How to Make Filipino Beef Soup in 5 Easy Steps

As a child, Edwin's mom told him, "If you want to eat, you should cook it yourself." And that's exactly what he's been doing ever since.

What Is Nilagang Baka?

Nilagang baka is the Tagalog name for Filipino beef soup. It is a simple and tasty dish that is a complete meal by itself since it contains meat, potatoes, and vegetables—but traditionally, Filipinos eat this with rice.

When the weather becomes cooler, nothing beats a nice bowl of hot, steamy soup. Nilagang baka is one of my favorites. It's not fancy. It contains just a few basic ingredients, but you can make it as fancy as you want by adding anything you want. It's so good, I would eat it even if it isn't cold and chilly outside.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef sirloin, cubed
• 1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
• 7 cups water
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 medium potatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

Instructions

1. Place the beef in a pot of water and bring to a boil.
2. Add peppercorns and fish sauce.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender.
4. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage and onions and cook for 5 minutes.

Variations

• Try including other vegetables such as green beans, plantains, green onions, bok choy, Napa cabbage, or corn on the cob.
• You can use other cuts of beef, such as beef shank (with or without the bones).

Comments

Edwin Alcantara (author) from California on October 12, 2019:

Thanks Tori.

Tori Leumas on October 12, 2019:

This looks really good. I'd like to try this. The weather now in October is perfect for soups.