Filling Mixture - In a medium-sized bowl, combine pork, green onions, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Dumpling Assembly - Place 6 to 8 wonton wrappers on a cutting board, with the cornstarch dusted side facing up. Keep the rest covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.Place 1 ½ teaspoon of pork filling in the center of each wrapper and top with one shrimp. Alternatively, add 2 teaspoons of the pork filling if not using shrimp.
Folding Wontons - In a small bowl, add 1 cup of water. Lightly dip the brush in the water, and brush the edges to moisten. Work quickly to lift the two opposite corners to meet at a point, then use your fingers to tightly seal the rest of the sides, forming a triangle and squeezing out as much air as possible.Place the center point of the triangle facing towards you. Lightly brush water on one of the opposite corners. Pull the two opposite corners towards each other to form a boat shape. Overlap the corner with no water on top, then press to seal the edges. Transfer to a sheet pan in a single layer and repeat with remaining wontons.
Storing Extra Wontons - Only half of the wontons, about 25, will be used for the soup. The remaining can be refrigerated or frozen to use for making another meal.
Soup
Prepare Pot - In a large pot, add the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low if it comes to a boil before ready to add the wontons, then turn the heat back to high before cooking. Meanwhile, make the soup broth.
Make Broth - In a separate large pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and continuously stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, mushrooms, and carrots. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, until mushrooms have softened.
Cook Shrimp - Reduce the heat to medium. Add bok choy and shrimp, cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Turn off the heat. Season the broth with more salt and pepper to taste.
Cook Wontons - Add half of the wontons to the pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining uncooked dumplings for later use. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the wontons to the soup broth.
To Serve - Portion the broth, vegetables, shrimp, and wontons into serving bowls. Garnish with green onions, and serve hot.
Recipe Yield: Makes about 50 wontons. Cook half for the dish, and refrigerate or freeze the remaining dumplings. Make more broth for the leftover wontons.
Make a smaller batch: Reduce the pork filling by half for about 25 wontons. Keep the amount of broth the same.
Serving Size: About 3 wontons, 1 cup broth, 2 pieces of shrimp, and vegetables.
Storing: Uncooked wontons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, freeze in a single layer in a resealable bag for up to 1 month. Add directly to boiling water to cook until the pork is no longer pink.