Filipino Vegetable Soup Utaan

Ingredients

• Water 5 qt
• Ginger 5 oz
• Celery salt 5 oz
• Eggplants 5 oz
• Courgette 5 oz
• Napa Cabbage 5 oz
• Chinese green beans 5 oz
• Frozen spinach discs 5 oz
• Garlic 1 clove
• Vegetable Oil 0 fl oz
• Chicken Egg 3 pieces
• Soy Sauce 0 fl oz
• Rice Vinegar for Sushi 0 fl oz
• Spanish onions to taste
• Cilantro to taste
• Salt to taste
• Scallions to taste
• Green part of leeks 1 piece
• Herbs to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Prepare the broth. Peel the ginger (set aside a little for garnishing the soup) and cut it into random pieces. Also, peel the celery and carrots, but do not chop them. If you plan to simmer the broth for a short time yet still want a rich flavor, you can roast the vegetables in the oven.

Step 2

Place the ginger (reserve a little ginger for serving), celery, carrot, and leek in a pot, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. It is best to simmer the soup for 5 hours. However, another option is to simmer for an hour and then let the broth steep overnight. If using the second method, you can use slightly less water, as it will hardly evaporate during cooking. At the end, strain the broth (at this stage, it can be frozen).

Step 3

Prepare the eggplants. Cut them into 1 cm thick slices, place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with vegetable oil. If desired, you can add a crushed garlic clove to the eggplants. Place the eggplants in a preheated oven at 355°F, using the convection setting, for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Prepare the eggs: take them out of the refrigerator in advance and let them come to room temperature. Then, place them in boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes. Transfer them to cold water and peel. With this timing, the egg will have a firm white and a slightly runny yolk, which is what is desired.

Step 5

Heat the broth to a boil and add soy sauce and rice vinegar.

Step 6

Slice the zucchini into 1 cm pieces. Finely chop the napa cabbage. Add the zucchini, napa cabbage, and frozen spinach (if using fresh, it should be added at the very end) to the broth, along with the green beans, and simmer everything together for 3–4 minutes.

Step 7

Ladle the soup into bowls, adding the eggplant, sliced green onions, and any remaining julienned ginger. Top each bowl with half a boiled egg, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and any other herbs to taste, and garnish with crispy fried onions.