Nilagang Baboy is a delicious, easy to cook pork soup dish that is loved by Filipinos. It is comforting and complete in itself as it has the protein from pork and carbs from potatoes and corn.
What is Nilagang Baboy
Nilagang baboy or boiled pork soup is an easy to cook dish that is popular in the Philippines.
Pork is boiled in this dish and added with spices and aromatics.
Vegetables are then added to the boiled pork and it becomes complete meal in itself.
However, for the rice-loving Filipino population, this dish is often eaten with rice.
This dish makes for a perfect lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
You will only need a handful of items to make this dish.
Pork
I am using pork belly for this nilaga. However, you can use other parts like ribs.
Onion and garlic
These two are for flavor and aroma. You can use either red or white onions.
Salt, ground pepper, patis
To season this dish, we use salt and pepper. Towards the end of our cooking, we added patis to have that distinct flavor.
Vinegar (or lemon juice)
We use a small amount of vinegar to remove that off smell from the meat. Lemon juice is another option.
Potatoes, Corn and Banana
These vegetables are a great source of carbs for this dish. You can use taro as substitute for the potatoes.
We always love sweet corn for this dish. It is sweet and soft and so delicious.
Ripe cardava banana is another carb source for this dish.
Baguio beans, pechay, green onions
These vegetables are great for this dish and makes it healthier.
Lemongrass (optional)
We always put lemon grass or lemon basil to our soups as they are readily available in our pot gardens. They add aroma to the dish. But they are optional.
Seasoning granules or msg (optional)
Another optional ingredient is the seasoning granules or msg. If you like to add them, then you can do so.
Water – for the soup
How to Cook Nilagang Baboy
There are many ways to cook nilagang baboy. My mom cooks it differently from my mother in law. This cooking style is from my sister as I personally find it the best tasting.
Start with placing the pork in a cooking pot. Add salt and pepper with the vinegar. Add in also the onion and garlic.
Cook it in slow to medium heat and stir until the meat turns whitish. Then add water and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, it is now time to add the veggies. The principle of adding first the hard and longer to cook applies here.
Add the potatoes and corn first, followed by the banana and the beans, and lastly the greens such as pechay and green onions.
Add the patis and you then finalize the taste and adjust accordingly.
That’s how easy and simple to cook nilagang baboy.
You can enjoy it in itself or eat it with plain rice.
Nilagang Baboy Recipe
Nilagang Baboy
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1 big sweet corn divided in 4 slices
- 1 big ripe cardavao banana
- 1/2 cup Baguio beans
- 1 cup Chinese pechay
- 2 stalk green onions
- 1 teaspoon patis
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning granules optional
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Put the pork in a cooking pot. Add salt and pepper with the vinegar. Add in also the onion and garlic.
- Cook it in slow to medium heat and stir until the meat turns whitish. Then add water and bring to a boil.
- Add potatoes and corn. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Place the banana and green beans and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Put in the pechay, green onions and lemongrass and cook for a minute.
- Add patis and taste the the soup and adjust to your liking. Add seasoning granules or msg if preferred.
- Serve and enjoy.
