Wor Wonton Soup (AKA Subgum Wonton Soup) - The Woks of Life (2024)

Wor Wonton Soup isn’t something that we grew up with, but it’s a popular Chinese takeout specialty in many parts of the United States. It’s a wonton soup with lots of vegetables, sliced chicken, roast pork, and shrimp added, to make a full meal in one bowl.

Our wor wonton soup recipe is particularly easy to make if you already have wontons in the freezer. You can make this soup with any of our wonton recipes, including our Simple Wontons, Chicken Wontons, or San Xian Wontons!

Wor Wonton Soup or Subgum Wonton Soup

My dad told me that as he remembers it, this dish was called “subgum wonton soup” or 什锦馄饨汤 in Chinese (shíjǐn húntún tāng in Mandarin). The term “subgum” was used to describe a dish that had different kinds of vegetables and proteins mixed together—similar to say, a Sizzling Rice Soup.

Sub gum or “sahp gam” in Cantonese, translates to “ten brocades,” which is a figurative way of communicating the idea of “numerous and varied” ingredients (thanks Wikipedia!).

Wor wonton soup is perhaps a more common name for this dish, but honestly, we aren’t sure what “wor” actually means! Lots of sources simplify it by saying it means “everything” in Chinese, but we’re not sure about that one.

My dad called his Cantonese aunt who also used to work in the restaurant business, and she said that it meant “pot” or “wok.” We’ve also seen it on Chinese menus as 窝馄饨汤 (wō húntún tāng in Mandarin), where 窝 means “nest?”

If any of you know what the “wor” in “wor wonton soup” means, share it with us in the comments below!

Making a Restaurant Dish at Home

This dish is definitely easier to execute in a restaurant, where wontons, sliced BBQ pork, pre-sliced chicken, and shrimp are within reach to make all sorts of takeout dishes.

That said, if you have wontons ready to go in the freezer, a bag of frozen shrimp, and perhaps some leftover char siu (you can also use ham), this recipe isn’t that difficult to whip up at home.

You can use store-bought or leftover chicken stock, and while there is some chopping involved, you’ll only be working with a small amount of carrot, mushrooms, etc. This recipe is actually a great way to use up scraps from your refrigerator!

I made these with my mom’s delicious San Xian Wonton recipe, but you can use any of the following recipes:

• Simple Wontons
• Chicken Wonton
• San Xian Wontons

Recipe Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Velvet the chicken by mixing it with 1 teaspoon oil, the cornstarch, and water.

Add the velveted chicken to the boiling water. Using your wok spatula, gently swirl the chicken in the water for 45 seconds, or until just cooked and opaque. Remove using a spider strainer or slotted spoon.

Then add the shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds to 1 minute (depending their size), or just until opaque. Take care not to overcook them. Remove from the boiling water and set aside.

Drop the wontons into the boiling water, and cook for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, set your wok over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil, the garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes, or until the carrots are slightly softened and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.

Add the bok choy stems to the wok and Stir fry for another minute.

Next, add the stock, and bring the soup to a simmer.

Add the char siu (or ham), cooked chicken, and shrimp. Let the soup come back up to a simmer.

Your wontons should be cooked by now. Remove them from the water using a strainer and distribute them among 4 bowls.

When the soup in your wok is simmering, stir in the leafy portions of the bok choy, the salt, white pepper, and sesame oil.

Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle the soup over the wontons and enjoy!