Beef Wonton Mami

Beef Wonton Mami with dumplings, fresh egg noodles, and flavor-packed broth is comfort food at its best. It’s a tasty and filling midday snack or main meal—perfect for cold weather!

I’m back from the Philippines after a two-month trip for business/vacation. It was the dead heat of Summer when I arrived in June, and it was the start of the rainy season by the time I left the last week of July.

Tropical weather is interesting; you never know what to expect. One minute, you’re drenched with sweat; the next, you’re chilled to the bones sa malakas na ulan. Some days, we’ll have a refreshing avocado sago jelly merienda to keep us cool, and then, come dinner time, we’ll be craving a bowl of piping-hot beef wonton mami to warm our bellies!

The soup, which consists of tender beef, fresh egg noodles, wontons, vegetables, and flavorful broth, definitely hits the spot every time. It’s filling and delicious; comfort food at its best!

Ingredient notes

• Beef- Low and slow cooking turns the meat tender and juicy. Cuts great for soups are brisket, chuck roast, cross-cut shanks, or bone-in short ribs.
• Wontons– made with soft, chewy wonton wrappers and ground pork filling with green onions, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
• Mami– fresh noodles made from eggs and wheat flour
• Broth– from cooking the beef with added depth from bouillon, star anise, and brown sugar
• Vegetables– onions and garlic are aromatics that serve as the base for ginisa dishes; napa cabbage for color and bulk
• Toppings– garnish the soup with green onions and fried garlic bits before serving

Make the dumplings

You can make wontons using the easy recipe below or use ready-made dumplings available in most Asian supermarkets’ freezer aisles.

1. Combine ground pork, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gently stir until well distributed.
2. Separate wrappers into individual sheets. Spoon a heaping tablespoonful of meat mixture on the middle of each wrapper, gathering the sides to form a “cup” around the mixture. Cover with a kitchen towel until ready to use to prevent the wrappers from drying out.

How to make beef wonton mami soup

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions and garlic until softened. Add beef and sear until lightly browned.
2. Add water and bring to a boil, skimming scum that floats on top. When cleared, add star anise, brown sugar, and beef bouillon. Stir until dissolved.
3. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Gently add the wontons and simmer until the filling is cooked through. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In another pot, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for about 10 to 15 seconds. Remove noodles, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and drain well.
5. Add napa cabbage and cook briefly just until wilted. Drain well.
6. Divide mami noodles equally in bowls. Add beef and wontons and pour hot broth over them. Garnish with fried garlic bits and chopped onions. Serve hot.

More mami recipes

• Chicken Mami-a homemade broth takes this noodle soup from good to great!
• Bulalo Mami-a hearty soup made with bone-in beef shanks

Serving suggestions and storage instructions

• Enjoy this beef wonton mami soup alone or with siopao asado as a filling midday snack or light meal. Serve hot with toppings of choice, such as chopped green onions and fried garlic bits, and additional flavorings like calamansi, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce.
• This Filipino-style noodle soup is best enjoyed freshly cooked as the mami and wonton tend to soak up all the liquid and lose texture in the broth. It doesn’t freeze well, as frozen and thawed ingredients turn mushy.
• If you plan to store it for future meals, I suggest keeping the meat with broth, noodles, dumplings, vegetables, and toppings in separate containers. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Combine all the elements in a large pot and reheat to 165 F.