Visayan Vegetable Soup

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Visayan Vegetable Soup is a light, nourishing clear-broth dish from the central Philippines, packed with squash, eggplant, okra, long beans, and leafy greens. It is everyday home cooking in the Visayas, often gently flavored with small shrimp and finished with fish sauce for a clean savory taste.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 180 kcalCalories
• 5 gFat
• 1 gSaturated Fat
• 22 gCarbs
• 6 gFiber
• 7 gSugar
• 14 gProtein
• 720 mgSodium
• 780 mgPotassium
• 140 mgCalcium
• 3 mgIron
• 38 mgVitamin C
• 320 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the broth

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 6 cups water
• 150 g small shrimp, shells on (optional)

For the vegetables

• 300 g kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1 small Filipino eggplant, sliced into 1 cm rounds
• 8 pieces okra, trimmed
• 100 g long beans, cut into 5 cm lengths
• 1 bunch pechay or baby bok choy, leaves separated
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, mashing them with the back of a spoon until they break down into a rough sauce.
3. Pour in the 6 cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. If using shrimp, add them now and simmer for 4 minutes, then strain the broth and set the shrimp aside.
4. Add the kabocha squash to the broth and simmer for 8 minutes until just tender but still holding its shape.
5. Stir in the eggplant, okra, and long beans, and cook for 4 minutes more until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
6. Add the pechay leaves and cook for 1 minute until just wilted. Return the reserved shrimp to the pot if using.
7. Season with fish sauce and black pepper, taste, and adjust saltiness with a little more fish sauce if needed.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Cook’s Notes

• For a vegan version, skip the shrimp and simmer a piece of dried kombu or a handful of dried shiitake stems in the broth for savory depth.
• Cut the squash into even cubes so it cooks at the same rate as the other vegetables.
• Add the leafy greens at the very end so they stay bright green and tender.
• Use Filipino fish sauce for the cleanest savory finish; soy sauce will overpower the delicate broth.
• Serve with steamed rice and a small dish of fermented shrimp paste on the side for an authentic Visayan meal.

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