Malunggay Recipe: Soups for the Cold Weather

Just the thought of cradling a warm bowl, ladling its flavorful content and causing its delectable aroma to spread further into the room, makes you want to brave the gray skies and gather what you’ll need for cooking.

But don’t settle for instant noodles! You and your children deserve better! Much healthier alternatives, that is. Check out these simple malunggay recipes.

Malunggay Recipe #1: Malunggay Corn Soup with Shrimp

A simple meal that’s really the local version of a Chinese favorite, Malunggay Corn Soup has a bit of bitterness in it. Other variations of this malunggay recipe uses mussels instead of shrimp.

INGREDIENTS

• -3 gloves garlic, minced
• -1 onion, chopped
• -1 cup corn kernels
• -a bunch of malunggay leaves
• -10 pcs of shrimps, peeled and deveined
• -1 chicken or shrimp broth cube
• -3 cups water
• -fish sauce (or salt) and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Sautee garlic and onion.
2. Add in corn kernels and shrimps. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Pour water and bring to boil. Add broth cube.
4. Add fish sauce and pepper before throwing in malunggay leaves.
5. Simmer for 1-2 minutes then transfer to a bowl.

Malunggay Recipe #2: Malunggay Squash Soup

Another international dish made local with the addition of malunggay. This, we’re sure, is a malunggay recipe your kids will love!

INGREDIENTS

• -1 whole onion, chopped
• -2 cloves garlic, chopped
• -½ pc small squash, cut into cubes
• -½ L water,
• -1 pc beef broth cube
• -1 tsp oregano, chopped
• -1 cup cream
• -1 stalk of malunggay

DIRECTIONS

1. Sautee onion and garlic. Add squash, shortly after.
2. Pour water and bring to boil. Add broth cube.
3. Let it simmer until squash is cooked. Throw in oregano.
4. After a minute, puree the mixture in a blender.
5. Transfer to a pot with cream and malunggay. Mix well, and serve.

Malunggay Recipe #3: Tinolang Manok

Now this dish and malunggay recipe is proudly our own. Because it’s delicious and easy to prepare, Tinolang Manok has been tagged as one of the default soups for a cold and rainy day.

INGREDIENTS

• -1 kg chicken, tinola cut
• -2 pcs chayote squash (sayote) or green papaya, cut into fingers
• -1 cup malunggay leaves
• -1 thumb-sized ginger, cut into strips
• -4 cloves garlic, crushed
• -1 onion, chopped
• -2 tbsp fish sauce
• -1 L water
• -4 tbsp vegetable oil
• -salt or fish sauce and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Sautee ginger, garlic and onion.
2. Add chicken, add flavor with fish sauce and pepper.
3. Once chicken turns light brown, pour in water.
4. Add in sayote or green papaya and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add malunggay and adjust taste with seasoning.

After a few more minutes, ladle into a bowl and serve.