While in lockdown, we started a recipe and cooking club at work. The most recent recipe was for wontons in a Thai-style broth but as both the wonton filling and the broth contained chicken, I set out to make my own equivalent vegetarian recipe.

The result was far better than I ever hoped for. I was worried the broth would be lacking, but it turned into a spicy, fragrant bowl of soup that was so addictive each spoonful could not come quickly enough. Even better: it was all ridiculously easy.

The recipe makes 8 wontons – I cooked 4 of these as potstickers to give a different texture, with the remainder boiled in the broth.

Ingredients (1 serving / 8 wontons)

Broth:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bashed and chopped into large chunks
• 2cm ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 Knorr kaffir lime and ginger stock pot

Wonton wrappers:

• 70g plain flour
• 60ml boiling water

Wonton filling:

• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 pieces of purple sprouting or tenderstem broccoli, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

To finish the broth:

• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 lemon – juice only
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1/2 red chilli, chopped
• 1 small bunch coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Add all the broth ingredients to a pan and cover with water (about 750ml). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat then cover and simmer for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and then leave to cool then strain before putting the liquid in the fridge until you’re ready to make the wontons.

Wontons

1. Make the wonton wrappers by mixing the flour and water in a bowl until combined. Add more water if necessary.
2. Knead the dough until smooth – about 10 minutes – then put back in the bowl, cover and leave to rest for half an hour.
3. Skim off anything that has settled on the top of the broth then return it to the heat to warm back up.
4. While the dough is resting, add all the filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times until well chopped and combined.
5. Knead the dough again for another few minutes and then roll into a log shape. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
6. On a floured work-surface, take one piece of dough, roll into a ball and then flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll into a round (don’t worry if it’s not an exact circle) as thin as you can go. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, flouring each and stacking them as they’re ready.
7. Take a wrapper and place a tablespoon of filling in the centre. Dip your finger in some cold water and run around the edge of the wrapper to help it stick and then fold over to make a semicircle, pressing to seal. Crimp, pleat or shape however you like.

[Optional] Potstickers

9. To make potstickers, heat 1tbsp oil in a pan that has a lid and then hot add 4 of the wontons. Fry for a couple of minutes until they’re starting to go golden brown on the bottom.
10. Pour in about 60ml water or enough to cover up to halfway of the wontons. Put the lid on the pan and boil/steam for 12 minutes.
11. Remove the lid, allow any remaining water to boil away and when the wontons have fried a little more on the bottom, remove from the pan to serve.

Wonton Broth

9. For the boiled wontons, carefully place 4 wontons into the pan of broth. Boil for 4 minutes.
10. Remove the wontons from the broth with a slotted spoon and add to a serving bowl.
11. Add the soy sauce and lemon juice to the broth and cook for a minute more.
12. Ladle broth into the bowl over the wontons and top with the spring onion, chilli and coriander.