If you go to a Chinese restaurant and order wonton soup, you’ll likely get a bowl of wontons served in clear broth and thin wheat or egg noodles. This red curry wonton soup recipe is a twist on the classic dish. Since we’re at the tail end of summer, I wanted to take advantage of all the vibrant summer produce that are still available. That’s why, instead of regular wonton noodles, I am using spiralized zucchini noodles. For the wonton filling, I used tofu, corn, peas, Thai basil, scallions, ginger, and garlic. The gingery, bright flavors of the broth pair nicely with the corn and basil in the wontons. This dish is truly a celebration of the end of summer!
CAN I MAKE THE WONTONS AHEAD?
Yes! Once you are done making the wontons, lay them on a baking sheet (or large plates) and place them in your freezer. After a few hours, once the wontons have hardened, transfer the wontons to a bag. When you leave the dumplings on the baking sheet overnight (or for several days), you might find the dumplings stuck to the baking sheet. I can usually pull the dumplings off the pan with a little effort. However, you can also line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent any sticking.
DO NOT put them in the refrigerator. The moisture of the tofu filling will seep into the wrapper, causing it to turn soggy. As a result, the dumplings will be misshapen and start to rip apart.
CAN I MAKE RED CURRY WONTON SOUP AHEAD?
Yes, you can make the broth a day or two ahead. As a matter of fact, the flavors of the broth develop more overnight. Just bring the broth to boil before serving.
WHY DO MY WONTONS FALL APART?
I get this question from my followers all the time. Here are several tips to prevent your dumplings from coming apart when you boil them.
- Make sure you properly seal the dumplings: When you seal the dumpling wrapper/skin to seal the dumpling, make sure to push out any air pockets. Also, make sure to seal the dumping tightly—you shouldn’t see any gaps or openings in the dumpling.
- Don’t overfill the dumplings: I know that we all love a plump dumpling, but overfilling the dumplings can cause small tears in the dumpling skin. This is particularly a problem if your dumpling skin is a bit thin. Use somewhere between 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in your dumplings and see how much the skins can hold without ripping. Some dumpling are more forgiving than others.
- Don’t overcook the dumplings: Overcooking dumplings can also cause the dumplings to fall apart. For vegetarian dumplings, I usually cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes; for meat dumplings, 4 to 5 minutes. The dumplings are usually cooked when they float to the top.
WONTON FOLDING TECHNIQUE
A FEW NOTES ABOUT MAKING THE WONTONS
- The image above is from my Tofu Wontons with Yellow Curry Broth recipe. Give it a try if you are looking for variations!
- Wrappers: I typically buy my wrappers from Asian supermarkets because it is much more convenient than making my own. The brands I use are New Hong Kong Noodle Co. and Wyzen Foods, both of which are based in the Bay Area. If you are shopping in a typical grocery store, you’d probably find Nasoya wrappers.
- Folding dumplings: For those of you who need visuals, here is the folding technique for the wontons. I also made a video of the folding, which you can watch here.
LOOKING FOR MORE DUMPLING RECIPES?
- Tofu Wontons with Yellow Curry Broth
- Chicken Potstickers
- Red Curry Tofu Dumplings (with braided pleat)
- You can also visit my complete dumpling archives here.
Red Curry Wonton Soup with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
Red Curry Broth
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 or 2 Thai chilies, sliced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar (maple syrup, honey or agave works also)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, spiralized
Tofu Wontons
- 1 (14-ounce) package of firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped Thai basil (see note 2)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 35 to 40 square dumpling wrappers (medium thickness)
Garnish
- sliced scallions
- Thai basil
Instructions
Prepare the Broth (See Note 3)
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot. Add onions and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the minced ginger, garlic, and chilies (if using) and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the red curry paste and sugar and stir to combine.
- Add the vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon salt, cover the pot, and bring the broth to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and swirl in the coconut milk. Let the broth simmer for about 10 minutes, covered. Turn off the heat and let the broth sit on the stove, covered, as you make the dumplings.
Make the Dumplings
- Drain the tofu and wrap the tofu around a layer of paper towels. Press the tofu by placing the tofu block on a plate and weighing it down with a stack of plates. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the paper towels and transfer the tofu to a bowl.
- Using your hands, squeeze the tofu until you get a soft mush. Set the tofu aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the minced ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the corn, peas, scallions, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Let the vegetables cool for 5 minutes
- Add the vegetables, chopped basil, and soy sauce to the bowl with the tofu. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Taste to see if the filling has been seasoned to your liking.
- Get your dumpling-making station set up. Take the wrappers out of the packaging. Have a small bowl filled with water, a large baking sheet, and 2 kitchen or linen towels ready. The wrappers and the dumplings dry out pretty quickly. Use one towel to cover the wrappers and another large towel to cover the finished dumplings.
- Dip a finger into the bowl of water and wet 2 adjacent sides of the dumpling wrappers. Spoon about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. If you can fit more filling into the dumpling, great! Seal the wrapper on the diagonal (dry sides over the wet sides) so that you end up with a triangle shape. Press down on the sides to get rid of any air pockets and to make sure that the dumpling is sealed. You don’t want the filling to release while they’re cooking.
- Lightly wet one of the base corners of the folded triangle, and fold the dumpling in half so that the other base corner overlaps the wet corner. Repeat until you have all the dumplings filled. If you need a visual, refer to the photos above or watch this video for my folding technique.
Cook the Dumplings & Serve
- Bring the red curry broth to a simmer again. Turn off the heat and add the zucchini noodles. The noodles should soften in several minutes.
- Bring a big pot of water to boil. Add about half of the dumplings into the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. All the dumplings should float to the top. Transfer the cooked dumplings to the pot with the red curry broth. Cook the remaining dumplings or freeze them.
- Serve the dumplings and zucchini noodles into bowls. Ladle some broth over the dumplings and noodles. Garnish with sliced scallions and more Thai basil, if desired.
Notes
- Vegetable Broth I like a ton of broth in my wonton soup, so I usually use 6 cups of broth for this (and add a bit more salt and adjust the other seasonings as needed). Feel free to play around with the recipe.
- Basil: You can use regular basil for this as well. If you don’t have basil, adding more chopped scallions and any other herbs (such as cilantro or chives) will work too.
- I like preparing the curry broth ahead because this gives the broth more time to develop the flavors.
Aarti says
Would cottage cheese/paneer work instead of tofu for the dumplings?
Lisa Lin says
Absolutely! I’ve tried it once before with paneer!
Elaine says
Great recipe ! Very creative and healthy recipe! Love the photos and easy instructions to follow! Thank you ????????
Fliss says
I made the curry base for this last night, but with salmon and noodles versus the wontons and zucchini. So versatile and absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Julie G says
I made this amazing soup the other night.. it was so so delicious! Such a good wonton recipe if you are a beginner, easy folding and easy to get them silky and moist.
I did the wontons with a little pork, chopped spinach etc etc and it turned out amazing. We only folded wontons for one night and saved the rest for the next. A surprisingly easy and quick dinner and if you cook it for guests they would think you were in the kitchen for hours. 🙂
Thanks Lisa for giving me this recipe.
Lisa Lin says
Thank YOU, Julie, for trying the recipe. Also, thank you for giving your notes on the substitutions that you made! They sound wonderful.
Kat says
I loved making the dumplings and the flavour of the tofu was so good! Even though some of mine fell apart, but I was happy for my first ever try at making them! I used nasi goreng for the broth to make it less spicy, I loved the broth and I served the meal to my friends and they asked for the recipe – always the best feedback!!
Lisa Lin says
Kat, thanks for making this recipe! Love that you used nasi goreng for the broth!! I bet it tasted amazing. So glad you and your friends enjoyed it.
Nancy Newell says
I loved this recipe. So much so that I hid the leftovers so no one else would find them. The soup base is easy and the ingredients are standard so I know this will be my go to comfort dish. I think you can add whatever you like to the soup base. I added baby bok choy and it’s good with rice noodles too. Even good with a squeeze of lime. It is also a very pretty dish to serve. Thank you, Lisa Lin!
Lisa Lin says
Nancy, thank you so much for trying the recipe! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!!
Julia Serret says
Absolutely delicious! Made this last night and could not get enough. Got my whole family on this recipe!
Marina Lisinskiy says
Hey Lisa, what brand and texture of coconut milk do to recommend is best for this recipe. I’ve noticed there is a liquid type and a more pudding chunkier type. Would really appreciate your response
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Marina! My favorite is Chaokoh coconut milk. They’re available in Asian supermarkets, and in the Asian sections of my local Safeway and Raley’s. Chaokoh has a nice creamy, liquid consistency. If you can’t find the brand, go for canned coconut milk that is more liquid. The chunky type leaves a lot of tiny specks in the broth.
Jen says
I stumbled across this recipe a few days ago, and upon realizing that I had almost everything, I decided to finally give making my own red curry a shot. It was incredible!
You really made this so easy to follow, which I loved. I am always so intimidated by making my own curries, so I usually just stick to eating out. I can’t wait to make more of your recipes, I have like 5 saved
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Jen! Thank you so much for for trying it!!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the wonton curry!
Julia Serret says
Absolutely delicious! Made this last night and could not get enough. Got my whole family on this recipe!
Andrew says
This is an amazingly delicious recipe. The broth is the hero then the noodles and wontons build on top of it to make every bite more and more delicious. We ended up using lo mein noodles rather than zucchini noodles and I have no regrets. Definitely a keeper. Well worth the time and effort.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you so much, Andrew!
Heather says
Is the cook time the same for the wontons if they are frozen (I’m assuming you put them in the boiling water frozen, not defrosted)?
Lisa Lin says
Just add an extra minute or two with frozen dumplings. Doesn’t take that much longer to cook when adding to boiling water.
Jessica says
Incredible!!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Jessica!
Sharon says
This was delicious. I only used a half of a pepper with the seeds and strings cut out and that was just a little spicy but gave it a nice flavor. I also used frozen frozen pork and vegetable Gyoza from Trader Joes and it worked out very well. I will be making this again!