Chinese Dumpling Soup (上湯水餃)

Every time I went into a noodle shop in Hong Kong, I’d definitely order either wonton or dumpling noodle soup. Are there any big differences between these two noodle soups? The fillings of both are mainly pork mince and prawns. But for dumplings in soup, there are some extras, wood ears, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. More ingredients mean more delicious.

Wood ear has a crisp texture. So you can imagine how balanced the texture of each dumpling you’d enjoy of every bite. When it comes to making your own dumplings in soup, you can skip anything except the wood ears. I just feel wood ear is the signature ingredient that makes these dumplings so special.

Wood ear is rich in protein and very nutritious, often used in Chinese cooking for its crisp texture and ability of taking up all the flavoursome seasonings. Often times, I just cook a few dumplings in soup with bok choy when I need a light meal.
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