Hot and Sour Soup with Wontons
A bit of heat, a bit of tang, and teeming with vegetables, this kind of dish is one of my very favorite go-to sources of that kind of body and soul nourishment the changing seasons inspire. What’s more, it’s as versatile as can be (it wouldn’t likely make the ‘fave’ list if it' weren’t, at least not when it comes to dishes I prepare myself). Mix up the vegetables, play with the seasonings, and don’t hesitate to change up the preparation.
One thing I love about this dish is how you can flip it in a minute from quick and simple to still-pretty-quick yet elegant. All you have to do is switch out the wontons for noodles and tofu cubes. Slice the mushrooms instead of chopping them for filling, toss them in that warming, soothing broth, and you’re good to go.
Maybe it’s a stretch to consider wontons ‘elegant’—those crinkly, plump, beguiling little dumplings probably fit the description of ‘rustic’ more than ‘polished’. That said, doesn’t a beautiful dish with tender packages presented like gifts elevate a meal to extra special status? They aren’t tough to make, either. It’s the timing that’s fiddly. In fact, just taking the time to snap a quick couple of pics of this bowl was enough for them to start unfolding themselves. So, when meal prep is hasty or well in advance, which is most days, the wontons get deconstructed. It’ the broth that I savor the most, either way.
We’ve had a glorious fall. Maybe not the fiery burst of flaming forests of New England, but deep cerulean skies, puffy and a blaze of reds, oranges, and golds nonetheless. And entwined in all those leaves and blues are wisps of the coming winter. One brisk gust of wind, and those soft leaves reveal their crackle, swept up and dancing in swirling, laughing reminders of both the importance of dancing in the moment and coming change. I guess that’s the crux of autumnal contrasts. It’s at once energizing and pensive, momentous and melancholy.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the yin-yang balance of contrasting seasons, and in doing so, I’ve been becoming aware of how much of a habit I’ve made it to sit in anticipatory grief. Actually, I need to credit a client of Dave’s, and therefore Dave by extension, for bringing up that phrase in conversation recently. Something about naming the vague and unsteadying feeling that kept tugging me away from being fully present in favor of mourning known and unknown changes ahead was very freeing. Perhaps not entirely—because, life is inextricable from grief—but positively.
Where am I going with this? Nowhere, really. Except maybe to say, as the autumn deepens and fades into winter, be ready to give yourself more gentleness. Embrace the quietude and longing as guides for internal work—but also, trust in the power of just getting outside and taking in sunshine where it’s offered. And lastly, carve out time here and there to curl up in a blanket (with a cuddly companion if possible) and sip a cup of comfort like this soup. xo
Hot and Sour Soup with Wontons
Hot and sour soup with wontons
2 Liters vegetable broth
⅓-½ Cup low sodium soy or tamari sauce according to taste
⅓ Cup rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon agave, optional
½ Cup tapioca flour
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced on a diagonal
1 broccoli crown, chopped
1 recipe tofu wontons, below
Bring the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, agave, and red pepper flakes to a low boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tapioca flour and ½ cup cold water. Whisk into the broth mixture, stirring constantly until incorporated.
Add the vegetables and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring regularly. Divide the prepared wontons into bowls. Ladle soup over the top. Enjoy!
For the wontons:
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil, or cooking spray
1 pound mushrooms of choice, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 16-ounce carton of firm tofu, crumbled
a good squeeze lemon juice
pinch each of sea salt and pepper
40 wonton wrappers
Prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic powder once hot. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, until the mushrooms are beginning to brown. Stir in the crumbled tofu, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Fill the wontons. Set out the wontons on a cutting board. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of the wontons. Moisten the edges of the wrappers with water, using a pastry brush or your fingers, and fold: pull 1 corner to its diagonal and pinch, then pull the remaining 2 corners to the same point and pinch the edges closed. (To see this done step-by-step, check out my chocolate wontons recipe tutorial.) Repeat until all of the wontons or filling is used.
Bring a pot of water to simmering. Just before serving, cook the wontons in the water until they become translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the wontons from the boiling water. Transfer 6 or so wontons to each bowl.
Ladle the soup over the wontons and serve immediately garnished with chopped spring onions or parsley, if desired.