Join KindChef Stacy Lin to celebrate the Chinese New Year and to learn how to make a Wonton Soup (inspired by this recipe from the Woks of Life.) Chef Stacy’s adult son and his kids will be cooking with us from their home on zoom – please invite your family members to join too! Learning to make wontons together is fun and a great way to make memories! All can join, from anywhere. No registration required, just gather your ingredients, and soup containers, and connect to the KindWorks zoom kitchen using the blue link below.
After completing your soup, freeze and label it for donation, then drop off at one of our participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or anyplace that you prefer, when convenient. Finally, report on where you shared your KindSoup and spread the word: Post a picture or two of you and your soups on social media with #DoKindWorks and tag us @DoKindWorks.
Wonton Soup
Ingredients
- 20 oz. cilantro (or other flavorful greens) (280g)
- 16 oz. ground pork (225g) (omit if vegetarian)
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil (plus more for the stock)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
- 2 packages wonton wrappers ( white square shaped)
- 12 cups water (about 1.5 liters)
- 2 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Start by thoroughly washing the vegetables (ahead of time). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the vegetables just until wilted, about 60-90 seconds. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Grab a good clump of vegetables and carefully squeeze out as much water as you can. Very finely chop the vegetables (you can also speed up the process by throwing them in the food processor). Repeat until all the vegetables are chopped.
- In a medium bowl, add the finely chopped vegetables, ground pork, 5 tablespoons sesame oil, white pepper, soy sauce, salt, and Shaoxing wine. Mix very thoroughly until the mixture is totally emulsified—almost like a paste.
- Now it’s time to assemble! Fill a small bowl with water. Grab a wrapper and use your finger to moisten the edges of the wrapper. Add a little over a teaspoon of filling to the middle. Fold the wrapper in half and press the two sides together so you get a firm seal.
- Hold the bottom two corners of the little rectangle you just made (the side where the filling is) and bring the two corners together. You can use a bit of water to make sure they stick. And that’s it!
- At this point, you can cook (boil) and taste a couple of wontons and adjust the seasoning of your filling to taste––you can always add a little more Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and/or white pepper to your liking.
- Once you’re happy with the flavor of the filling, keep assembling until all the filling is gone. Place the wontons on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper, and make sure they are not touching (this will prevent sticking).
- If you’d like to freeze your wontons right away, you can cover the wontons with plastic wrap, put the baking sheet/plate into the freezer, and transfer them to freezer bags once they’re frozen. They’ll keep for a couple of months in the freezer, and be ready for wonton soup whenever you want it.
- To make the soup, heat your water to a simmer and add 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil and white pepper and salt to taste.
- Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the wontons one at a time to the pot. Pick up the pot and use a swirling, twisting motion to keep the pot moving and prevent the wontons from sticking to the bottom. If they do stick, don’t worry, They should come free once they’re cooked. Once they’re floating, boil them for another 1-2 minutes. Take care not to overcook them. Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon and put them in bowls.
- Pour the soup over the wontons and garnish with scallions. Serve!
Health and Safety Information
In order to protect the the quality of our KindSoup program, we ask that volunteers conscientiously observe the following guidelines:
- Start with clean hands and wash again frequently as needed throughout the cooking process.
- Start with clean kitchen surfaces and utensils (antibacterial wipes do a great job).
- Keep longer hair tied back.
- Follow other common sense procedures, such as never returning a tasting spoon to the pot!
Thank you for maintaining a high cleanliness standard for our KindSoup donations!
How to Donate Your KindSoup
Seal containers with a tight lid and freeze. Label each container with: date prepared, your first name and last initial, “Wonton Soup” and any relevant food allergy info (“contains pork”). When convenient, drop containers of frozen soup off at one of the following participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or a place that you prefer.
- 5171 Manning Place NW (in the Palisades neighborhood in DC). NOTE: Soups dropped here must be vegetarian or Halal only, please.
- Here2Help @ Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 7611 Clarendon Road, Bethesda. (Go down driveway next to brick house just before the church on Clarendon and look for coolers labeled for soup donations). Drop off Sundays, 10 am-12 noon.
- Homes Not Borders 3610 East St., Landover. Drop off daily 10 am-2 pm. NOTE: Soups dropped here must be vegetarian or Halal only, as they will be shared with newly arriving refugee families in the area.
- Rainbow Community Development Center 12120 Tech Road, Silver Spring (this takes you to the rear parking lot and loading dock – there is usually a large RAINBOW truck parked here): Drop-off Monday-Friday 9am-2pm. NOTE: If you go during Rainbow’s food distributions on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 9am-noon, you may see a long line of cars – you can drive past the cars to drop off your KindSoup. If you go at other times and the garage or back door is not open, call or text Anna on her personal cell at 301-852-4184 (if she doesn’t answer, leave a message and she should get back within a few minutes, or try calling the Rainbow Pantry cellphone: 240-639-2293).
- Upcounty Consolidation Hub 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown (supporting 1,000 families with food and other supports). Drop off Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays 8 am-4:30 pm.
- Embry Rucker Shelter 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, 703-437-1975. Leave donations on the table around the back. Drop off anytime!
- NYC Community Fridges located throughout New York City.
- Bread and Roses 58 Newbury St., Lawrence, Mass., 978-681-8768. Drop off Mondays-Thursdays, 10 am-4 pm.
- The Bristol Lodge 27 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass., 781-893-0108. Drop off Mondays-Fridays, 9am-6pm.
- Community Refrigerators located in Los Angeles
See you in the KindSoup kitchen!
Learn more about this KindWorks program
