Chinese wonton soup is a classic Chinese dish that is both flavorful and filling. The broth is made by simmering chicken and vegetables, imparting a savory depth of flavor. Wontons are small dumplings filled with minced pork and shrimp that are dropped into the simmering broth right before serving. But with the wonton wrappers and meat filling, you may be wondering just how many carbohydrates are in a typical serving of wonton soup.
The Carbohydrates in Wonton Wrappers
The biggest source of carbohydrates in wonton soup comes from the wonton wrappers. Wonton wrappers are made from wheat flour, water, and sometimes eggs. The wheat flour contains carbohydrates in the form of starch and fiber.
A single wonton wrapper contains approximately:
- Calories: 25
- Total carbohydrates: 5g
- Dietary fiber: 0.5g
- Sugars: 0g
The number of wrappers per serving depends on the size of the wontons. Smaller wontons may contain 10-20 wrappers, while larger wontons may have only 5-10 wrappers. If you eat a serving of 10 small wontons, that equates to around 50g of total carbs just from the wrappers.
Wonton Filling Carbohydrates
The filling in wontons also contributes a small amount of carbohydrates. The traditional filling contains pork and shrimp. Since meat and seafood contain no carbs, the only carbs here come from small amounts of aromatics like ginger, green onions, and sesame oil added for flavor.
A serving of 10 small wontons made with a pork and shrimp filling likely contains only around 5-10g total carbs from the filling.
Broth Carbohydrates
The wonton broth is made by simmering chicken and vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger. This imparts rich flavor but adds only a minimal amount of carbohydrates to the soup.
One cup of basic homemade chicken broth contains approximately:
- Calories: 50
- Total carbohydrates: 3g
- Dietary fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 1g
When vegetables are simmered directly in the broth, this adds a small amount more carbs from the onions, carrots, and other veggies. In total, a large bowl of wonton soup broth likely contains around 5-10g net carbs.
Net Carbs in Wonton Soup
Putting this all together, a typical large bowl of wonton soup made with 10 small wontons contains around:
- 50g carbs from wonton wrappers
- 10g carbs from wonton filling
- 10g carbs from broth and vegetables
This equals approximately 70g total carbs and 4g fiber, for 66g net carbs in the entire bowl.
Lower Carb Wonton Soup Options
There are a few simple ways to reduce the carbs in wonton soup:
- Use larger wontons with fewer wrappers. 5 large wontons may have only 20-30g total carbs.
- Replace a portion of wrappers with shirataki noodles. These very low carb noodles resemble the texture of wonton wrappers.
- Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth for less carb content.
- Increase protein by adding extra shrimp, chicken, or pork.
- Load up on bok choy, cabbage, and other low carb veggies to help fill you up.
With a few carb-cutting tweaks, you can enjoy wonton soup even if closely watching your carbohydrate intake.
Nutrition Information of Wonton Soup
Here is the full nutrition information in a typical large bowl of wonton soup with 10 small wontons and 1 cup of broth:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 350 |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 3g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 60mg |
| Sodium | 850mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 70g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Sugars | 3g |
| Protein | 15g |
The Carb Count Adds Up Quickly
Wonton soup may not seem like it would be a high carb dish. After all, it is mostly broth with little morsels of pork and shrimp wontons. However, the carb count adds up quickly due to the wheat-based wrappers surrounding each wonton.
A large bowl can easily have 70g net carbs or more, mainly from the wrappers. This means a single serving accounts for almost half of a typical low carb daily allowance.
Pay Attention to Portion Size
One way to still enjoy wonton soup while limiting carb intake is to pay close attention to portion sizes. Instead of a huge bowl, opt for just 1-2 cups of broth with only a few wontons floating inside.
You can also choose larger wonton sizes, since larger wontons mean fewer wrappers for the same amount of filling. Or bulk up your soup with extra veggies to help fill you up on fewer wontons.
Lower Carb Alternatives
Other lower carb Chinese soup options include:
- Egg drop soup – Brothy beaten egg soup
- Hot and sour soup – Spicy vinegar and mushroom soup
- Bok choy soup – Light broth with healthy bok choy
- Chicken and cabbage soup
You can also make “wonton” soup by replacing wrappers with shirataki noodles. Just a couple low carb noodles boiled right in the broth resembles the texture of wontons.
Ways to Reduce the Carbs in Wonton Soup
If you don’t want to give up this classic soup, there are several ways to cut down the carbs while keeping all the flavors you love:
- Use larger wontons. This reduces the total number of wrappers.
- Cut back on wontons by adding extra veggies like mushrooms or bok choy.
- Swap half the wontons for shirataki noodles or spiralized vegetables.
- Make wontons with tofu wrappers instead of wheat flour.
- Reduce broth size to just 1-2 cups instead of a huge bowl.
- Skip the corn starch slurry sometimes used to thicken the broth.
- Use chicken or vegetable broth instead of high-carb sesame broth.
With a combination of these tweaks, you can enjoy wonton soup more often without going over your carb limits.
Wonton Soup Nutrition
Here is the full nutrition breakdown for a typical serving of wonton soup:
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 350 | 18% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | |
| Cholesterol | 60mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 850mg | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 70g | 23% |
| Fiber | 4g | 14% |
| Sugar | 3g | |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
As you can see, a single bowl provides 23% of your daily carb needs. It also contributes significant protein, as well as some fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Potential Benefits
Some potential health benefits of wonton soup include:
- Lean protein from pork/shrimp wontons to support muscle growth and satisfaction.
- Vitamin A from carrots and cabbage promote healthy eyes and skin.
- Vitamin C from bok choy and onions aids immune function.
- Iron from pork/chicken broth prevents anemia.
- Hydration from nourishing broth.
Enjoy wonton soup in moderate portions as part of an overall healthy diet for the best nutrition and health.
Conclusion
Wonton soup is a delicious and comforting soup that also packs a hefty carb load. A large bowl can contain 70g net carbs or more, largely from the wheat-based wrappers surrounding the wontons.
Paying attention to portion sizes, reducing the number of wontons, and bulking up on low carb veggies are some ways to still enjoy this soup while watching your carb intake.
Alternatively, swapping in shirataki noodles for some or all of the wontons drastically reduces the carbs. Just a few of these low cal noodles boiled right in the broth gives a similar texture and satisfaction.
With a little carb-cutting creativity, you can still enjoy wonton soup and its enticing flavors, even when limiting your daily carbohydrate consumption.