No. 60Chinese SoupSpain 2026Lucky Lotus

Cantonese Wonton Soup Broth

Name: Cantonese Wonton Soup Broth
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 6 serves
Ingredients: 1 kg Pork Bones; 1 Dried Flounder or Sole; 2 tbs Dried Shrimp; 1 handful Shrimp Shells; 4 cm Ginger; 2 Spring Onions; a few White Peppercorns; 1 small piece Dried Tangerine Peel; 3 L Water; to taste Salt; 1 pinch Sugar; generous White Pepper; a splash Light Soy or Fish Sauce; a few drops Sesame Oil; Spring Onion

It's the dried fish, not the wontons, doing the heavy lifting.

John DrummondWritten 14 September 2026

A white bowl of clear golden broth with sliced spring onion and a china spoon

Prep25min

Cook3hr

All up3hr 25min

Serves6

LevelMedium

Diana had this at Lucky Lotus aboard the Scarlet Lady, and it is the broth that is worth chasing rather than the wontons. No wontons here, just the good stuff.

The reason it tastes so deep, and not like plain chicken soup, is dried flounder and dried shrimp simmered with the pork bones. It is the dried fish doing the heavy lifting.

No dried flounder? Good chicken stock with 2 tablespoons of dried shrimp, ginger, a splash of fish sauce, white pepper and a pinch of sugar, simmered 30 to 45 minutes, gets you about 80% of the way. A little dashi or bonito is a sneaky umami hack too.

The method

Six moves.

Bones, Blanch
Cover the bones with cold water, boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse them. This is what keeps the broth clear.
Flounder, Toast
Toast the dried flounder in a dry pan, or in the oven at 150°C for 8–10 minutes a side, until fragrant. Don't skip this — it's the magic. Lightly toast the dried shrimp too.
Everything In
Put the bones, flounder and dried shrimp into about 3 litres of water, along with the shrimp shells, ginger, spring onion, peppercorns and tangerine peel. Bring it to a bare simmer — never a rolling boil, because boiling turns it cloudy. Skim off the foam.
Simmer, Gently
Simmer gently for 2 to 4 hours — longer is deeper — topping up the water as needed. Keep it at a whisper of a simmer. That is what keeps it clear.
Strain, Season
Strain it. Season to taste: salt, a pinch of sugar, a generous hit of white pepper, and a splash of light soy or fish sauce.
Serve
Serve with a drop of sesame oil and some sliced spring onion.