If I have to name a dish I’ve cooked the most, it would be a Filipino soup called Nilaga. Often times I want a dish I can cook fast with ingredients I already have in hand like celery, carrots, cabbage, and squash. When I’m feeling generous, I add quinoa too. And once I bring the vegetables to a boil and mash the squash into the broth, I’ll turn off the heat and enjoy a hot bowl of this nourishing soup. Just like that, it has become my go-to favorite. Simply hearty and comforting.
But it’s not just me who loves a good bowl of Nilaga. Other fans are my parents. When I visit them on weekends, I shop at the local farmers market and cook for them a big pot of vegan Nilaga. After all, they’re not just requesting a Filipino dish, they’re looking for a healthy Filipino dish.
Unfortunately, my parents have physical ailments and conditions so they’re taking precaution with their health. One precaution is watching what’s in their food. Lately, they have been conscious and they prefer to eat more vegetables than meat. And because they love their Filipino food, they’re more than happy to try my vegan Filipino cooking.
As much as I would love to say Nilaga is a vegetable soup that’s traditionally vegan, it’s far from being one. For example, the traditional version uses bone marrow and meat. As a kid, I loved the lard swimming in my broth because it brought richness in my soup. Now, I can definitely go without it and so do my parents. As long as our vegan Nilaga has that rich umami taste and hearty ingredients, we are perfectly content with our version.
After all, the key to good vegan Nilaga is to have good quality vegetable broth. Another tip is to mash the squash and blend its flavors into the soup. With the mashed squash, the broth will taste slightly sweeter and richer. But you don’t need a blender. For me, I simply use the back of my ladle and push the squash onto the side of the pot. Aside from the broth and squash, the celery and onions also bring out great flavors.
After you have prepared a good base, the rest of the ingredients are very flexible. Meaning, you don’t have to use all of them and you can cut them any way you want. For example, you can skip the saba bananas. And instead of corn on the cob, you can use corn kernels. With all these substitutions, you might be wondering, “so why not just go with the simpler ingredients in the first place?”. Well, I wanted to show you the traditional way on how it’s presented. But, you’re more than welcome to change it up a bit and use what’s available to you.
Another simpler option is to skip the tremelle or white fungus. I only put it there because I wanted to replace tripe and mimic the chewiness of marrow. But unlike marrow, tremelle is more nutritious. In fact, I learned that it’s considered medicinal in Chinese culture.
- 2 quarts water
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- ½ small kabocha squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped, (divided)
- 3-5 tablespoons vegetable broth powder added to 3 cups water, or 3 cups liquid vegetable broth
- Few pinches salt
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into big chunks
- a bunch green
beans, ends trimmed, sliced into 2-inch lengths - 1 Napa cabbage, base removed, sliced into big chunks
- ¼ small green cabbage, same cut as the napa cabbage
- 1 bunch Bok bok choy, base removed, same cut as the napa cabbage
- 4-6 pieces mini corn on the cob, cut in half
- 2 pieces dried Snow fungus (/tremella mushrooms), reconstituted in warm water, cut into chunks
- 2-3 pieces Saba bananas, peeled, cut into big chunks
- Place 2 quarts water, onion, celery, peppercorns, vegetable broth, a few pinches of salt, and half portion of the squash in a pot and put bring to a boil. Cook until squash is mushy. Mash squash with the back of your ladle, a large fork, (you may also use or a potato masher).
- Add potatoes, carrots, and the rest of the squash. Cook until you can pierce the potato with a fork, about 15 minutes.
- Taste and add more vegetable broth and more salt, if needed.
- Add rest of the ingredients: green beans, napa cabbage, green cabbage, bok choy, corn, snow fungus, and saba bananas. Add more vegetable broth, if needed. Mix well and put bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through.
- Serve by ladling broth and vegetables into bowls. Turn off heat and serve hot.
If you notice, I didn’t use any oil in this recipe. This is a far deviation from my childhood love for lard in my Nilaga. I think the vegan Nilaga is rich enough without any fat. I took the oil out because I cook this dish for my parents and I wanted them to eat something healthier than their usual fare. But I think my 8-year old me would have enjoyed and approved this too, especially with the mashed squash in the broth.