Cheater Wonton Noodle Beef and Tomato Soup

Flat, wide noodles give character to this hearty one-pot meal adapted from a recipe in “Beyond the Great Wall” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. But instead of making our own noodles or hunting down fresh noodle sheets, we use store-bought wonton wrappers and cut them into squares. The wrappers are sold in the refrigerator section of the supermarket. Packages typically contain 12 ounces, but you will need only half that; extras can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen. Offer soy sauce and vinegar for seasoning to taste.