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Utan bisaya
Clear lemongrass vegetable soup
Utan bisaya (utan bisaya): Visayan clear vegetable soup with lemongrass, squash, string beans and malunggay
Utan bisaya is the everyday vegetable soup of Cebu and the Visayas, cooked at home for lunch and eaten with rice and something fried or grilled on the side. Lemongrass, ginger and tomato flavour a clear broth full of squash, string beans, okra and malunggay (moringa) leaves. Visayan cooks often add dried fish or a little fish sauce; this is the vegetarian version, so the lemongrass and a pinch of pepper do the work. It is fresh and fragrant, with about 3 g of protein per bowl, much of it from the moringa leaves. The common mistake is adding the malunggay too early: the small leaves need only a minute, or they darken and lose their flavour. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass well with the back of a knife and tie it in a knot so it is easy to fish out.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 2 stalks lemongrassbruised and knotted
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingersliced
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 tomatoescut into wedges
- 9 oz squashkalabasa or butternut, cut into 2 cm chunks
- 3 ½ oz string beanscut into 5 cm lengths
- 3 ½ oz okrahalved on the diagonal
- 2 handfuls malunggay (moringa) leavesstripped from the stems (or baby spinach)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 5 cups water, 2 stalks lemongrass, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger, 1 onion and 2 tomatoes in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the broth smells of lemongrass and the tomatoes are soft.
7 minStep 2: Add 9 oz squash and simmer for 6 minutes, until nearly tender.
6 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz string beans, 3 ½ oz okra, 1 ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper and simmer for 4 minutes, until the beans are tender but still bright.
4 minStep 4: Stir in 2 handfuls malunggay (moringa) leaves and cook for 1 minute only, until the leaves wilt.
1 minStep 5: Remove the lemongrass, taste for salt and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 65 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does utan bisaya take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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