wontons and veggies in curry broth

a true 15-minute meal

Earlier this week on Instagram, I shared a no-recipe meal that I make all the time when I really really do not feel like cooking. My inbox flooded with DMs asking for a recipe, so I decided that I should turn that no-recipe recipe into a proper recipe! And you know what, this meal does deserve time in the spotlight — it has fed my family many nights when I didn’t think I had the time, energy, or ingredients to cook dinner, and I know it’ll be a new go-to for you too.

Wontons and veggies served in a delightful curry broth. This meal is very cozy, extremely flavorful, requires almost zero chopping, and — thanks to pre-sliced mushrooms, red curry paste, and frozen wontons — takes just 15 minutes from start to finish (the 15-minute chapter of the book is the most-cooked by far, so I know you all will love this!). I like to finely chop spinach when I use it here, but you don’t have to. You could just tear it up as you add it or throw the leaves in whole, which would make it a completely no-chop recipe.

Let’s chat about red curry paste and frozen mini wontons, the ingredients that allow us to do the bare minimum for this meal.

• Red curry paste: I adore red curry paste. It typically contains garlic, lemongrass, coriander, and spices, so just one spoonful of it adds SO much flavor to a meal. Curry paste spice level varies a lot from brand to brand, and each family’s heat tolerance is different. So for this recipe, I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of curry paste no matter what brand you’re using. Mae Ploy, Mekhala, and Maesri are super spicy, so, unless you love heat, you’re probably good to stop there. On the other hand, Thai Kitchen red curry paste is pretty mild in comparison, so you may want to add another half or or even whole tablespoon. Taste your curry paste before you add any and let that guide you! Remember that it’s always easier to add more spice than it is to dial it back. Stir more in at the very end if needed!

• Frozen mini wontons: any of the following work: mini dumplings, wontons, potstickers, or gyoza. Though there are differences between each of these — including their shape, country of origin, and usual preparation method — they’re all delicious dough-wrapped bites of filling. The filling varies! I often buy these chicken and veggie wontons, but there are vegetable, pork, shrimp… browse your frozen food aisle and pick whatever sounds most delicious to you. As for size, “mini” dumplings/wontons/potstickers/gyoza are ideal since they’re bite-sized and easy to scoop up with your spoon. But if you can’t find mini, regular-sized wontons work perfectly too.

You can use absolutely any veg instead of or in addition to the mushrooms. Sliced red bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini… even frozen veg like corn or green beans would be great. If using frozen, add it at the same time as the dumplings.

In my house, Cash (2) loves it, the big boys (4 and 5) won’t touch it. Here’s what I do for them: In a separate skillet, I sauté another 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms (or broccoli florets) for 5 minutes or until browned and all of their liquid has evaporated. I then push the mushrooms to one side of the skillet, add more oil and 10 wontons to the empty side, cook them until browned on the bottom, then add a splash of water and cover for 3 minutes until steamed through. I serve them with peanut sauce for dipping (1 big scoop peanut butter, drizzle of honey, splash of rice wine vinegar or lime juice, splash of soy sauce, splash of hot water until easy to stir). They love, love, love this meal.

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Serves 4

Cook time: 15 minutes

Tools:

• Large pot/saucepan

• Chef’s knife and cutting board (or skip the chopping and just tear your spinach instead!)

Ingredients: