Every so often I come across a convenience product that ranks high on my list for being tasty and useful.

Several years ago, I tried the Trader Joe’s Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons used in today’s recipe. You’ll find them in the frozen aisle at area Trader Joe’s stores. A 12-ounce bag is about $3.

These are ideal to serve as a quick appetizer with a dipping sauce or if you need a dish to pass at the last minute. They’re precooked, so you just need to heat them. The pan-frying method on the package works best, but you also can microwave them.

One of the best uses of these mini wontons, besides as an appetizer, is making a quick wonton-style soup. All you do is add them frozen to boiling broth. It makes an instant, filling and flavorful soup in minutes.

Wonton soup usually consists of filled wonton skins cooked in a clear broth and flavored with other ingredients. The filling can be chicken, pork or vegetables.

Of course, you need not stop at adding only the wontons.

I had leftover shiitake mushrooms, some Napa cabbage and a few green onions on hand. All made for easy additions to bump up the soup for a main dish serving.

If you’ve never tried Napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, this soup is a good introduction.

The leaves are crinkly with thick veins, and the color goes from yellowish to celery-green toward the tip. The flavor is mild.

A few splashes of soy sauce give this soup some seasoning, and the hot chili oil adds a little kick.

When using soy sauce, I use the one labeled less-sodium. How much less varies with the product, so check the label. One brand may say it’s 37 percent less, but others may say 50 percent or 60 percent less.

The original version of a leading store brand of soy sauce has 920 milligrams per tablespoon, and the less-sodium version has 575 milligrams per tablespoon. So, that’s a significant savings.

If you want to make a dipping sauce for serving wontons as an appetizer, mix together soy sauce, mild Asian-style sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar and sliced green onions. If you don’t have the sweet chili sauce, add sugar or brown sugar to taste.