Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup is a Boiled Pork Soup with Potato and Bok Choy. It is a simple way to prepare soup the Pinoy style. It goes with rice and is best with some spicy fish sauce on the side. Typically, the spicy fish sauce dip is simply fish sauce with chopped spicy chili. Siling labuyo is the hottest chili that originated from the Philippines. This is around 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units.
Aside from the ingredients that we have for this recipe, other vegetables can also be used. For example, cabbage or Napa cabbage can be used instead of bok choy, or you can use both. Carrots can also be added once in awhile, but it is not common. Saba banana or the sweet plantains of the Philippines also make a great addition as it gives the soup a sweet taste.
Traditionally, Filipino soup dishes are clear and based on chicken, pork, or beef. A similar soup is called Bulalo, wherein beef shanks with bone and marrow are used instead of pork. Chicken soups such as Chicken Tinola is also a favorite because it is packed with nutrients brought about by the ingredients. Malunggay leaves and hot pepper leaves are some of the healthy greens that make-up tinola.
Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup is perfect to have on a rainy day. Its hot broth can keep you stay warm and toasty.
How to cook Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup:
Preparing the vegetables, and getting the meat tender:
Are you ready to recreate this deliciously soothing dish? Go ahead with your 2 bunches of baby bok choy, and for each piece, you have to cut the lower end. Then set this aside so we can incorporate it into the dish later on. Now we will slice up our 1 large baking potato, and 1 medium yellow onion. Keep this with your baby bok choy so we can grab it again in a bit.
Afterwards, place 4 cups of water in your cooking pot. Turn on your stove so you can heat it up a bit. Then pour 2 cups of beef broth inside, and wait for this to boil alongside your water. When it does begin boiling, you can already add your sliced onions, as well as ¾ lb. of pork shoulder you have cut up into cubes.
Put the cover on top. We will let this simmer until pork has tenderized well enough. You can estimate this at around 40 minutes, but it would really be best to check the meat every once in a while if it has softened. Throughout this process, feel free to pour in more beef broth or water if the soup dries up.
Adding the last few ingredients:
When your pork is beautifully tender, you can grab your sliced potato from earlier, and put it in the pot. Cover this again, and we will let the dish cook for 8 minutes. You can then put 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, as well as our bok choy from earlier inside. Let’s turn the heat off because you can expect the ingredients to cook well from the heat of the rest of the ingredients. Put the cover on top, and let everything stay for 5 more minutes.
Great job! Your delectable Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup is now ready. Simply pour everything into a serving bowl of choice, and then you’re all good to go! From this bowl, you can spot a colorful mix of ingredients made up of a couple of vegetables and just enough protein. Does this have you wondering what the benefits are for your health in eating this classic Pinoy dish? Let’s look at some of them!
Health benefits of Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup:
You can find a large variety of vitamins and minerals in this savory, delicious stew. Firstly, you can find a lot of Vitamin C in this dish, which has a lot of perks. One would be preventing the risk of cardiovascular disease, eye disease, as well as issues with your immune system. Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup also has a lot of iron, which is vital in transporting oxygen from your lungs to your muscles.
You can also find a lot of Selenium in our recipe. This strong antioxidant is perfect for helping your cells avoid damage from free radicals. Selenium has also been associated with preventing some types of cancer like colon, lung and breast. You can also find a great deal of Vitamin B6 and B12 in this meal. Let’s look into some other healthy Filipino stews that you can learn to make at home!
More nutritious Filipino soup recipes:
Beef Bulalo
Looking for another satisfyingly soothing dish that’s great to have during the colder, rainy season? This Beef Bulalo recipe is right here waiting for you. There’s a reason bulalo is so well-loved in the country. You get to enjoy beef shank with cabbage, sweet corn and the most deliciously savory stew. I also love clear broth dishes like our nilaga and this bulalo because it truly helps our meat component shine more. You can also expect the light-tasting vegetables to go well with the beef.
A lot of Pinoys opt to have this dish in restaurants because the process of making it can be a bit tedious. After all, we really want that beef to get nice and tender. However, this shouldn’t deter you from going the homemade route. Making it in your own kitchen really reassures you that you’re getting your money’s worth with all of these healthy, filling ingredients— and freshly cooked at that!
Chicken Tinola
Speaking of clear broths, here is another local favorite that can give you a boost on sick days. Chicken Tinola has just the right amount of ginger-y, salty flavor with delicious malunggay leaves and green papaya. But for some, tinola is not the most appealing dish because it doesn’t have the same, familiar richness that you might taste in many Pinoy stews. But the key to fixing that likely lies in the seasonings and spices. I use the likes of hot pepper leaves, fish sauce and chicken broth to truly heighten the flavor of this dish. Either way, I can say that the mild, lovely taste of this dish is enjoyable in and of itself!
Got any questions about making Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup? Don’t be shy, and inquire away through our comments section!
Filipino Pork Nilaga Soup (Boiled Pork with Bok Choy and Potato)
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb. pork shoulder, cut into cubes
- 1 potato
- 2 bunches baby bok choy
- 1 onion
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the lower end of the bok choy. Set aside.
- Slice the potato and onion. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, pour water in a cooking pot. Apply heat.
- Pour-in beef broth. Let boil.
- Once the liquid starts to boil, stir-in onion and pork. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until pork gets tender. Add water or beef broth if needed.
- Add the potato. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
- Pour-in the fish sauce and add the bok choy. Turn the heat off. Cover the cooking pot for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve!
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