Dinner Rush! Carrot-Ginger Wonton Soup
Not unlike the rest of the free world, I haven’t been feeling so hot this last week. Congestion, light coughing and a perpetual need for multiple layers of blanketing - who loves flu season! So, in an edible effort to get myself back on the right track, I whipped up some of my favorite sick time comfort food: wonton soup.
When I’m feeling down, nothing brings me back like a big bowl of soup. I live in a curious little black hole where all of the Asian restaurants around me have nailed most Americanized Chinese delicacies with the exception of wonton soup – it’s just not very tasty in my neck of the woods. Needless to say, I’ve gotten pretty decent at making it at home.
Whenever going at wonton soup on my own, I save a boatload of time by using frozen pot stickers for the wontons. I start with a XXL dose of ginger to make a nice spicy base, and then simmer the pot stickers in the infused broth just until they’re tender. It’s a delicious meal for those ailing and healthy alike that’s done before the delivery man could even make it to your door.
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Place a medium heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat with the oil. Add the carrots, ginger and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the ginger and garlic are aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring the liquid up to a bubble.
Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and add the pot stickers. Simmer them, stirring gently, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce.
Serve the soup garnished with scallions and chow mein noodles.
NOTE: Wait to add the soy sauce just before serving. Different chicken broths have different amounts of salt added, so taste it to make sure it needs the added kick.
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Patrick W. Decker’s life revolves around food. Always has, probably always will. As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and past member of the culinary teams for Food Network stars like Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee and Paula Deen, he now works as a food stylist and producer in NYC by day and a food writer and recipe developer at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by night. You can see what he’s up to by following his latest tweets on Twitter at @patrickwdecker or visiting his website at patrickwdecker.com.