The solution to easy wonton soup is in the freezer aisle

When it comes to weeknight ingredient shortcuts, I am a big fan of the grocery store freezer section. Whether it’s frozen chopped onions for French onion soup, a bag of chopped peppers for quick fajitas, or a couple of cups of frozen peas to enhance, well, anything, these items not only save time, but are often just as flavorful as their fresh counterparts.

What I usually stay away from, however, are frozen prepared items, like pizzas and single-serve entrees, that are all too often full of far too many processed ingredients and far too little flavor. One exception: frozen steamed Chinese dumplings, gyoza, and the like. These can be prepared easily as directed for an ultra-quick but still flavor-packed dinner. Plus, you can choose just about any filling (pork, vegetable, seafood or chicken) you prefer. When I’ve got a little more time (and ingredients on hand), I do, however, prefer to turn them into a quick wonton-style soup.

To further complement the flavor of the dumplings — and to help stave off any late-winter cold — I add in a hefty amount of minced or grated fresh ginger, along with a full bunch of thinly sliced scallions. I like to add both in stages: the scallion whites and two-thirds of the ginger are cooked in a thin, hot layer of toasted sesame oil until they soften and mellow, and then the greens and remaining ginger add a bright pop of flavor right before serving the soup. Between those steps, all you need is a box of chicken broth, an equal amount of water, a generous quarter cup of soy sauce, and the dumplings themselves. At my neighborhood Kroger, I can find frozen dumplings in a variety of bag sizes; a package that weighs a pound and half will serve about four people. I like pork dumplings for this recipe, but feel free to use any flavor you’d like. If you’re serving vegetarians, vegetable dumplings and vegetable broth will work just fine.