Homemade Chicken Wontons for Soup

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, drained cabbage, cooled mushrooms with any oil from the pan, ginger, scallions, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, chicken powder, and 2 tablespoons of reserved mushroom liquid, cabbage liquid, or water.

Stir the filling firmly in one direction with chopsticks or a spatula until it becomes cohesive, sticky, and paste-like. This may take about 8 to 10 minutes and helps the wontons stay juicy.

Line a tray with parchment paper and set out a small bowl of water. Place a wonton wrapper on your work surface, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling in the center, moisten the edges, and fold in half to seal tightly. Wet one corner, bring the two bottom corners together, and press to secure. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Before wrapping the full batch, cook two test wontons in boiling water until the filling is cooked through. Taste and adjust the filling seasoning if needed, then continue shaping the rest.

To cook, bring a pot of water to a steady boil and gently stir to create movement before adding the wontons. Boil fresh wontons uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they float and look plump; cook frozen wontons for about 8 minutes. If the boil becomes too aggressive, add a splash of cold water to calm it. Serve the cooked wontons in hot soup broth or with your preferred dipping sauce.