Weather, Soup Season and Edamame Wonton Soup

Here in Denver, the local news pretty much covers two subjects: the weather and the Broncos. Sure, there might be a report on a random act of violence or a political clip. Maybe you'll tune in when there's a rescue story of a cat who was stuck in a tree (isn't there always one of those), but a good deal of the news coverage in this part of Colorado is dedicated to the weather and football. My husband and I joke that even in the off-season, Broncos coverage hardly wanes, and you'll find out everything you ever needed to know about training camp, recaps of last season and projections for the upcoming one. This is Broncos country and it's close to a religion here. After the Broncos, people want to know about the weather. 
Now I'm hardly a meteorologist, but I too find myself obsessing about the weather. The fluctuation in temperature this time of year is something particular to this part of the country. Since Denver is "high dessert" you might start a morning jog in a parka, spend lunch in a t-shirt, and then crave a big bowl of soup as the temperature drops like a stone once the sun goes down. But during the day it's usually around 50 or 60 degrees, 
and it can feel warm because of the high elevation and the strong sun. That means you can spend a lot of time outdoors. 

That said, the Fahrenheit dips pretty low at night. And all this back-and-forth, up-and-down makes me a bit sniffly. That's when I start craving soup...often, and almost daily. 
So I've stared making a list of the soups I'll be making this month: Mark Bittman's mushroom barley is looking good, so does this one for broccoli-cheddar, and of course I will get a big pot of pesto-minestrone going next week. I've dusted off my copy of Love Soup and I'm looking through it to see what is calling my name...
But I stared my soup season with this edamame wonton soup from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. (It's worth buying. Yes, it's that good.)

I made this soup a few weeks ago and revisited it again today. I used mushroom stock last time, and this time around I used a good quality vegetable stock (but not low-sodium like the recipe suggests). But play around with this recipe. I think there are lots of possibilities.
Enjoy this one on a chilly autumn night...and happy soup season!
xo

Edamame Wonton Soup (Courtesy of The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte,© 2012.) 

Ingredients

Wontons

• 4 green onions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups shelled edamame, cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons regular or vegan sour cream
• Dash of hot sauce (I used sriracha)
• 40 round wonton wrappers

Broth

• 4 cups mushroom or low-sodium vegetable broth (I used a non-low-sodium, so I diluted it with 1 cup of water)
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Microgreens or pea shoots, for garnish

Instructions

Combine the green onions, sesame oil, basil, edamame, sour cream, and hot sauce in a food processor. Process to a puree.  

• On a lightly floured work surface, place a heaping tablespoonful of the edamame filling in the center of a wonton wrapper.
• Use your finger to wipe a bit of water around the edge of the wrapper. 

   

• Place another wonton wrapper on top of the filling and press down along the edges to adhere. 
• Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. 

       

• To make the broth, warm the mushroom broth in a pot over medium-low heat. 
• Pound the lemongrass with the back of a heavy knife to release its oils and discard the tough outer layer. 

                      

• Mince the inner, pale portion of the bottom of the stalk and add it to the broth along with the mirin and soy sauce. 
• Gently simmer for 10 minutes to combine the flavors. 
• Cover and turn the heat to low to keep warm. 
• Add enough of the broth to a saucepan to cover the bottom, about 1 cup, and add a single layer of wontons (you will probably need to do this in two batches). 
• Cover and steam over medium-low heat until the wontons are warmed, about 2 minutes. 
• To serve, divide the wontons among four shallow bowls and pour about ½ cup of the remaining broth on top. 

• Garnish with a sprinkle of the toasted sesame seeds and sprouts and serve hot.

A great variation to this recipe can be found on Love and Lemons here.