Bulanglang na Papaya, Kalabasa, Sitaw at Okra

A simple vegetable broth with tomato sweetness and toasted shrimp flavour.

Ingredients

• 213 g green papaya, peeled and sliced
• 285 g kalabasa, sliced
• 168 g sitaw, cut about 2 inches
• 271 g okra, trimmed, mostly whole
• 183 g ripe tomatoes — the 2 tomatoes, quartered

For the broth

• 1 L water
• 1 small onion, sliced or quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1½ tbsp homemade toasted hibi/shrimp powder
• ¾ tsp salt, initially
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 whole siling pansigang, optional

Method

• Bring water, onion, garlic, tomatoes and 1 tbsp shrimp powder to a boil. Simmer 5–6 minutes and lightly press some tomatoes into the broth.
• Add papaya and cook 4 minutes. Add squash for another 3 minutes.
• Add sitaw and optional whole chili; simmer 2 minutes. Add okra and gently simmer uncovered for 3–4 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining shrimp powder, salt and pepper. Taste before adding more seasoning.
• For a fuller broth, mash two small pieces of squash and one tomato into the soup. Turn off the heat while the vegetables still hold their shape; rest covered for 3 minutes.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗