10 Comforting Ulam Na May Sabaw Recipes For Cold, Rainy Days

There’s nothing more nostalgic than your mom’s or lola’s soup recipe when it’s cold, raining, or just when you’re feeling blue. Now that you’re a parent yourself, it’s your turn to create comforting bowls of hearty soup for your little ones! They say, “‘Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga,” and while it’s true that some of these ulam na may sabaw recipes do take longer to make, we’ve included quick-cooking soup recipes here, too. And besides – if you happen to be making an ulam na may sabaw recipe that will take hours to simmer, that just means you’ve got an opportunity to multi-task. IYKYK!

Tips for Making Flavorful Ulam na May Sabaw Recipes

Before we get into the soupy recipes themselves, let’s talk about how we can make each one a delicious success. The key here is to have broths or stocks on hand in your kitchen. Using these for your soups is the best way to add flavor, and it’s also a great way to reduce waste in your pantry. Of course, you can also always rely on bouillon cubes and pre-made stock or broth from supermarkets – these pack quite the flavor as well!

If you’ve got time, however, you can make your own homemade stock with these tips:

• Use leftover bones from roasts: That roast chicken you had for ulam yesterday? Don’t throw it out! Freeze the bones until you’re ready to make homemade stock.You can also do this with pork or beef bones, and even shrimp shells and fish bones if you want to make a seafood stock.
• Amp up the flavors with aromatics: You can add garlic and onion to almost any stock to give it extra flavor, ginger and whole peppercorns if you want a bit of warmth, or even carrots and celery to balance it all out and add a touch of sweetness. You can even add herbs like bay leaves, thyme, or rosemary, depending on the flavor you’re going for.
• Don’t use too much salt: You can always add salt when you’re making your dish; your stock should be flavorful but neutral so that it can mesh well with your ulam na may sabaw! Remember that it’s easier to add more salt later than to start out with something that’s already too salty.
• Freeze your homemade stock: One of the reasons why it’s worth making your own stock is because you can make a big batch and then freeze what you won’t use that day. Stock keeps well when frozen, and it’s easy enough to thaw it out or add it directly to whatever you’re cooking when you need it.

Make These Comforting Ulam Na May Sabaw Recipes:

1 Sabaw sa Kamatis (Kinatamisang Baboy) Recipe

This isn’t your regular nilagang baboy – this Sabaw Sa Kamatis or Kinatamisang Baboy Recipe is made with tomatoes, and not only is it deliciously filled with a subtle umami: it’s also healthy for your kids! Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, which can help boost their immune system. This is perfect especially when you want to bolster their immune defenses during colds and flu season.

Get this sabaw sa kamatis recipe at Yummy.ph.

2 Sinigang na Baboy Recipe

Can you get more classic than a piping hot bowl of sinigang na baboy when it’s raining? It’s basically criminal not to have extra rice on hand; you know you and your kids are going to want seconds. The bonus benefit: you can sneakily add more veggies to your kids’ diets by serving up kangkong, tomatoes, eggplants, okra, radish, and gabi in your sinigang – and the best thing is you can mix and match your family’s preferences!

Get this sinigang na baboy recipe at Yummy.ph.

3 Corned Beef Sinigang Recipe

Remember when we said we included quick-cooking ulam na sabaw recipes as well? Here’s your first one: this Corned Beef Sinigang Recipe doesn’t take as long as the classic pork sinigang to make because the corned beef is already fork tender! Despite the shorter cooking time, you still get the signature sour broth of the sinigang, only this time it’s paired with tender, beefy bites.

Get this corned beef sinigang recipe at Yummy.ph.

4 Tinolang Manok Recipe

The West has chicken soup for the soul, but for Filipinos, it’s got to be chicken tinola. Whether you prefer to add papaya or sayote to your Tinolang Manok Recipe, you know you’re going to get a heart- and belly-warming bowl of savory soup. Tinolang manok also doesn’t take too long to make, because chicken becomes tender as soon as it’s cooked. Plus, if you want to make it healthier, you can always add malunggay, which is rich in vitamins C, B6, A, iron, and magnesium – these can all help boost the immune system.

Get this tinolang manok recipe at Yummy.ph.

5 Pork Ribs Tinola Recipe

Did you know that chicken is not the only thing you can make in tinola? This Pork Ribs Tinola Recipe is proof, and one of the things we like about it (aside it having all the health benefits of chicken tinola) is that it’s a set-it-and-forget-it recipe. Once you’ve got your pork ribs in, you can leave it for 40-60 minutes to simmer and become fork tender, and then you only need a few minutes to add and soften your papaya or sayote and just a few seconds to add in your greens. It’s a twist on the classic chicken tinola, but just as hearty and satisfying.

Get this pork ribs tinola recipe at Yummy.ph.

6 Almondigas Recipe

We say it’s an ulam na may sabaw, but this Almondigas Recipe can actually be eaten without rice. The silky misua is filling enough, and you’ve got the chunky meatballs to go with it! It’s a great way to cook meatballs if you don’t want to fry them anymore, plus the addition of patola, which is rich in vitamin A, can help improve your kids’ eyesight. 

Get this almondigas recipe at Yummy.ph.

7 Hototay Soup Recipe

You might get intimidated by how long the list of ingredients are in this Hototay Soup Recipe, but don’t fret: not only is this dish easy to make, it’s also quite versatile. It boils down to four steps: First, saute the aromatics, protein (we used pork and chicken, but you can use one or the other), and harder vegetables. Second, add water or stock to soften everything in your pot. Third, turn off the heat and add the fresh egg and garnish. Et voila – you’ve made a deceptively simple soup that’s chock full of healthy ingredients!

Get this hototay soup recipe at Yummy.ph.

8 Homemade Chicken Balls And Corn Sopas Recipe

This twist on the classic sopas makes it a heartier dish: instead of shredded chicken, this Homemade Chicken Balls And Corn Sopas Recipe uses… well, homemade chicken balls! The chicken balls have carrots and cabbage mixed in so it’s already full of vitamins and fiber, and the addition of the corn not only adds sweetness to the soup; it also aids in digestion and prevents constipation – both for kids and adults. Plus, the chicken balls can be made ahead in big batches, and aside from adding them to this soup, you can also fry or bake them on their own.

Get this homemade chicken balls and corn sopas recipe at Yummy.ph.

9 Bulalo Recipe

Rainy days and bulalo go together. We didn’t make the rules; that’s just how it is. Aside from this Bulalo Recipe being high in protein from the beef shanks, it’s also got pechay, cabbage, and corn, which all have nutrients and fiber that help improve digestion. It’s a labor of love, especially because the way to cook really good bulalo is to go low and slow, but it’s worth it. (And you can use the time to rest or catch up on other chores!)

Get this bulalo recipe at Yummy.ph.

10 Molo Soup Recipe

This Molo Soup Recipe can be an ulam na may sabaw, but it’s so hearty you can also eat it on its own. The molo are made with pork, chicken, and a myriad of healthy vegetables, while the soup is light but flavorful. You can even make wrapping the dumplings a family activity – something you and your children can bond over before you dig into this comforting soup.

Get this molo soup recipe at Yummy.ph.

Looking for more healthy recipes? Check out these 10 gulay ulam ideas that will make your kids excited to eat vegetables.