Here’s a refreshing Wonton Salad recipe I’ve been making all summer long! Crispy wontons are tossed with crisp cucumbers, fresh ginger, garlic, spicy chilies, and fresh mint in a simple Asian Dressing.
For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out, and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.
Cynthia Occelli
Why You’ll Love This Wonton Salad!
Bursting with flavor, this wonton salad is so satisfying and quick, ready in 30 minutes- it’s the perfect summer dinner!
With over 200 salad recipes on the blog, I have learned that sometimes the best salads don’t have lettuce at all! Here, we use store-bought wontons, crisp cucumbers, and fresh mint as the base. It’s one of those salads that can be whipped up on the fly.
- Incredibly easy to make! Ready in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
- Meal-prep-friendly. Wonton Salad keeps for 4 days!
- A cool, refreshing summer recipe. Light, yet filling enough for a warm weather main dish!
Wonton Salad Ingredients
- Mini wontons: I buy frozen mini chicken wontons at Trader Joe’s. Feel free to use others or use vegan wontons!
- Persian cucumbers: Or use thin-skinned cucumbers. This makes up the crunchy, cooling base of the salad.
- Chives and mint: Or use scallions and mint. These make a vibrant green addition that infuses the salad with fresh, herby flavor. Cilantro would make another great addition.
- Fresh hot chili pepper: Adds a pop of color and a touch of heat!
- Garlic and ginger : Grated garlic and ginger adds pungent, aromatic flavor bringing depth to the salad.
- Lemongrass paste: Optional, but adds lemony citrusy taste. Unique and delicious!
- Asian dressing: Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, fresh lime juice, and sriracha.
- Optional garnishes: Toasted sesame seeds, or our chili crisp!
Ingredient FAQs
Most grocery stores will have them available in the freezer section.
Yes! Feel free to add your favorite green if desired. Spinach, arugula, or shredded cabbage!
While you can use a store-bought dressing like sesame ginger dressing, the dressing ingredients here are simple items you likely already have on hand. It is so easy to make!
We love it when you get creative with your own variations! Try adding thinly sliced red bell pepper, matchstick carrots, shredded cabbage, and roasted peanuts!
How to Make This Wonton Salad
Step 1: Cook the wontons. In a large, non-stick skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add frozen mini wontons in a single layer. Once golden, flip and warm until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
Tip: If using regular-sized wontons, fry them on one side first, then add a splash of water and cover the pan to let them steam until cooked through.
Step 2: While wontons cook, prep the salad. Score the cucumbers with the tines of a fork to help them “catch” the dressing. Then, thinly slice them with a sharp knife and add to a large bowl. Add chopped mint leaves, chives (or green onions), and thinly sliced chili pepper. Grate the garlic and ginger over the bowl and add lemongrass paste if using.
Step 3: Add dressing. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and sriracha and mix.
Step 4: Add wontons and season. Add the cooled wontons to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Or add a splash of fish sauce!
Step 5: Chill and garnish. Chill until ready to serve, then garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chili crisp.
FAQs
It depends! The chili peppers add a bit of heat, as well as the chili crisp. You can discard the seeds in the chili peppers to reduce heat, or skip them and the chili crisp if you’re intolerant to spicy flavors.
Wonton wrappers are typically made with flour, egg, water, and salt, though there are vegan wontons available. They are usually filled with protein like chicken, pork, or shrimp, or vegetables.
Wonton wrappers are more square and thinner, oftentimes containing egg. Dumpling wrappers are rounder and thicker.
Yes! If you want to prepare the entire salad, it keeps for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Or you can whisk together the dressing and keep it in a jar and prepare the wontons and store in the fridge, then assemble the salad when ready to enjoy.
Hope you enjoy this Wonton Salad – such a refreshing summer dish! Make it ahead for the busy workweek- a cool and refreshing treat, full of healthy delicious nutrients!
More Recipes You Might Like
Wonton Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
- Category: salad
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Here’s a punchy, refreshing Wonton Salad recipe I’ve been making all summer long! Crispy wontons are tossed with crisp cucumbers, ginger, chilies, chives, garlic, and fresh mint in a simple Asian dressing.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces mini wontons, frozen (I used Trader Joe’s mini chicken wontons; feel free to use others!)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Persian cucumbers, or thinned-skinned cucumbers, roughy 2 –2 1/2 cups
- 1/4 cup chives, or scallions, sliced
- 1/4 cup mint, chopped, packed
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh hot chili pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated or use ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste, optional but tasty!
- 2–2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup , honey syrup, or sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, more to taste.
- 1–2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce– optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, peanut chili crunch, or Chili Crisp.
Instructions
- Cook the wontons. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the frozen mini wontons in a single layer. Flip as they get golden, cooking until cooked through, roughly 10-12 minutes. Let cool. If using regular-sized wontons, see notes.
- While the wontons are cooking, prepare the salad. Score the cucumbers with the tines of a fork. This helps them “catch” the dressing. Slice and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped mint, chives and thinly sliced chili pepper. Grate the garlic and ginger over the bowl. Add lemongrass paste if using.
- Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup , lime juice and sriracha and mix well.
- Toss in the cooled wontons and add salt and pepper to taste (or add a splash of fish sauce!)
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, or our chili crisp.
Notes
Use mini wontons if you can- I really like Trader Joe’s Mini Chicken Wontons because they are small and have lemongrass in them- super tasty!
If using regular-sized wontons– after you get them crispy on one side, add a splash of water to the pan, cover, and steam to cook all the way through. Cook off any extra water, let cool.
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Vegan adaptable: Find vegan wontons!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 10.8 g
- Sodium: 654.2 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.4 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 14.5 mg
This was okay, but I would not cut the cucumber too thin because then they don’t hold up well against the wontons. Persian cucumber is a must here. I thought the sauce ingredients could have been paired down a bit too.
Thanks for the feedback Heather!
We’ve made this twice and I recommended it to my parents (who can be picky eaters). It’s perfect for fresh garden cucumber and herb season. This will be on the regular summer/early fall rotation!
Glad you are enjoying Haley!
Excellent tasting and making it again tonight for my daughter. This time with boiled wontons and see if the recipe is as flavourful. Trying to keep it w less oil, that’s all. It’s a keeper!
So glad you liked it! Love to hear how it goes with the boil method. Really appreciate the review Rosetta!
This is a perfect light stand alone meal. I couldn‘t find wontons, so I used gyoza.
I love the balance between the tangy, spicy sauce, the crunchy cucumbers and the hearty meaty gyoza.
Oh perfect, glad it worked out Diana!
Thank you, Sylvia. This is absolutely delicious.
Johann
So happy you enjoyed Johann!
Where do you put the lime? Thanks!
Ooops – thanks for pointing that out Nancy! Put it with the rest of the dressing ingredients! I updated the recipe and thanks for catching it!
Loved this recipe. Bought the Trader Joe’s chicken & vegetarian wontons for our family. Served with brown rice and edamame. Yummy!
Perfect!
Ok, this salad is so delicious! Will be on repeat.
So glad you gave it a try!
Wow, fresh and delicious, added roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. Also made the sesame tomato salad as a side, so good!
Great to hear Louise!
Hi Sylvia….making this right now. Ginger not listed in the ingredients and lime not mentioned in instructions….
Hi Beverly, sorry about that- 1 teaspoon! I updated the recipe card!