Thai Garden Vegetable Chicken Wonton Soup

Tender chicken tortellini, veggies and tangy Thai chili vinegar make give this garden vegetable chicken wonton soup a spicy kick.

Panera Bread has finally come to Mississippi. At last, I get to see what all the fuss is about! A few weeks ago, I met my parents at Panera for lunch. It was a windy, cold day. I thought a bowl of soup and a sandwich sounded perfect. Since I am a lover of all things Asian-y/brothy, I was intrigued by the Thai Garden Chicken Wonton broth bowl. As soon as I put that first spoonful to my lips, I knew The Husband would love it and that I had to figure out how to recreate the recipe at home.

How to Make Chicken Wontons

Making the homemade wontons is not hard, but it is most time consuming part of this dish. Start combining one pound of ground chicken with some minced garlic, green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Make sure to mix it all together until everything is thoroughly combined.

I used premade wonton wrappers for this dish. I usually find them in the refrigerated section at my grocery store. Wonton wrappers can dry out very quickly, so be sure to keep them covered with a damp paper towel while you’re assembling. Also keep a small bowl of water close by to use to seal the edges of the wonton.

First, remove one wonton wrapper from the damp paper towel and lay it flat on a clean workspace. Place three teaspoons of the chicken sausage filling into the center of the wonton. Brush the edges with water, then fold the wonton in half to form a triangle. Gently press to remove and air bubbles and seal the edges. Fold the spine of the wonton over one more time, then bring the two point together and seal with a little more water.

Keep the folded wontons covered with a damp paper towel as well to prevent them from drying out until you are ready to use them. You will end up with more wontons than you need. However, they freeze beautifully. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking pan, then transfer them to a plastic bag once they are solid. Or, you can always drop the leftovers for a few minutes in hot oil for a tasty, crispy snack (that’s what we did!).

How to Make Garden Vegetable Chicken Wonton Soup

After making the wontons, this soup is a breeze. Heat two quarts of chicken broth in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Once the broth comes to a boil, add shredded Napa cabbage, chopped broccoli, and shredded carrots. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add some sliced mushrooms and diced garlic. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Then stir in some soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, spinach, ginger and Thai chili vinegar. I found the pickled Thai chili peppers at my local farmer’s market. If for some reason you can’t find pickled Thai chili peppers, you could substitute pickled jalapenos. But I would not recommend leaving that ingredient out entirely. It makes the broth. I didn’t use the actual chilis in the soup. I used the vinegar from the jar to season the broth. If you can’t find pickled Thai chilies, another reader used chili sauce, which can be found in the Asian section of your store, with success.

Bring the broth to a boil. Carefully stir in the wontons and continue to simmer until the wonton wrappers are opaque and the wontons feel firm, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and serve.

I am by no means touting this as a “copycat” recipe, but it comes pretty darn close. The best thing about this soup is that you can get creative and add your own favorite Asian condiments.