I’ve had wontons all my life, mostly ones that are boiled and served in a clear broth with leafy vegetables. It wasn’t until I visited an Americanized Chinese restaurant that I was introduced to fried wonton, filled with everything from crab and shrimp to pork and chicken. They usually come as a side to my favorite sesame noodle takeout.

I was craving the fried wontons over the weekend and wanted to make them with a vegetarian filling. I experimented with different cheeses and vegetables and came up with this pretty and sunny version.

The wonton wrappers are soft and tender like egg noodles when boiled. But when fried, they turn into this addictive crispy texture that serve as a nice contrast to the creamy filling. The corn adds a punch of sweetness and the herbs give flavor and freshness.

The cheeses and egg help bind the mixture. You can use anything you want for the filling. Some cooked lump crab meat with spinach or shredded zucchini and carrots will all work well. If you use something that is likely to leech out water, like chopped spinach, make sure you squeeze the moisture out, so the filling doesn’t become soggy.

I liked these wontons plain, but Nick preferred them with a dipping sauce. I had some sweet and sour sauce I picked up from the Asian aisle of my grocery store that worked well. You can also dip them in ketchup. Experiment and let me know what you like best.

Fried wontons are best served hot. You can mix the filling a day before, assemble the wontons a few hours ahead and fry them at the last minute. They work well as an appetizer. I served them for lunch with a simple salad. Next time, I might make an Asian-inspired dressing for the salad with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped basil and cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Can’t wait!