5 Comforting Pinoy Soup Dishes for the Whole Family

Soups and broths are a staple in Filipino cuisine. It’s no wonder, anyone can appreciate a bowl of steaming hot, homemade soup. Relatively cheap and easy to cook, soup dishes make great meals for families. They’re also perfect for little ones to enjoy mashed up veggies and strips of tender meat with rice flooded with soup. Here are some of the most beloved Filipino soup dishes and how to make them: 

1. Nilagang Manok


IMAGE Yummy.ph
All this recipe basically requires of you is to prep the ingredients, sauté them and drop everything in a boiling pot. Time will do the cooking for you.

Takes 1 hour
Makes 4 servings

1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons oil
1 whole chicken, sliced into 8 pieces
2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into cubes
4 cups water
1 piece chicken bouillon cube

Cooking instructions can be found at Yummy.ph. 


2. Beef Nilaga


IMAGE Majoy Siason/Yummy.ph
No one can say no to a bowl of Nilagang Baka, right?  Super comforting, this dish is filled with lots of green, leafy vegetables that are brimming with fiber, vitamins (especially vitamin A and C) and minerals (especially iron). Make sure to allot at least an hour of simmering time so the beef comes out tender. 

Takes 1 hour 15 mins
Makes 4 servings

1 kilo beef shank or beef chuck or beef “batok”
4 pieces potato, cut the same size as the beef
1 bundle pechay (bok choy), cut into 2 pieces
1 piece small cabbage, quartered
2 medium onions, diced
4 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 liter water
salt, to taste

Cooking instructions can be found at Yummy.ph. 

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3. Almondigas


IMAGE Yummy.ph
Meatballs are not just for spaghetti. You can also add grated carrots for added texture to this comforting Pinoy soup and garnish it with leeks. This soup requires a little more prep because of the meatballs but other than that it’s another easy soup recipe.

Takes 35 mins
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1/2 kilo ground pork
1 small onion, minced
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon oil, for frying meatballs
2 tablespoons oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
5 cups water
1 medium patola (luffa or chinese okra), sliced
1 250-gram pack misua (fine rice noodles)

Cooking instructions can be found at Yummy.ph. 


4.  Tinola with Malunggay


IMAGE Mark Jesalva/Yummy.ph
Tinola has more variety when it comes to vegetables compared to Nilagang Manok. The potatoes are replaced with green papaya, and a cup of malunggay leaves makes this an extra-nutritious bowl of soup. Perfect for breastfeeding moms! 

Takes 35 mins
Makes 2 servings

2 chicken leg quarters, cut
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon white onions, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
4 to 5 cups water
1/2 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 cup green papaya, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup malunggay leaves (moringa)

Cooking instructions can be found at Yummy.ph. 


5. Sinigang na Baboy


IMAGE Mark Jesalva/Yummy.ph
Sinigang is right up there with Adobo and Bistek in terms of Filipino favorite dishes. There’s very little prep required for Sinigang but there is a lot of waiting involved as it takes a while for pork to tenderize. However, it’s also what makes it a recipe that even beginners can whip up.  

Takes 2 hours 10 mins
Makes 2 to 3 servings

500 grams pork, sinigang cut (large chunks)
water, for boiling
1 medium tomato, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
1 cup gabi (taro), cubed
3 to 4 tablespoons sinigang na may gabi mix
1 piece green chili (siling pangsigang)
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
1/2 cup green beans (sitaw), sliced into 2-inch sticks
1/4 cup radish, sliced
1/2 cup okra
2 cups water spinach (kangkong), washed and trimmed
salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking instructions can be found at Yummy.ph. 

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