Spicy Won Ton Soup

This one's always a success. It's one of the first fancy soups I've ever made. My husband usually helps with this one. He's became a very proficient won ton stuffer ;-)
I know it's one of my dad's preferred recipes, because it's spicy (hence the name) and colourful.

It's a tad time consuming, and the stuffing tends to come out of the won ton while cooking, but the flavours are fantastic. A mixture of fresh and spicy and exotic.

The recipe comes from a recipe book titled ''Soups'' (very straight to the point). Written by Frances Ros, it's from the Essentials Collection.

For the stuffing:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro
• 2 egg whites
• 200gr of cooked chicken, chopped
• 16 won ton wrappers (found in most grocery stores in the frozen section)

To make the won tons, mix the garlic, scallions, soy sauce, wine, cilantro, 1 egg white and chicken together.
Spoon the mixture into the centers of 16 won ton wrappers, brush around the edges with the remaining egg white, then fold over into triangles and seal. Press the 2 farthest corners of the triangle together with the egg white. Tada, you've made a won ton! (You can also substitute shrimp instead of chicken).

Now that that's done, you need to cook these in a broth. (You can make the won tons in advance and keep them moist by covering them with a damp towel.)

For the broth:

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil (the dark one, not the light one since this one is not from roasted sesames and lacks a rich flavour)
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 small red chili, chopped (seeded if you prefer less spicy)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions, chili and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Pour in the chicken broth, soy sauce, white wine and herbs. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Now you're ready to add the won tons. Just add them gently to your broth and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Voila! Enjoy! (I know I always do!)