Wonton Soup : Giew-Nam (เกี๊ยวน้ำ)

          This wonton soup is one of my favorite childhood meals. I was growing up in Bangkok and every day a man with his food cart was coming next to our house. He was making and selling this wonton noodle soup. He reminded me musician playing his music instrument which sounded "pok-pok." I instantly knew that my meal is getting ready and I will have this delicious wonton soup in few short minutes. I would say this soup is my Thai comfort food.
At that time I was told by my parents to prepare our bowls and get ready to eat. Sometimes I was even adding cooked jasmine rice and eating it with this wonton noodle soup:). Was I crazy to consume many carbs? I think so too... 

I found this image online that similar but looked newer than the food cart 20 years ago. 

Let's me tell you how I make the wonton soup.  

Wonton Filling Recipe 

Ingredients: 

Make about 27-30 wontons 

1.30 lb ground pork 

12 medium shrimps, peeled, deveined, chopped 

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon oyster sauce 

2 scallions, chopped 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 pack of wonton wrapper (thawed if frozen)   

1/2 teaspoon whole white pepper, pounded  

4-5 garlic cloves, pounded  

Handful of cilantro stems or roots, chop, and pound with whole white pepper and garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle to become a paste. 

cilantro stems, chop and pound with garlic, and white pepper

Making a filling 

Mix ground pork, chopped shrimp, chopped green onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro, white pepper, garlic paste, and marinade the filling at least 30 minutes in refrigerator.  

How to fold wontons: 

There are many ways to fold wontons:

1. The simple purse shapes that I used to eat when I was in Bangkok. First, add a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper. Squeezing the corners together to create a purse shape and seal the tops well with egg wash or water. 

2. A twist style that I learned from one of my best friends who came from China. First, lay a wonton wrapper on a cutting board. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and brush the edges of the wrapper with a little egg wash or water and fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle. Try to release any air out. Then wet both corners of the triangle with egg wash and gently pull them together and press firmly. 

The twist style  

I use a plastic container with lid to keep these wontons in the freezer. 

Making a soup

Ingredients: 

3 cups water or chicken stock 

2-3 pork bones (optional) 

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 

pinch salt and white pepper

3 garlic, smashed 

1 carrots, sliced (optional)

1 onion, sliced (optional)

1 cup bean sprouts (I like to cook bean sprouts by boiling them in the hot water for a few seconds) 

1 cup Chinese cabbage , roughly chopped (optional) (boiling them in the hot water for a few seconds)

cilantro and scallions, chopped to garnish

1 teaspoon oil or garlic oil (optional) fried chopped garlic with vegetable oil until golden brown 

Condiments for the wonton soup (optional)  

such as fish sauce, chili flake, pickled Thai chilies(thinly sliced Thai chilies with white vinegar) 

Directions: 

Bring a pot of water or chicken stock to a boil with pork bones, add smashed garlic, onions, carrots, and season with soy sauce, pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Checking the seasonings. 

In another pot or saucepan heat water to boiling point. Gently drop wontons into the boiling water and cook about 5 minutes or until once they start floating. If wontons are from the freezer allow them to cook longer about 12-15 minutes. Lift the wontons out from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with oil or garlic oil to prevent the wontons sticking together. Divide fresh or cooked bean sprouts or Chinese cabbage among individual bowls. Pour the stock into it and garnish with chopped scallion and cilantro.
Serve hot and taste for seasonings. You also can add condiments such as fish sauce, chili flake, and  pickled Thai chilies.  Enjoy ka!