Spicy Carrot Wonton Soup

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making your own dumplings. They’re actually quite easy and a nice addition to a broth based soup. I had reserved some Roasted Chicken Stock from this weekend for this particular recipe. Thinly slicing the vegetables reduces the cook time and the dumplings can easily be made in advance and frozen. The frozen dumplings can be added to the broth and are ready in 4- 6 minutes.

Preparing parts of meals in advance really is a huge time saver and can take the stress out of making dinner. If meal prepping and planning feels overwhelming to you, trust me I understand the difficulty of trying to figure out what you're going to feel like eating all week, then focusing on having staples on hand is a less stressful solution.

Here are 5 of my staples:

1. For me quality stock is a staple - easily stored in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for much longer. Obviously I think homemade is best but you can also buy great quality stock from the grocery store. Goodness Me sells stock in their freezer section and there are some good tetra packs of organic stock on the market.

2. Having carrots, celery, onions and garlic on hand is a must - I’ve talked about my flavour builders, holy trinity of cooking, etc. I know I can add whatever odds and ends I have in the fridge along with my staple veg to create a tasty dish that I can feel good about.

3. 2 -3 types of frozen vegetables. Pick your top three and keep a stash in the fridge - spinach, peas, raspberries are mine. ( I realize raspberries are not a vegetable but they are a breakfast staple for me so they make my top three)

4. Your “in a pinch” item. These carrot wontons are the perfect in a pinch item because they can be cooked from frozen and take under 10 minutes. Don’t want the hassle of making your own dumplings. Purchase fresh ravioli or tortellini, lay them out on a baking sheet to freeze, cut out the cooking instructions and place the frozen filled pasta in a Ziploc freezer bag. You’ll most likely have to increase the boiling time but you’ll have fresh flavourful pasta on hand, that will be more nutritious that the dry boxed stuff.

5. Can of crushed tomato - nutrient dense and super versatile, you can do A LOT with a can of crushed tomatoes and any of the above staples. Soup, sauce, rice, pasta, etc. They take less time than fresh tomatoes to cook, have a higher concentration of lycopene than fresh tomatoes, and are very affordable so splurge for the organic.

INGREDIENTS

Wonton Soup:

1 tbsp grass-fed butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, sliced into thin rounds

Pinch of red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

6 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp sea salt

4 head baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

24 Spicy Carrot Wontons

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Soy sauce for serving

Spicy Carrot Dumpling:

4 medium carrots, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds

1 jalapeno pepper

2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp tamari

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

25 - 30 thin dumpling wrappers

METHOD

Soup:

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring periodically, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just softened.

Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minutes more or until fragrant.

Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the bok choy and simmer for another 4-6 minutes, until tender, then fish out the bok choy to avoid over cooking.

Add the fresh or frozen dumpling to the simmering pot and cook for 4-6 minutes.

Divide among the serving bowls.

Divide the soup between the serving bowls and add 6 cooked dumplings per bowl.

Garnish with scallions and condiments of your choice - like chili garlic paste, sriracha, or toasted sesame seeds.

Wontons:

Bring about an inch of water to boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket.

Add carrots, cover and steam until completely tender 5-8 minutes.

Remove carrots and let cool

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to high.

Set the jalapeno on a baking sheet and place it close to the heat source.

Roast, turning periodically until blistered.

Transfer the jalapeno to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let stand for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

Gently rub the blackened skin.

Split the jalapeno lengthwise, trim out the seeds and then finely chop - for mild heat only use half the jalapeno.

Place the carrots, jalapeno, scallion garlic, oil, lime juice, tamari, honey and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until it coarsely mashed.

Stir in the cilantro and peanuts.

Taste for seasoning and add black pepper, lime juice, sweetness or any reserved jalapeno as needed.

Set up the dumpling assembly station; place a stack of dumpling wrappers on one end of the cutting board and cover with a lightly damped towel.

Place a small bowl of water and the dumping filling within reach.

Also set out a parchment lined baking sheet and a moistened clean towel for the assembled dumplings.

Fill and shape the dumplings, arrange them on the baking sheet as you go, covering with the damp towel.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, until the dumplings have firmed up.

Transfer to a Ziploc bag and freeze - or add to simmering soup, cover and cook for 4 minutes from frozen 2 minutes from fresh.

Using a slotted spoon remove the dumplings and divide between bowls.