Author: Well, look at this Vegan Wonton Soup being all soupy, slurpy, and delicious.
I love vegan wonton soup. It's so simple, like really, really simple. The soup part is literally just broth with some green onions tossed in to look all fancy (and because green onions are the bestest). Then just add in some homemade vegan wontons, and presto! A soup that wows. I'm not even talking about wowing guests because serving this soup to four guests? Ha! Yeah right. I slurped up this goodness all to myself thankyouverymuch.
I'm sometimes not the best at sharing my deliciousness... but that's ok because who else is willing to eat semi-cold, overly photographed "dinner" with me at 4 in the afternoon? The life of a food blogger, I'm telling ya. It's rough. (It's not).
Ok wait, I'm making this vegan wonton soup sound less delicious than it is. The point I'm trying to make is, that even though the soup was semi-cold, I still didn't want to share a single drop or wonton because just so much yum going on.
My first attempt at wonton filling involved mushrooms and carrots. The mushroom part was delightful, but the carrots were all sorts of not right. Too much carrot flavour, not enough texture play. Nope. Scratch that, try again.
Second attempt, I seasoned the mushrooms in a slightly sweet, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar marinade, and (get this) added in finely chopped walnuts. The result: amazing. The soft marinated mushrooms paired with the slight crunch of the walnuts, oh baby. All 20 wontons are mine. All mine.
How To Make Vegan Wonton Soup:
First start by making the wonton filling. Add all the of the seasonings along with the chopped mushrooms and walnuts to a bowl and toss well to combine. I preferred the walnuts when they were chopped finely so they weren't as crunchy, but if you like more crunch, leave them larger, it's up to you!
Now you can set up your wonton making station by taking your wonton or dumpling wrappers, a small bowl of water and your filling.
Make the wontons by taking one wonton wrapper, putting about 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle. Dip your finger or a brush in some water and run around the edges of the wonton. Fold over and firmly pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
Optionally, you can then wet the two points and fold the wonton in half and pinch the points together. This just makes for a pretty shape, but I found that about half of the wontons undid when boiled anyways so it's totally optional.
Alternatively, you can just leave them in this half moon shape which is also cute.
Bring your vegetable broth to a boil and drop the wontons in one at a time. Boil for 5 minutes.
How to Serve Vegan Wonton Soup:
Serve the soup by dividing the broth and dumplings between 4 bowls, and garnishing with the green onions.
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Vegan Wonton Soup
Servings: as an appetizer (makes about 20 wontons)
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Ingredients
For the wontons filling:
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms, (about 100g)
- ¼ cup walnuts,, finely chopped
- 1 green onion,, finely chopped
- ½ inch piece fresh ginger,, minced or grated
- 1 clove garlic,, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 20 or so Vegan Wonton Wrappers, (see notes)
For the soup:
- 1 L vegetable broth (4 cups)
- 2 green onions,, chopped
Instructions
To make the wontons:
- Add all the of the seasonings along with the chopped mushrooms and walnuts to a bowl and toss well to combine. I preferred the walnuts when they were chopped finely so they weren’t as crunchy, but if you like more crunch, leave them larger, it's up to you!
- Now you can set up your wonton making station by taking your wonton or dumpling wrappers, a small bowl of water, and your filling. Make the wontons by taking one wonton wrapper, putting about 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle. Dip your finger or a brush in some water and run around the edges of the wonton. Fold over and firmly pinch the edges together to seal in the filling. Optionally, you can then wet the two points and fold the wonton in half and pinch the points together. This just makes for a pretty shape, but I found that about half of the wontons undid when boiled anyways so it’s totally optional. Half moon wontons are pretty too.
To make the soup:
- Bring your vegetable broth to a boil and drop the wontons in one at a time. Boil for 5 minutes. Serve the soup by dividing the broth and dumplings between 4 bowls, and garnishing with the green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Carolyn Dabney says
I am amazed at how you make vegan cooking simple and delicious. Next time I'll add just a touch less rice vinegar to the filling, just my personal preference. I made this with rice and the orange tofu "chicken" for a great meal. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww thank you so much Carolyn!
Joanne says
Sam,
In the later half of the 1990s, there was a vegan Chinese restaurant here in Orange County, California named “Alisan Natural Food & Restaurant,” which my boyfriend and I always just referred to as “Alisan’s” for short. A vegan restaurant back then was quite unique and a big deal! I was vegetarian, but my bf was vegan, so he took me there and I absolutely FELL IN LOVE with their wonton soup!! I never ordered anything else there but THAT, and the portion size was HUGE. 😋
Well. I moved 3.5 hours away from my bf though when I went away to college, but he would faithfully bring up that huge container of wonton soup every time he would drive up to visit me. I was utterly addicted. But then, tragedy occurred when a fire destroyed the restaurant in 2002, and they never reopened. 😢
I’ve been dreaming about that dang soup for 25 years, craving to taste it again, but it’s been so long now that I’d have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER on where to begin to try to recreate it, but you’ve supplied what looks like could very well be a great jumping off point!
I know for sure it had finely diced mushrooms inside the wontons (and it was very mushroom forward, so my guess is it was shiitake shrooms, and the broth had mushroom powder in it too). The broth seemed to be about the color of yours (although I hope the soy sauce flavor isn’t strong, because I for sure know it didn’t taste like soy sauce).
I don’t remember the wontons having any crunch in them, but walnuts sound like they’d be perfect in it. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if they used that in their recipe, but it just didn’t have a crunchy texture that I’m thinking walnuts would give it, because the soup softened them a lot. I’ll chop them up super tiny in my food processor!
I know this was so long (and I’m not sone yet! Lol), but I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting this recipe! Over the last 25 years, I would look on the internet every once in a blue moon to see if I could find a recipe that looks like it would be similar enough to try to cook up (and not be wasting my time), but I never could find such a recipe until just now, finding yours. 🙂
Out of desperation, with the emergence of AI in very recent times, I decided to ask Grok’s AI yesterday if it could come up with a vegan wonton recipe for me that would be akin to what Alisan’s was like, and this is what it came back with:
____________
Grok:
### Here’s a close homemade vegan version (makes 4 servings; ready in about 45–60 minutes)
For the broth (the soul of the soup—light but deeply savory):
- 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or homemade; mushroom broth if you can find it for extra earthiness—Alisan loved mushrooms)
- 3–4 slices fresh ginger (about ¼ inch thick)
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 green onions, white parts only (save greens for garnish)
- 2–3 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked 20 min in hot water, then sliced—key for that deep umami they favored)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper (or to taste; this gives the subtle “restaurant” heat)
- Optional but very Alisan-style: 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (or rice vinegar) and a pinch of sugar for balance
For the wontons (about 20–24; use vegan wrappers—no egg):
- 1 package vegan wonton wrappers (found in the refrigerated Asian section; brands like Nasoya work)
- Filling:
- 1 cup finely chopped napa cabbage or regular cabbage (salted and squeezed dry to remove water)
- ½ cup finely chopped shiitake or button mushrooms
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup crumbled firm tofu or rehydrated TVP/seitan (for that mock-meat chew Alisan were known for)
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger + 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch (to bind)
- Salt and white pepper to taste
To assemble:
1. Make the broth: Simmer all broth ingredients together for 15–20 minutes. Strain out the solids (or leave the mushrooms in if you like). Keep warm.
2. Make the filling: Mix everything thoroughly. It should be moist but not soggy.
3. Fill wontons: Place 1 tsp filling in the center of each wrapper, wet the edges, fold into a triangle (or whatever shape you like), and press to seal. Keep them covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
4. Cook: Bring a separate pot of water to a gentle boil. Add wontons in batches and cook 3–4 minutes until they float and are tender.
5. Finish the soup: Add a handful of bok choy, spinach, or napa cabbage to the hot broth for the last 2 minutes. Divide cooked wontons into bowls, ladle broth over them, and garnish with green onion tops and a few drops of sesame oil.
This captures the light, clean, addictive quality people remember from places like Alisan—broth that’s fragrant but not overpowering, wontons that are delicate yet flavorful, and that overall “fresh from the wok” vibe. If your memory of it was extra mushroom-forward or had a tiny bit of sweetness, just amp up the shiitakes or add that pinch of sugar.
________________
I now want to try both your recipe and Grok’s lol. Thank you again, Sam. It was such a loss to the community when that Chinese vegan restaurant burnt down. It left a TON of people without a single vegan restaurant to patronize at all! Alisan’s was soooo ahead of its time. I always wonder what the restauranteurs and chef(s) ended up doing with their talents after that tragedy.
These days we see a number of vegan restaurants around, but such a concept was such quite the novelty back then! My bf lived off of waaayy too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches back then (lol) because not only was he relatively new to the diet, but there wasn’t as many options, nor vegan dietary knowledge back then.
Apologies again about the length! Cheers, Sam! ☺️
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This was so lovely to read, Joanne, thank you so much for sharing! I hope the recipe brings back some of those memories for you 🙂
Rose Vitale says
I'd like to add tofu. Would you just chop pressed tofu or use baked/fried tofu crumbles?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
I think it comes down to personal preference! I'd go with the texture that is your favorite.
Lea says
this is amazing. honestly I did not expect them to taste THAT good. welcome new favorite dish.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, awesome!
Karen Mai says
I added tofu and swapped the walnuts with pecan, and soy sauce for tamari. Very delicious! And my family loved it too 🙂
Pascal Thomasse says
1 star out of five. Didn't taste like chicken at all!!
Sibyl Holland says
We're dealing with a medical emergency this week and I was trying to take care of my partner and make sure to be using leftovers and this was PERFECT and DELICIOUS. So straightforward and flavorful. Many of my boyfriend's favorite things I make are from your site and this is one of them now! Thank you!
Hannah says
This was very easy and delicious! My family loved them!
Julie says
Any ideas what could be used in place of mushrooms in the filling? Sadly, too many in my family will not eat mushrooms.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Julie, you can replace the mushrooms in the filling with finely chopped tofu, cooked lentils, or even finely shredded cabbage for a similar texture. These options will still absorb the flavors of the marinade nicely. Let me know how it turns out!
Gina Caracci says
Ok, this showed up in my email just as I was craving wonton soup. Found the wrappers at Walmart.
Added spinach, cashews instead of walnuts, cabbage, panko and sesame oil to the rest of the ingredients.
Made exactly 20.
I. Ate. The. Entire. Pot in. one. sitting.
Have wrappers left so will be making again.
Your awesome Sam!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing!!!
Leony says
Hi! Can I freeze these wontons?
Thanks!
Mary L Martin says
I make this weekly i love this recipe so easy compared to others thanks
Amy says
Made the wontons with water chestnuts instead of walnuts and with a mixed variety of mushrooms instead of just shiitake and it was great. Only thing I would change is a little less rice vinegar.
frizzle says
super yummy! I also used the nasoya wrappers like other people and I liked that it was "slimey"- reminded me of egg noodle soup. I didn't have veggie broth so I used "better than boulion" veggie. I made mine extra gingery! I also didn't have walnuts so I used hazelnuts which were great. I would recommend to people to chop up everything very tiny & to not over stuff!
Judy says
Hi. We just made this soup tonite. We used Nasoya egg roll wrappers and found they ended up slimy after steaming then sitting briefly in the soup. Could their having no egg in them make that happen? Is there some way to avoid that? Maybe another brand or something we should do while making them ourselves? My partner also said they didn’t taste like wonton wrappers to her.
Ayumi says
I used leftover of spring roll wrappings and same thing happened! I saw the first batch kind of dissolved in the soup so pan fryed the second batch. They came so yummy. I just guess spring wrappers are for frying not for boiling. So I got wonton wrappers today and will try this recipe again.
Judy says
Thanks for responding. We’ll have to see if it’s different with the wonton wrappers, too. I’ll let you know.
Sam Turnbull says
Egg roll wrappers are not the same as dumpling wrappers so I imagine that is the problem. I would try another brand or making your own.
Dr. J says
I stumbled on this recipe while looking at another one on your site and decided right away to make it. We lived in China for many, many years, before we were vegan, of course, and one thing we've really missed in the wonton soup. (The area we lived in called them 抄手, or crossed arms, because of the way they are shaped.) This recipe really scratched the itch we had for wonton soup! We'll make it again, but I think I'll put in way less vinegar and a little more soy sauce.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Susan says
This is quite yummy. I left out the brown sugar and used the Nagoya wrappers which didn’t fall apart at all. My difficulty was that they stuck to the plate I put them on while waiting for the broth to boil. I pulled some off but some of those fell apart. I then added some water to the plate and they came right up. Was I supposed to put them directly into the broth rather than wait till they were all finished before boiling them? Would love to know any tricks you have.
Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
You can just dust your plate with cornstarch to stop them from sticking, or line it with parchment paper. Hope that helps!
Amanda Maloney says
Put them on parchment paper and use a Tbsp of cornstarch in the water you use to wet and shape the wrappers. As it dries, it creates a sticking-deterrent coat that dries. Parchment paper will absorb water and prevent mushiness that causes surface-stickiness and breaking.
Bart says
FYI: Nasoya wonton wraps are now vegan!