This vegan wonton soup recipe is easy to make. With its tofu and shiitake mushroom filling wrapped in delicate wonton wrappers and floating in a savoury and sour broth, this soup is just what you need on a chilly day!
While they might seem intimidating, vegan dumplings are actually quite easy to make, and easier still to make them vegetarian or even vegan.
Where to buy vegan wonton wrappers
This is a question that I get asked a lot.
Wonton wrappers often have egg in them so you need to read the ingredients carefully before buying.
In conventional supermarkets you may be able to find the brands Nasoya and Twin Dragon, both of which make vegan wonton wrappers.
I usually go down to my local Asian supermarket because they always have a good selection of dumpling wrappers.
This time I found these ones, which are Korean and the ingredients are just flour, cornstarch, rice flour, water and salt.
I generally get square wrappers for wonton soup, but this time they happened to be round. It doesn't matter, they can be folded the same way.
If you can't find vegan ones anywhere, they can be made at home following this vegan wonton wrapper recipe.
How to make vegan wonton filling
These vegan wontons have a simple filling of tofu, shiitake mushrooms and green onions.
Dried shiitake mushrooms have a much stronger flavour than fresh mushrooms so that's why they're used here.
First, they need to be rehydrated.
The added bonus of using dried shiitake mushrooms is that you're left with a wonderful umami mushroom stock that can be added right into the soup!
Next step is to prepare the filling by crumbling some extra firm tofu in a food processor.
If you don't have a food processor, you can just mash it with a fork.
The tofu is seasoned with ginger and garlic, then combined with the chopped shiitake mushrooms, chopped green onion and dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil.
It's a super simple filling that can be adapted to your taste!
If you want to try something different, check out my edamame-mint vegan wonton soup recipe.
How to fold wontons
This is the part that might seem tricky at first, but you'll get it in no time.
There are many different ways to fold a wonton, this is my preferred technique and it works the same for both round and square wrappers.
Holding the wrapper in one hand, place a couple teaspoons of filling in the middle. It's important to not overfill your wonton or else the edges will come apart.
Wet your finger with some water and run it around the edge of the wrapper.
Fold the wrapper in half to enclose the filling and press the edges together well. As you do this, gently press on and around the filling to try to squeeze out as much air as possible.
Any trapped air may cause your wontons to explode as they cook.
Now wet the bottom corners and gently bring them together. (Here's where you'll know if you overfilled it because the seams will start bursting!)
The above photo is what you'll end up with if you use round wrappers and the below photo shows what they look like with square wrappers.
How to make vegan wonton soup
Once you have wrapped all your wontons, they're simmered in a simple yet flavourful broth.
If you're wondering, yes the wontons can be frozen at this stage before cooking. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer bag until you're ready to make the soup.
The broth for this recipe is made from vegetable stock and the mushroom soaking water, seasoned with ginger, garlic, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
It has a delicious flavour that is reminiscent of vegan hot and sour soup.
Once the broth is at a boil, add the wontons and let them gently simmer for about 5 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
It's important that they are cooked at a gentle simmer so that they don't explode.
Finally, add some shredded cabbage and lots of green onions for extra texture and flavour and your soup is ready to serve!
Wanna see how to make it? Watch the video and share it on Facebook:
Vegan Wonton Soup
This hearty and comforting vegan wonton soup is just what you need on a chilly day.
Ingredients
For the wontons
- 15 - 17 vegan wonton wrappers (see note)
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cups water
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 green onion, chopped
For the wonton soup
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups mushroom soaking liquid
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cups cabbage, shredded
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
For the wontons
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dried shiitake mushrooms. Allow to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Once re-hydrated, chop mushrooms into small pieces. Reserve mushroom soaking liquid.
- Place tofu, ginger, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Place tofu in a bowl and add the chopped mushrooms, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onion.
- You can use either square or round wrappers for this. Keep the remaining wrappers under a moist towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Holding one wrapper in your hand, place a couple teaspoons of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Dip your finger in a little water and run it around the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom up to meet the top, enclosing the filling. As you do so, gently press down on the filling to squeeze out the air, then press the edges together to seal. Wet the botton two corners and gently pull them together and press them well.
- Keep your filled wontons under a moist towel to prevent them from drying out.
For the wonton soup
- Combine the vegetable stock and mushroom soaking liquid in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the garlic and ginger. Add the wontons and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Remove from heat and stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cabbage. Serve in bowls garnished with green onion.
Notes
I have the most luck finding vegan wonton wrappers at an Asian supermarket. They can also be made at home following this vegan wonton wrapper recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1730mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 11g
Nini says
Hi, I just love your recipe! I have been wanting to make my own wonton soup for years and your recipe seems super easy to do. I have been looking for vegan wonton wraps forever!! What brand did you end up using?
Thanks
Nini
Marianne says
Recipe sounds wonderdul, I would also like to know which brand of vegan womtons you use and where you bought them. Thanks
Melissa says
Good question, I last made this recipe quite a while ago and I don't have the package anymore. Where I live you can't buy wonton wrappers in the supermarkets so I get them from an Asian supermarket where they've been imported from China. The next time I go I'll make a note of the brand.
Danielle says
Amazing!!! 100% AMAZING!
Audrey says
Hi! This recipe looks amazing but I was wondering if the dried shiitake mushrooms were essentials or if I could use fresh ones?
Melissa says
Sure, you could use fresh ones.
Audrey says
And what do you mean by mushroom soaking liquid?
Melissa says
The water in which you soak the dried shiitake mushrooms. If you used fresh mushroom, you can substitute for vegetable stock or water.
Adrianna says
i bought a package of dried sliced shiitake mushrooms, i was wondering if by 5 of the mushrooms you meant 5 whole ones or 5 slices
Melissa says
I use whole ones.
Delrey says
Amazing! One of my favorite food was wonton soup but every time I would eat some my stomach would get upset because of the pork. I started making them with turkey instead. Since I became vegan Ive really missed it and came across your recipe one day. Its changed my life forever lol. It is time consuming especially when you've never made wontons before because of the folding. 100% worth it tho.
Melissa says
Thanks for your comment. Sure, they take a little practice to make but yes, totally worth it!
Nicole says
Wonton soup was one of my favorites when I was younger. I am excited I found your recipe and hoping to try it. Only little thing is I am allergic to soy. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on what substitutions could be used for the tofu?
Melissa says
In that case I'd just leave out the tofu and add more shiitakes or a different kind of mushroom like oyster or white button.
YAYA says
I ALSO REMOVED TOFU BECAUSE TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM SOY.. OH MY GOODNESS! MY DAD SAID IT FELT GOOD IN HIS BODY! THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.
Paula says
I'm eating this right now nad omg it's so, so tasty. It doesn't look as pretty as yours but it tastes heavenly.
Elizabeth Parmenter says
Super good! I think I made a bit too many wontons. There were more wontons than soup. I'm not complaining. 😉
Will be on rotation with this one. Thanks!
Melissa says
Great! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for commenting!
Marianne says
Just making it today. I have dried mushrooms, 5 whole equals how many sliced?
Holly says
Really loved this recipe!! Making it for the second time today. The broth was a bit salty last time so I'm cutting down on the stock i used. I also i couldn't source whole shitake mushrooms so i put in lots of pieces of different dried mushrooms. Will add fresh corn offthe cob to the broth this time aswell. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful and versatile, delicious recipe! Ngā mihi, from Aotearoa New Zealand
YAYA says
THIS WAS DELICIOUS! I ADDED A HABERNERO, SPINACH, AND HOT CHILI OIL BECAUSE WE LIKE IT SPICY!! IT WAS A HIT!! MY ENTIRE FAMILY LOVED IT ! THEY ASKED FOR SECONDS.
Paige Taus says
I'm excited to try this recipe!
Question: how many won tons per serving does this recipe make? I'm making this soup for about 20-25 people
Ted says
My kids and I made this today. It is really good! It was missing something at the end, so I added a teaspoon of sesame oil. That did it for us. Not necessary for a great soup, but it added the flavor that we associate with wonton soup.
Cynthia OBrien says
That was literally the best video and the BEST music I have ever seen on a recipe. Great Work! I can hardly wait to road test this delicious recipe! I'll review again just for the video!