Pork Dumpling Soup

This was, quite possibly, not only the tastiest lunch I've had in a looooong time, but also the tastiest recipe I've invented to use up leftovers in an even loooooonger time.  I originally bought wonton wrappers to make egg rolls, and once that was done I was left with half a package of wrappers and no idea how to use them.  This always happens to me, and usually I'll just forget about them until they grow mold in the back of the fridge, but this time I was determined not to forget about them. And to really top this recipe story off with a giant cherry, nearly every ingredient I used was lurking in the almost-forgotten badlands of the fridge. This amazing soup brought them of of their obscurity and saved them from a moldy death.

Pork Dumpling Soup
For the Broth:
1 potato
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 small onion, skin on and cut in half
1 celery heart (you know, the inside small, really green stems that no one likes to eat)
8 cups water
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

For the Dumplings:
8 wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups minced pork loin (or you could use ground pork if you don't have pork loin leftovers)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp black bean garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
salt

Method:
Combine vegetables, pepper, and salt in stockpot and simmer until broth color is deep and veggies are soft (about 30 minutes).

While broth simmers, assemble the dumplings.  Mix all the filling ingredients together well, then put a rounded tablespoon or so in the center of wonton wrapper.  Rub water along all edges of the wrappers, then pull each edge in towards the the middle to make a pyramid. Pinch each side to make a good seal.

When the broth is done, strain it into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, return it to the stockpot, add soy sauce, and return to a simmer. Gently drop in dumplings and cook until warmed through, 3-4 minutes.

Ladle broth and dumplings into a bowl and serve with rice, if you'd like.
Devour and enjoy.