Easy wonton soup a comforting fall food

Now that the weather’s turning colder, I’ve been seeing a lot of great-looking soup recipes on my social media feeds.

Coming off a cold and rainy week, I can’t help but want to jump on the liquid nourishment bandwagon. There’s something instantly heartwarming and wonderfully satisfying about a bowl of hot soup on a dismal day in late fall — or any time, really, you need a comforting pick-meup.

This super-easy, nutritious and intensely flavored soup made with fresh wontons was inspired by a recipe for Pork Meatball Soup on Cook’s Country Instagram feed. It’s packed with fresh, aromatic ginger, which is thought to increase serotonin and dopamine levels, and there’s also a lovely kick from one of my alltime favorite condiments, chile crisp. Because they’re simmered in broth instead of fried in oil, the meatballs are super-tender, with a silky, melt-in-your mouth texture.

If a prep time of less than a half-hour isn’t a big enough seller — no folding or crimping of wontons is required, just slicing into strips — think about that wonderful aroma filling your kitchen. It’s incredibly inviting.

If you’re using baby spinach, there’s no need to trim the stem or chop it (it’s tender), but you may want to give full-grown spinach leaves a rough chop after washing.

The original recipe called for baby bok choy — I’m not a fan — so I substituted baby spinach. If

you don’t have wonton wrappers (you’ll find them in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle,

next to tofu), substitute any wide egg noodle and simply adjust the cooking time. You also could swap ground chicken or turkey for the pork, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette