Coconut & Lemongrass Wonton Soup

Ingredients

• 14 cups Water
• 1 can (heavy) coconut milk (not the light version)
• 1 tablespoon Condensed Better than Bouillon Chicken stock.
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 8 teaspoons Lemongrass Paste
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Minced Giner
• 3 teaspoons Minced Garlic
• 2 teaspoons Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 5 teaspoons Liquid Aminos (or Gluten free Soy sauce) (Omit if allergic to soy)
• 2 1/2 cups Green Beans
• 1 cup Chopped Celery
• 1/2 cup Scallions to sprinkle on top.

Wonton Filling

• 1 pound Ground Chicken or Turkey (Ground Pork would also be good here!)
• 2 tablespoons Minced Fresh Ginger
• 1 tablespoon Minced Fresh Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 tablespoons liquid aminos (or Gluten Free Soy Sauce)
• 1/2 cup Chopped Scallions (roughly 4 stalks)
• 1 cup Water + 2 TBS Cornstarch (or other starch of choice)

Directions

Lemongrass Soothes my soul. I crave it on a daily basis. Nothing will relax your sinuses like a freshly brewed cup of lemongrass tea. (try it sometime!) So- on one of our recently very chilly evenings -that I was also was feeling kind of crummy- I just wanted some soup that would comfort my irritated  stomach.  This soup did the trick

Making the Wontons takes a little time- due to the fact that you need to make the dough. But it is well worth the extra bit of time. So Start by making my recipe for Gluten Free/Vegan Wonton Dough.  Make sure to cover the dough to prevent it from drying out while you make the filling and the soup.

Lemongrass paste- you can purchase it in fresh herb section of many supermarkets. But if you cant find this- buy fresh lemongrass instead. Puree it in your food processor until its extremely ground. Big chunks of lemongrass are kind of awkward to eat- it has a texture that is a bit on the tough side- a texture you wouldn’t think is edible. But once ground thin into a paste- its extremely palatable.

** It came to my attention that Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Herb Blend Contains Whey. So if whey bothers you clearly this is not the product for you. If you have a hard time finding paste or a pre pureed version- your best bet is as I mentioned above to Just buy some fresh stalks. **

1. Make the Wonton Dough and set aside Covered.
2. In a Large Soup Pot Combine the Water, Chicken Bouillon, Salt, pepper, ginger, Garlic, Lime zest and juice, Liquid Aminos and Lemongrass. Bring to a Gentle Simmer- Add Celery and Green beans Cover and allow to cook while you prep the wontons.
3. In a Skillet Combine the Ground Meat, Ginger, Sesame Oil, Garlic, Pepper, Salt, Liquid Aminos, and Scallions. Once Fully Cooked Combine the Water and Cornstarch. Add mixture to the meat and bring to a gentle boil so that it thickens. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. Roll out  the wonton dough thin and cut into shape of choice. Place one TSP of Meat filling into the center of each wonton.  To make the wonton dough stick to itself when sealing combine a little water and corn starch- using your finger or a brush place just a tiny amount of the starch water along the inside edges of the wonton that needs to be sealed.
5. Once Wontons are Finished Cover them- to prevent drying.
6. Add wontons to the Gently Boiling Soup- They are ready once they begin to float.
7. Ladle Soup into bowls with a few wontons per bowl. Sprinkle chopped Scallions on top.

As I noted on the Wonton recipe itself- due to the fact that these wontons do not contain egg after several hours of sitting in liquid they begin to lose their Al Dante Texture. It is best to only cook as many as you are looking to serve. The rest of the prepared wontons will stay fantastic in a little baggie in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. If you have leftover wontons- you can also saute them in some oil in a frying pan.

If you have extra of the meat filling ( I had a little bit- ) Just add it to the soup!