Vegan Wontons (soup or fried)

Since I learned how to make my own wontons, I can never go back to the frozen ones! Homemade vegan wontons taste fresher and can be customized with my preferred ingredients and seasonings. Similar to my tofu dumplings and rice paper egg rolls, they are filled with a hearty and flavorful tofu vegetable filling that will leave you craving more! 

Making wontons might look tedious and time-consuming but it is actually relatively easy to make. The filling used is ready in 10 minutes, and my way of folding wontons (as demonstrated below) is easy and quick to learn. 

💚Why you will love this recipe 

• Featuring a well-seasoned and flavorful tofu vegetable filling that is incredibly satisfying 
• Seasonings and ingredients used can be customized to suit your taste 
• Wontons can be fried, air-fried, boiled, or steamed 
• Freezable, making them great for meal prep! 

🧄What you will need 

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

• Tofu - Make sure to use extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed, either with a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top. This gets rid of excess moisture that might yield soggy filling. 
• Dried shiitake mushrooms - Can be substituted with 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms. 
• Oyster sauce - Opt for a vegan oyster sauce to keep this recipe vegan. I highly recommend using Lee Kum Kee’s stir-fry sauce. (Although it is labeled as a stir-fry sauce, it is a mushroom-flavored sauce imitating oyster sauce) 
• Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use a certified gluten-free one if needed. 
• Shaoxing wine - A Chinese cooking wine. Omit it to make this recipe alcohol-free. 
• Wonton wrappers - Can be found in most groceries and Asian markets. Read through the ingredients to ensure they are vegan; eggs are sometimes added. Allow wrappers to thaw completely before using. 

🔪How to make 

Making the filling 

Soak shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and slice them thinly.

Heat some oil in a non-stick pan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

Wrapping wontons 

Below are 2 ways of wrapping wontons - the bonnet and the diamond. 

For both ways of wrapping, start by adding 2-3 teaspoons of filling to the center. Then, wet 2 edges of the wrapper. 

For the bonnet, fold the wrappers in half to create a rectangle and gently press to remove excess air. Then, dab one of the bottom corners with a bit of water. Gently bring 2 edges together and pinch them together to seal. 

For the diamond, fold the wrappers in half to get a triangle and press to remove excess air. Similarly, wet one of the bottom edges and gently bring 2 edges together. Give it a pinch to seal the wonton tightly. 

You can now proceed with making vegan wonton soup or fried wontons. 

Ways to cook wonton 

Making wonton soup - First, make the soup base (detailed ingredients and instructions are provided in the recipe card below). You can boil vegan wontons in water first, but I like to cook them directly in the broth as it is much more convenient. 

Wontons are cooked when they float to the top. Serve it with broth and, optionally, some cooked noodles and blanched vegetables to make it a meal. 

Air fryer wontons - My preferred way of cooking wontons. Arrange them in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they are not touching. Lightly spray on some cooking oil, and cook at 200C/ 400F for 6-10 minutes or until they are brown and crispy. You should cook them in batches, especially if you have a smaller air fryer. 

Steamed wontons - You can use a bamboo steamer or skillet/ wok fitted with a steamer. Add water to the steamer and bring it to a boil. Arrange wontons in 1 layer on the rack, ensuring they are not touching. Then, place the rack onto the steamer and cover it. 

Steam for 8-10 minutes or until the wontons are semi-translucent and slightly shriveled. 

Wontons in chili oil - You can either steam or boil wontons. Then, use these vegan wontons to make this chili oil wonton, substituting chicken stock powder with vegetable broth powder/ vegan chicken-style stock powder to make the recipe vegan. 

✅Helpful tips 

• Adjust seasonings to taste - Before wrapping your vegan wontons, taste your filling, adding more soy sauce or salt if needed. 
• Do not over-process filling - Pulsing filling until they are finely chopped and slightly clumping together is sufficient. Overblending causes the filling to lose its texture and turn mushy. 
• Refrain from overfilling - Overfilled wontons are hard to wrap and are more likely to break apart during cooking. 
• Prevent wrappers from drying out - To prevent the wrappers from drying out and becoming brittle, which can cause them to tear easily, it is advisable to take only a few pieces of the wrapper out of the package at a time. Alternatively, you can cover the unused wrappers with a damp cloth. 
• The simplest folding method - The most straightforward way is to simply fold the wonton diagonally in half to form a triangle. Or, you can gather all edges and scrunch it up to create ‘money bags.’ 

🍜How to serve 

• Making wonton noodles soup - Prepare noodles of choice (I like using wheat noodles or rice vermicelli) according to package instructions. Serve vegan wontons and broth over the noodles. I recommend doubling the ingredients for the soup so there is enough to serve. 
• Dried wonton noodles - Alternatively, you can serve fried wontons or wonton soup with my dried wonton noodles. 
• Chinese mains - Vegan chop suey, claypot tofu, and oyster sauce noodles are some of my favorite dishes to pair with vegan wontons. 
• Dipping sauce - You can serve fried wontons with soy sauce, ketchup, or spicy teriyaki sauce. 

❄️Freezing wontons 

If you plan to freeze your vegan wontons, I recommend folding them into bonnets, as they are more compact and easier to store. 

To prevent wontons from sticking together, you will need to flash-freeze them first. Arrange wontons in a single layer on a tray, ensuring they are not touching. Place the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours or until they are solid. 

Then, transfer them to a freezer bag or container for easy storage. Wontons can be frozen for 3 months. 

You can reheat wontons straight from frozen. Simply boil or fry/ air fry them for longer.