Wonton Meatballs
¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in water until rehydrated
½ pound raw shrimp shelled and deveined
1 pound ground pork
2 scallions finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro minced
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Avocado oil
Soup
6 cups chicken broth
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin coins
1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 pound baby bok choy ends trimmed and cut lengthwise in half or in quarters
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions thinly sliced
Make the Wonton Meatballs
If you haven’t already, rehydrate your dried mushrooms. (Pro tip: Soak them in a bowl of water in the morning so they’ll be plump and tender by the time you’re ready to make dinner.)
Once you’re ready to cook, squeeze the water out of the mushrooms. Cut and discard the stems and finely mince the caps.
Finely chop the shrimp until it turns into a chunky, sticky paste.
Transfer the chopped shrimp to a large bowl. Add the pork, mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, coconut aminos, salt, fish sauce, white pepper and sesame oil.
Use your hands to squeeze and mix the meatball mixture until a sticky and tacky mass is formed. (Alternatively, use a food processor to chop and combine the ingredients.)
Form a little patty and cook it in a small skillet over medium heat. Taste it and season with more salt if needed. (Not ready to cook just yet? You can refrigerate the meat mixture for up to 12 hours.)
Using a medium disher, portion out 20 blobs of the mixture. Rub a little avocado oil on your palms and roll the meat into uniform-sized balls.
Make the soup
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil over high heat. Season the broth with fish sauce and salt to taste.
Add the baby bok choy to the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender crisp. Remove the bok choy with a slotted spoon and divide into 4 soup bowls.
Add the meatballs to the broth and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. The middle of a meatball should read 145°F with an instant-read thermometer, and the resulting meatballs should be bouncy and light.
Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil. Divide the meatballs and soup into the bowls. Garnish with scallions.
Shortcut to faster wonton meatballs:
Substitute ¾ teaspoon of my Umami Stir-Fry Powder for the dried shiitake mushrooms, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ground white pepper.
Also, use a food processor to chop and mix all the meatball ingredients. The resulting meatballs will have a more uniform texture, but they’ll still taste amazing!
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 26g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g