Pork Wonton Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

My favorite time of year is upon us.  Yesterday was the first day that my air conditioners were silenced to allow the fresh, cool air dance around inside my home.  A lot of people try to hold on to summer as long as they possibly can but I always find myself anxious to embrace autumn.  In the spirit of fall, I decided to make one of my family's favorite soups last night.  The word wonton literally means "swallowing clouds", which is very fitting as they resemble little puffs of clouds floating in the soup.  This savory soup is fun to assemble and delicious!

Note:  Both the wonton wrappers and pork mixture freeze very well.  You can freeze them separately or you can assemble the wontons ahead of time and then freeze them.  In either case, they will keep for up to four months in the freezer. 

Ingredients:
About 5 - 6 servings

• 4 c chicken broth
• 4 c beef broth 
• 1/2 lb ground pork 
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, minced 
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar 
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce 
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 c bok choy, thinly sliced 
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 20 Wonton wrappers

Directions:

Combine the chicken broth and beef broth in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer while preparing the wontons.  

Meanwhile, make the wonton filling.  In a medium bowl, combine the pork, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce and pepper.  

Arrange the wontons.  Place 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper.  Wet your fingers with a little water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Gently gather up the edges of the wrapper around the pork, pressing out any excess air as you gather, and seal the edges together at the top with your fingers.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers.  

Add the bok choy, mushrooms and sesame oil to the simmering broth.  Increase the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.  Gently drop the wontons into the broth and allow them to cook until they float to the top, about 5 minutes.  Taste the soup and add soy sauce if needed, to taste.

Enjoy!