These chicken cilantro wontons in hot and sour soup are a spin on a Chinese takeout classic – it’s comfort in a bowl and SO easy with the trader joe’s frozen wontons. 

I finally got my hands on some of the infamous chicken cilantro wontons from trader joe’s, and was inspired by our recent trip to Xian, China to make a hot and sour soup. 

For the wontons themselves, I was actually very pleasantly surprised. I’ve had my fair share of frozen dumplings and wontons, and the Trader Joe’s ones are truly some of the BEST store-bought wontons I’ve had. The cilantro makes it really flavorful, the filling proportions are on point, the texture is bouncy, and there is no weird after taste that lingers in your mouth (a big thing for me!). These mini wontons remind me of the small wontons that are common in Shanghai for breakfast – even though the bag portion only indicates 4 wontons per serving, I’d recommend at least having 10-12 wontons for a single portion. 4 wontons / person would be great if serving this as a side soup.

With the wontons, I’m adding some quickly sauteed mushrooms, and turning the broth into a hot and sour soup. To do this, add a high quality chicken broth to the sauteed mushrooms, along with white pepper (trust this part – I usually despise white pepper except in hot and sour soup and congee), soy sauce, a beaten egg, rice wine vinegar, and chopped cilantro. This final product is vinegary, hot (from the white pepper, not spicy!), and so yummy.

It’s the perfect lunch for 1, or a family appetizer for a cold winter day – hope you try it out and enjoy! 

Ingredients:

Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons – the heart of the dish and what makes this SO SIMPLE. You can use other flavors of wontons as well. 

Spices – I’m using a combination of soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar to get that classic hot and sour flavor profile. 

Egg – Added at the end to add some dimension to the soup, this is another signature component to hot and sour soup.

Chicken Broth – What gives the soup depth of flavor. I use 1.5 cups of organic, high quality chicken broth and 1.5 cups of water. You can substitute this with vegetable broth if you prefer. 

Cilantro – The herb that brings a fresh and vibrant flavor profile to the soup. You can skip this or substitute with scallions. 

Mushrooms – Added for some extra texture and substance, but totally optional! 

FAQ – Chicken Cilantro Wontons in Hot and Sour Soup 

Q: Where can I get frozen chicken cilantro wontons? Do I have to use the mini version?

A: I found these from trader joe’s, but you can also find them at select Costco stores. The smaller or mini wontons work best for this recipe, but you can use any dumplings or wontons that you can find. If you’re using dumplings, these may require more cook time, so just be sure to follow the package instructions to fully cook the dumplings before finishing with the egg and cilantro.

Q: Can I omit the white pepper? 

A: You can keep the white pepper out, but just note the flavor profile will not taste like hot and sour soup. This is the KEY ingredient for hot and sour soup, along with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. I highly recommend that you try adding just ¼ teaspoon to see if you like it. 

Q: What else can I serve with this soup?

A: Some easy asian inspired dinners (under 45 minutes) that would go well with this soup:

• Cashew Chicken and Veg Stir Fry + rice
• Ginger Scallion Halibut + Buttery Garlic Noodles
• Salmon Fried Rice
• Somen Noodles with Japanese Salmon
• Coconut Curry Meatballs
• Gochujang Steamed Chicken with Broccoli and Asparagus
• Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Zucchini

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Thinly slice the mushrooms and chop the cilantro. 

2. Heat a small pot on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, then add the sliced mushrooms. Give everything a stir and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned. 

3. Beat one egg.

4. To the browned mushrooms, add the chicken broth and water. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Bring this up to a boil, then add in the wontons. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the wontons begin to float to the top.

5. Reduce the heat to low, and pour in the beaten egg mixture. Give everything a stir, then add in the rice wine vinegar and half of the chopped cilantro. 

6. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired, top with more cilantro, and enjoy!

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