Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup is easy to make. Delicious, flavorful pork wonton meatballs cook in a simple chicken soup.
Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup
Growing up in Miami, my dad and I used to go to Chinese restaurants quite a bit. We also would bring in Chinese food from a place in North Miami.
Unfortunately I cannot remember the name. It was truly the best Chinese food I have ever had. My dad has always been a HUGE lover of soup. I have so many memories of dad, Chinese food and wonton soup.
Low Carb Wonton Soup Starts with Ground Pork
Chinese Wonton Soup cooks so quickly and efficiently in an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. The flavors infuse
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Ingredients for Low Carb Wonton Soup
- Ground Pork
- Garlic, Ginger, Scallions
- Woodear Mushrooms
- Rice Vinegar
- Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
- Veggies like Napa Cabbage and Bok Choy
Wonton soup starts with a good filling. Ground pork is the traditional meat to use, but it is not the only way. Those who are kosher or do not eat pork can still enjoy a wonderful and easy Instant Pot Wonton Soup for dinner!
Chop Ginger, Garlic, Scallions
Wonton filling is pretty basic. As the meatballs will be naked without a wonton wrapper, it is important to make a tight and firm meatball so that they will not fall apart in the soup.
Some of the liquids normally found in the meatball willing will instead be added to the soup.
Make Wonton Meatballs
- Garlic, ginger, scallions and woodear mushrooms will be chopped up and added to the ground pork.
- So that the meatballs have some texture, first chop or grind the garlic, ginger and scallions.
My Ultimate Chopper (Mini Food Processor) is one of my favorite kitchen helpers. Unfortunately, it is no longer made. Therefore, I recommend this Cuisinart Mini Prep Chopper. It makes quick work of chopping!
Gently Chop Woodear Mushrooms
Dried woodear mushrooms add a chewy, crunchy texture to the wonton meatballs. Some will be added into the meat mixture and some will be added to the soup.
What are Woodear Mushrooms?
- A member of the auricularia family, woodear mushrooms also called black mushrooms. black fungus are an edible fungus.
- Woodear mushrooms are ear shaped. When soaked in water, they balloon up five times the size. They have a rubbery texture and must to be cooked prior to eating
- I have read that woodear mushrooms offer health benefits.
Pro Tip: It is important to first rehydrated the woodear mushrooms by soaking them in water at least 45 minutes prior to cooking.
I recommend these Vigorous Mountains, Dried Woodear Mushrooms. Another yummy Chinese recipe which uses woodear mushrooms is my delicious Pressure Cooker Chinese Hot and Sour Soup.
Add Chopped Veggies to Ground Pork
If you are wondering if Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup can be made on the stove top, it can and it is very easy.
Stovetop Low Carb Wonton Soup
- While I recommend using a pressure cooker Low Carb Wonton Soup can be cooked in a pot on the stove.
- Make the soup first and bring it to a medium simmer.
- Mix up the wonton meatballs and add to the soup and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Add Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Sambal Oelek to Filling
A bit of tasty flavor boosters get mixed in with the ground pork filling. The mixture will feel a bit loose right now.
For kosher folks and those who cannot eat pork or do not eat pork, other types of ground meat will work!
Ground Meat Options
- Ground Pork
- Ground Chicken
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Beef or Bison
Pro Tip: Beef is a heavier meat. Try combining ground beef and ground chicken so that the consistency and texture of the filling will be closer to authentic wonton filling.
Xanthan Gum Binds Meatballs
Low carb and keto meatballs need a binder so that they will stay together when cooked in soup or broth. There are several ways to keep the meatballs from falling a part.
Low Carb Meatball Binders
- Xanthan Gum – just a small amount will help to thicken the meatball mixture..
- Chia Seeds – I love this option! Again, a small amount is all that is needed. The chia seeds will absorb the moisture that is in the meatballs and plump up. This will keep the meatballs nice and juicy.
- Ground Pork Rinds – Pork rinds are great to keep in your arsenal of low carb ingredients. They replace breadcrumbs as a binder in recipes such as The BEST Instant Pot Meatloaf [Beef or Turkey] and Instant Pot Low Carb Margherita Pizza Meatballs and the taste is pretty undetectable. They are also great as a breading or coating for Low Carb Chicken Schnitzel {Chicken Cutlets} and Air Fryer Garlic Mushrooms. They cook up nice and crispy and again, without any detection that they are pork rinds.
All three choices will work well as a binder. The xanthan gum and chia seeds work best for food cooked in soup. The pork rinds are better for use in baking and breadings.
Mix Up Low Carb Wonton Filling
Everything gets mixed together. I sometimes like to use food kitchen gloves when mixing up meat mixtures.
Make sure to combine the ingredients really well.
Pro Tip: Add a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon Chicken Base, to the meatball mix to up the overall flavor. The flavor released into the soup will be fantatic!
Tightly Roll One Inch Wonton Meatballs
Roll the meatballs very compact to make sure they stay together during cooking.
Wonton meatballs can be cooked in an Ultrean 8.5 Quart Air Fryer or on the stove in a skillet. If cooking in the air fryer, make sure to use a good oil sprayer and spray the meatballs well. They are terrific over a bowl of zucchini noodles, Palmini Angle Hair Pasta, Palmini Rice and riced cauliflower. Equally delicious over Mashed Cauliflower!
Make Strong Chicken Broth
My recommendation for Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup is to use Better than Bouillon Chicken Base, so that you can mix up a strong chicken broth and keep the recipe simple. The flavor of the base is super good in this recipe.
I generally like to use fresh chicken and seasonings to make my own chicken soup, but since this is a simple broth, I wanted a quick and stronger soup. The stronger soup will add to flavor the wonton meatballs, as well as keep the soup from becoming a bit diluted after adding the vegetables, which give off some water.
Tips and Tricks for Low Carb Meatballs
- Soak woodear mushrooms for one hour.
- Grate a little ginger into the ground pork and then chop up the rest.
- Roll meatballs very tightly.
Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage & Toasted Sesame Oil
The bok choy and Napa cabbage will quickly cook in the hot soup. Toasted Sesame Oil truly brings the dish together.
Add On Vegetables
- Bok Choy
- Napa Cabbage
- Cremini Mushrooms
- Snow Peas
All of the above vegetables will quickly cook in the hot soup, so add them after pressure has been released.
Season with Soy Sauce
Serve a bowl of soup with soy sauce so that each person can customize!
I totally recommend getting a nice set of chopsticks. My favorite are these Natural Wooden Hand Carved Chopsticks!
Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup
Enjoy! Don’t forget to serve Dim Sum Air Fryer Chinese Shrimp Toast and Air Fryer New York Style Egg Rolls {Shrimp & Pork} for an appetizer!
More Instant Pot Chinese Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Chinese Take-Out General Tso’s Chicken
- Pressure Cooker Chinese Take-Out Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Chinese Boiled Peanuts
- Instant Pot Fried Rice Chinese Style (Pressure Cooker)
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- *** My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Pyrex 32 ounce Glass Measuring Cup
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Ultimate Chopper (Mini Food Processor) or Cuisinart Mini Prep Chopper
- Muslin Drawstring (Sachet) Bag
- Food Service Gloves
- Natural Wooden Hand Carved Chopsticks
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
Meatballs
- .5 ounce Dried Woodear Mushrooms soaked (divided)
- 1 pound Ground Pork
- 3 Scallions chopped (or 1 Tablespoon Shallot or Onion)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger Root minced
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base (optional, adds more flavor)
- 2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek Ground Chili Paste
- 1/4 teaspoon Pure Sesame Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum or 1 teaspoon Chia Seeds
Soup
- 8 cups Fresh Water (or 8 cups Chicken Stock)
- 3 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic minced
- 2 inch Fresh Ginger Root minced
Finish
- 3 leaves Napa Cabbage chopped
- 3 leaves Bok Choy rolled and sliced into ribbons
- 2 Scallions sliced
- 1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- Salt to taste
Optional Add Ins
- Cremini Mushrooms sliced
- Snow Peas (adds more carbs)
Recommended Products
Instructions
- In a bowl of warm water, add woodear mushrooms and soak for one hour.
Make Meatballs
- To a large bowl add ground pork.
- Using a mini chopper (or chop by hand), chop up ginger, garlic and scallions and process until well chopped.
- Drain water from woodear mushrooms and add half of them to chopper (or chop by hand) and pulse two times. Woodear mushrooms should just be cut into small pieces, not processed to mush.
- Add ginger, garlic, scallions and woodear mushrooms to bowl with ground pork.
- To the ground pork add Better than Bouillon Chicken Base, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Sambal Oelek, Sesame oil and xanthan gum.
- Pop on sanitary gloves (or not) and mix together until uniformly combined.
- Roll into small meatballs and place into Instant Pot cooking pot.
- Pour in rice vinegar.
- Lock on lid and close pressure value. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high) for 2 minutes.
- While soup is cooking, chop the bok choy leaves and the Napa cabbage,
- When beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
Soup
- Add garlic and ginger to a sachet bag and place into cooking pot.
- Mix together Better than Bouillon Chicken Base and water and pour into Instant Pot cooking pot.
- Chop the rest of the woodear mushrooms into strips and add them to the pot.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high) for two minutes.
- While soup is cooking, chop the bok choy leaves and Napa cabbage,
- When beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- Once pressure is released remove lid.
- Add bok choy and Napa cabbage and mix in.
- Drizzle in a bit of toasted sesame oil.
- Add to individual bowls and serve with soy sauce.
Video
Notes
Ground Meat Options
- Ground Pork
- Ground Chicken
- Ground Turkey
- Ground Beef or Bison
Stovetop Low Carb Wonton Soup
- While I recommend using a pressure cooker Low Carb Wonton Soup can be cooked in a pot on the stove.
- Make the soup first and bring it to a medium simmer.
- Mix up the wonton meatballs and add to the soup and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add veggies and toasted sesame oil right before serving.
Nutrition
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Low Carb Wonton Soup
