Wonton soup, a comforting and flavorful staple of Cantonese cuisine, has found its place in hearts (and stomachs) across the globe. However, the traditional recipe poses a challenge for those adhering to a ketogenic diet due to its reliance on high-carb ingredients like wheat flour wrappers. This article explores how to adapt wonton soup into a keto-friendly dish, allowing you to enjoy this classic without compromising your dietary goals.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares similarities to paleo, Whole30, and Atkins. On Keto, you’re supposed to get at least 70 percent of your calories from Fat, 15 to 25 percent from Protein, and 10 percent from Carbohydrates. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This metabolic shift forces the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it begins to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
The Challenge of Traditional Wonton Soup
Traditional wonton soup typically features wontons (boiled or pan-fried dumplings) served in a light broth. The primary obstacle for keto dieters lies in the wonton wrappers, which are traditionally made from wheat flour - a significant source of carbohydrates. To put that into perspective, 30 grams of carbs is MORE than most ketoers total daily allowance of carbs, and one bowlful has more than a third of the day’s recommended allowance.
Keto Wonton Soup: The Key Ingredients
The key to making keto wonton soup is choosing the right ingredients. To make keto wontons, it's essential to select low-carb wrapping options.
Rethinking the Wonton Wrapper
Since wonton wrappers are just not keto-friendly, the most direct way to create a keto-friendly wonton soup is to eliminate the traditional wrapper altogether.
Read also: Delicious keto wonton soup
Embracing the "Naked" Wonton
Instead of worrying about the carbs in a wonton wrapper, consider a "naked" approach. This involves creating low-carb pork meatballs that mimic the flavor profile of traditional wonton fillings.
The Broth: The Heart of the Soup
The broth is what sets this soup apart from any other kind. The broth is a crucial element of wonton soup, and it's essential to ensure it aligns with keto principles.
Keto-Friendly Fillings
The filling, whether in a traditional wrapper or formed into meatballs, offers an opportunity to pack in flavor and nutrients while maintaining a low-carb count.
Vegetables and Seasonings
To make keto wonton soup, it's crucial to select ingredients that are low in carbohydrates and rich in fat and protein.
- Choose low-carb vegetables: Avoid high-carb vegetables like carrots and peas. Bok choy and thinly sliced mushrooms, spinach, are excellent choices.
- Use keto-friendly seasonings: Be mindful of seasoning ingredients that may contain added sugars or high-carb spices. Coconut aminos (or soy sauce), sesame oil, ginger, and garlic are flavorful options.
Making Keto Wonton Soup: Step-by-Step
This soup is super-easy to make! Since the pork meatballs cook in the broth, you don’t have to worry about making them separately.
Read also: Creamy Keto Soup
"Naked" Wonton Soup Recipe
Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a delicious and satisfying keto wonton soup:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound pealed shrimp
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small piece of ginger
- 1 green onion
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 cups chicken broth (or bone broth)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Optional vegetables: thinly sliced mushrooms, spinach or bok choy.
- Coconut aminos (or soy sauce) to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Prepare the broth: In a large pot boil the chicken broth with the piece of ginger and 2 whole cloves of garlic. Let simmer for 10 -15 minutes. Remove the pieces of ginger and garlic from the broth.
- Make the meatballs: Using a food processor, grind up the pealed shrimp and raw ground pork with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 chopped green onion. Mix until well combined. (you can use a knife and cutting board for this step if you don't have a food processor.)
- Cook the meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 F. Shape the pork and shrimp mixture into small meatballs. Place the meatballs into a baking dish, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until browned. Turn a few times throughout.
- Combine and simmer: Add the cooked meatballs, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and the last chopped green onion to the pot. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add vegetables: Add the thinly sliced mushrooms and spinach. Allow to simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper and garnish. Serve hot. You can add your favorite garnish - like green onions.
Tips for Success
- The pork meatballs also have a distinct flavor that is perfect in this soup.
- The egg is important because it binds the meatballs together.
Serving and Enjoying Your Keto Wonton Soup
One of the benefits of keto wonton soup is its versatility.
Pairings
Since this is a type of Chinese food, make your favorite sides to go with it! Try it with some bang bang cauliflower, and cauliflower fried rice.
Storage
This soup is perfect for meal prep. The soup will last at least 5 days without any change in taste or texture. I like to store my leftover soup in a mason jar. That way, I just have to remove the lid and heat it up in the microwave.
To Freeze this soup: Freeze the cooked meatballs separate from the broth.
Read also: Creamy Keto Soup Recipe
Incorporating Keto Wonton Soup into Your Meal Plan
Incorporating wonton soup into a keto meal plan can provide several benefits. The high-fat content of keto wontons can help individuals meet their daily fat intake requirements, while the protein-rich fillings can support muscle growth and maintenance.