Make-Ahead Soup Dumplings and Wild Wonton Soup Recipes

My husband has been traveling for business a lot lately—more away than at home. Before one long trip a few weeks ago, I made a quick run to the store and stocked up on paper towels, toilet paper and saltines. As we unloaded the car he gave me a strange look. I explained: if I don’t bring home those supplies, someone is bound to get sick the day he leaves and I’ll end up schlepping to the store with a fever and five kids in tow, scrambling for essentials while shelves are empty. You wouldn’t want that, would you?

I get a little anxious when I know I’ll be the only adult around for an extended stretch. Call it neuroticism informed by experience—I suspect many of you can relate.

Of course, the car had barely cleared the driveway when I heard, “Mom… I feel like I’m gonna…” and you know how that sentence ends. It was destined to be one of those weeks. Thankfully, I had saltines on hand.

Saltines can only carry a family so far. When the grown-ups are sick or away and dinner time rolls around, your choices tend to be limited: order takeout, eat chips or dig something out of the freezer. None of those options are particularly appealing to me. That’s why I’ve been thinking about a different approach.

Freezer meals get a bad rap thanks to the same casserole-and-cream-soup formulas people often rely on. I’ve written before about my frustration with one-and-done monthly cooking plans; I don’t want everyone to eat food that tastes the same every night. So I’m changing tactics.

Quick announcement: I’m starting a new feature here on Foodie with Family. Every Monday we’ll focus on improving freezer food—Make Ahead Monday. Each week I’ll share a recipe you can prepare mostly ahead of time, freeze properly, and then cook from frozen into fresh, varied meals on busy nights.

This isn’t the same as making an entire month’s worth of meals in one weekend. Instead, Make Ahead Monday invites you to make one item a week to keep in the freezer so you always have a versatile base for a quick, homemade dinner. Because frozen food quality depends on how it’s frozen and reheated, I’ll include tips for proper storage and reheating. Most weeks will feature a new recipe, and occasionally I’ll revisit older recipes from the archives that freeze especially well.

For the first Make Ahead Monday, I’m sharing one of my favorite soups: wonton soup. It’s fast and flavorful, made with ginger-and-scallion pork wontons that you prepare and freeze in advance. Once the wontons are frozen, the soup comes together with just a few pantry staples—or a few more if you want a more elaborate version.

This recipe is a household favorite. It’s the only soup everyone in our family devours without bribery. Clear, aromatic broth—slightly garlicky—pairs perfectly with soft, pillowy ginger-scallion pork dumplings. Add matchstick carrots and thinly sliced scallions for texture and color. (I omit the raw carrot sticks and extra scallions for the youngest kids, but they’re still getting plenty of scallion flavor inside the dumplings.)

Funny story about the name: while making this soup one evening, my eldest son walked in and asked what I was cooking. “Wonton soup!” I said. He smirked and asked, “Wouldn’t you say that’s irresponsible?” After a beat I got the joke and we started calling it Irresponsible Soup—proof that our vocabulary lessons are paying off.

You can make as many wontons as you like; when wrapped and frozen properly they’ll keep up to six months. The recipe scales nicely—double, triple, or make enough for a crowd—using the same method. If you’ve ever been disappointed by store-bought takeout wonton soup, try this: I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I’d love to know what you think. Will Make Ahead Mondays help you reclaim weeknight dinners, or do I need to do more convincing? I’m excited to hear your thoughts and to share more make-ahead freezer-friendly recipes.

Frozen Soup Dumplings and Irresponsible Wonton Soup (Make Ahead Monday)

Rebecca Lindamood

Clear, fragrant, and slightly garlicky broth with soft, pillowy ginger-scallion pork dumplings, matchsticked carrots and thinly sliced scallions makes a crowd-pleasing bowl. Make a large batch of dumplings to keep in the freezer for busy nights and last-minute cravings.

Ingredients

Frozen Soup Dumpling Ingredients:

1 package wonton wrappers about 48 3-inch square wrappers
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon fish sauce
a 2″ piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated or very finely minced
6 scallions finely minced
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons dry sherry or rice wine
1 egg beaten

Additional Ingredients to Make One Serving of Soup:

1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cups chicken stock or broth
7 frozen soup dumplings
1/2 of a small carrot cut into matchsticks
1 clove of garlic peeled but whole
1 scallion thinly sliced, green and white parts separated.

Optional For Serving With Soup:

fish sauce or soy sauce
chili garlic sauce or Sriracha
fried chow mein or wonton noodles

Instructions

To Make and Freeze Dumplings:

Line a large platter or baking sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.
Combine the pork, fish sauce, grated ginger, minced scallions, corn starch and sherry or rice wine in a mixing bowl and stir vigorously until evenly mixed.
Work with four wonton wrappers at a time on a clean surface. Brush the top surface of each wrapper with beaten egg—this prevents dumplings from opening while they simmer. Place a scant teaspoon of meat mixture in the center, gather the edges around the filling, pinch to seal and give a gentle twist. The wontons will look like little purses. Place them on the prepared platter with space so they don’t touch. Repeat until all are formed.
Cover the platter with plastic wrap and freeze until the dumplings are solid. Transfer frozen dumplings to a resealable plastic bag, press out excess air and store in the freezer for up to six months.

To Prepare the Irresponsible Wonton Soup:

Drizzle sesame oil into the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Arrange frozen dumplings flat side down in the pan. Add the whole garlic clove alongside them and scatter matchsticked carrots and the white parts of the scallion over the dumplings.
Pour in one cup of chicken stock and set the heat to medium-high. The stock should reach partway up the dumplings.
Bring the stock to a full boil, then add another cup. When that boils, add the final cup and bring back to a full boil. Allow the soup to boil for 5 minutes to cook the dumplings through.
Place the thinly sliced green parts of the scallions in a serving bowl. Use a deep spoon to transfer dumplings and carrots to the bowl, then ladle the hot broth over them.
Serve with a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce, a dollop of chili garlic sauce or Sriracha, and optional fried chow mein or wonton noodles, if desired.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutritional values with the actual ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition calculator.