subject spiral notebook and the newspaper that serves two towns is usually 20 pages.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    edited December 2014
    Google Chinese 5 spice and you could mix and grind it yourself most probably if you have the spices. It will keep for a while in a small jar. Fresher the better but honestly I have a HUGE spice draw and they mostly keep for quite a while.

    I think the freezer is the place for anything you are very worried about. I live in the tropics and things last so much longer frozen. I ALWAYS keep my whole fresh ginger or tumeric/galangal etc.. frozen. I wait till I find lovely young specimens and thrown them into a little bag whole then grate from frozen into the cooking. The ginger or others will be waiting for you for a very long time in great condition!
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
    OMG i just had a palm-to-forehead moment. Why didn't i think of that? Thanks!

    I just googled DIY Chinese 5 Spice and i can do that. Might end up making a bunch and gifting it for Christmas!
  • rwinzer923
    rwinzer923 Posts: 4 Member
    The other spice that I always use in my stir fry is White Pepper. My hubby really notices is I forget to add. Go easy with it - a little goes a long way!
  • gle8442
    gle8442 Posts: 126 Member
    To me it sounds like what is lacking might be in the broth, it sounds rather bland. Instead of sauteing the ginger first, try boiling the broth with a chunk of peeled ginger that you can pull out before you serve. Definitely add some soy sauce to the broth and then play with adding other things like miso paste, chili paste (or just throw in some sliced hot chilis) if you like the heat, whatever fresh herbs (green onions, chopped basil or cilantro) and maybe a squirt of vinegar or lime juice right before you serve. A tiny tiny tiny bit of sugar and a drizzle of sesame oil could also be ok. You don't need every single one of these things, just play with it until you get a broth that you like.

    For the dumplings I personally think turkey is fine (and a bit healthier) but pork will be tastier, and they could be good mixed with cabbage, carrot, spinach or any other veg that will make them a bit lighter. I make this a lot but I am lazy so I just buy pre-made dumplings (wei-chuan pork spinach is my favorite) and then cook them in miso with spinach, mushrooms, or whatever I happen to have on hand. It is easy to control calories since you just add fewer dumplings when you need a lighter soup!



  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
    I originally planned on adding in carrots but my daughter ate them all when i wasn't looking.

    The broth took on the dumpling seasonings flavor. Definitely had a spicy little kick to it. Since i made this, i found some oyster sauce at a grocery store and have tried it in another dish. I will definitely be using a lot more of that.

    I think next time i will just make steamed dumplings and a crunchy stir fry.

    Thanks for your suggestions!
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    I live about an hour and a half from you, right near state college. If this helps, if you look in grocery stores in places you would never normally look, you're likely to find stuff you wouldn't expect. The giant here has a tiny section for Asian food and I've found all kinds of stuff in that tiny, tiny section that i never knew i would be able to find in this town. (I don't live near enough to state college that i can shop there....this town is tiny, lol)

    It has taken me a lot of just walking around the grocery stores here and looking in places i never would have thought to look in, but I've found a lot of things i wouldn't have expected.

    However, the Napa cabbage, I've only ever found at farmers' markets here.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    fresh red chilli
    chinese 5 spice
    if you can't get fish sauce then something salty like soy sauce (light) would do in a pinch
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
    Blueseraphchaos wrote: »
    I live about an hour and a half from you, right near state college. If this helps, if you look in grocery stores in places you would never normally look, you're likely to find stuff you wouldn't expect. The giant here has a tiny section for Asian food and I've found all kinds of stuff in that tiny, tiny section that i never knew i would be able to find in this town. (I don't live near enough to state college that i can shop there....this town is tiny, lol)

    It has taken me a lot of just walking around the grocery stores here and looking in places i never would have thought to look in, but I've found a lot of things i wouldn't have expected.

    However, the Napa cabbage, I've only ever found at farmers' markets here.

    I know what you mean about looking in places you wouldn't expect. I know my three grocery stores (2 are the same chain) inside and out. At one, if you want instant coffee you have to look where the kosher foods are because it's not in the coffee isle. At the other, canned tomatoes are split up over three different sections. It can be a challenge.

    There's a Mennonite Market not too far from here. Next time i make a trip there i will see if they are willing to make a special order for me. I don't mind ordering online but i try to support "local" business whenever i can.
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