Chefs' Recipes

Kylie Kwong's Cantonese-style prawn wonton soup

"The success of this classic soup, the ultimate comfort food, lies in using the freshest ingredients," says Kylie Kwong.

By Kylie Kwong
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 2 hrs 10 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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"The success of this classic soup, the ultimate comfort food, lies in using the freshest ingredients," says Kylie Kwong. "The quality of the stock is paramount, so I use the best chicken bones and carcasses, and I always use Australian prawns and fresh wonton skins."

Ingredients

  • 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp julienne ginger
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 2 bok choy, trimmed, cut crossways into 4
  • Thinly sliced spring onion, to serve
Chinese chicken stock
  • 1.5 kg chicken carcasses, wings and bones
  • 7 spring onions, trimmed, halved crossways
  • 6 thick slices ginger
  • 6 garlic cloves, bruised
  • ½ Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
Prawn wontons
  • 300 gm uncooked prawns, peeled, cut into rough 1.5cm dice
  • 1 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander
  • 1 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion
  • 1½ tsp finely diced ginger
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp white sugar
  • ¼ tsp sesame oil
  • 16 square wonton wrappers

Method

Main
  • 1
    For stock, place all ingredients in a stockpot with 3 litres cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum from the surface with a ladle. Reduce heat until surface of stock is barely moving and cook, skimming occasionally, for 1¾-2 hours. Discard chicken bones, then strain stock through a sieve lined with muslin. Cool, then refrigerate until needed. Makes about 2.5 litres. Stock will keep refrigerated for a week, or frozen for 3 months.
  • 2
    For wontons, combine all ingredients except wrappers in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes to marinate. Working with a few wrappers at a time, keeping remaining covered with a tea towel, place heaped teaspoonfuls of prawn mixture in the centre of each, dampen edges with a little water, then fold over to form a rectangle and press edges to push out any air and seal. Lightly dampen one corner with water, then bring the two ends together with a twisting action, pressing lightly to join. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and cover while you make remaining wontons.
  • 3
    Bring 1.5 litres stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Add soy, ginger, sugar and sesame oil, reduce to a simmer. Add wontons and simmer for 2 minutes, then add bok choy and simmer until bright green and wontons are cooked through (1-2 minutes – to test, cut through a wonton with a sharp knife).
  • 4
    Divide soup, wontons and bok choy among bowls, scatter with spring onion and serve hot.