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Two bowls of naked wonton with a small dish of sliced scallions on the side.
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4.60 / 10 votes

Naked Wonton Soup

This naked wonton soup is simply the best parts of wonton soup--the insanely aromatic and flavorful filling of ground pork, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil—simmered in chicken broth minus the wonton wrappers. A keto-friendly, low-carb, gluten-free riff on the Asian classic.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Calories: 781

Ingredients

For the broth

  • 4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon regular or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For the pork meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions (2 to 3 scallions)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  • 2 teaspoons regular or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms or chopped baby bok choy, (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the broth

  • In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the 4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock, 1 tablespoon regular or low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil.

Make the pork meatballs

  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently mix together the 1 pound ground pork, 1/4 cup chopped scallions (2 to 3 scallions), 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, 2 teaspoons regular or low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 large eggs. (Keep the mixture loose—don’t overwork it or your meatballs will be tough.)
  • Once the broth has begun to boil, turn down the heat to maintain a simmer. Using a small scoop or melon baller, scoop the pork mixture into 1-inch (25-mm) meatballs and drop into the simmering broth. You should have about 24 meatballs although you may not want to use all of them.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If you’ve got way more meatballs than you intend to use in this soup, either freeze the entire blob of meatball mixure or first shape it into meatballs, place on a baking sheet, and freeze for an hour to set and then transfer the meatballs to a resealable bag to freeze. You’ll be able to make the soup even more quickly next time.

  • Bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms or chopped baby bok choy, if using. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through and have an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls. There may be a layer of pork fat in the bottom of the pan that you’ll want to leave in the pan when divvying up the soup. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a richer, more complex broth:

  1. Brown Chicken: Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the saucepan and brown 6 to 8 chicken wings or drumettes. Remove them from the pan.
  2. Sauté Aromatics: Lower the heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms (from the recipe) along with an additional 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic, and 1/4 cup sliced scallion whites to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute.
  3. Simmer: Return the chicken to the pot and scrape up any stuck-on browned bits. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. Strain before proceeding.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 781kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 349mg | Sodium: 3345mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g