Use the best soup base you can and pork-containing dumplings if possible for your diet, because they impart richness to the broth as they cook. Chop scallions or onions finely and sweat them for a minute or two in the pot before you add the broth to give inexpensive sweetness and fragrance to your dish. For bite and spice, add a little garlic, ginger, or chili before or after cooking. Aromatics and stocks can be frozen as well, ensuring a constant supply of soup in the freezer. You’ll want to season your soup with soy or fish sauce, for both the saltiness and umami that’s key in Asian broths, and if you enjoy the subtly toasty flavor of sesame oil, a few drops will take your wonton soup to the next level.
In terms of extra vegetables, go with what you enjoy and have access to. Fresh Asian vegetables like bok choy or napa cabbage are great, but frozen sweetcorn or peas are just as valid and will make just as good an addition to your soup and diet.
Finally, salty soups benefit from a hint of acid to make them moreish, rather than moribund. A spritz of citrus or a splash of vinegar will work — but for maximum affordability, authenticity, health, and shelf life, find an Asian fermented vegetable you enjoy and use that. They cover all the bases and add a layer of complexity and legitimacy that’s unrivalled.
