This recipe will make you appreciate the natural flavor of veggies, broth, salmon and shrimp in one dish because it does not contain any spices other than salt, pepper and fish sauce. This makes it a perfect healthy, light and comforting meal. This is a recipe that will only take you 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook to have a vegetable soup dish.
The dish is inspired by the simple, healthy and delicious Filipino vegetable soup a.k.a. Bulanglang. Bulanglang is a Tagalog word for vegetable stew. It is a simple recipe with a different combination of vegetables as the main ingredients. It is a dish that is commonly cooked in the Tagalog regions of the Philippines which was where I was born and raised. My mother likes to cook these kind of dishes because they are not only quick and easy to make but also very affordable to prepare. What is so good about this recipe aside from being simple to make is that it only needs minimal ingredients are which actually whatever vegetables that you have on hand plus adding some meat (fresh fish, shrimp or pork) if you prefer and salt and pepper. As a result of the simplicity and flexibility of this Bulanglang recipe, different parts of the Philippines came up with their own versions of Bulanglang,
The most common version of this recipe is just using vegetables to make it a plain vegetable soup while the other versions have meat added in the mixture to make the dish more appealing to kids and adults that are not fond of eating vegetables. Below are the most common vegetables and meats use in this Bulanglang recipe:
Most Common Vegetables
- squash
- green papaya
- loffas
- tomatoes
- okra
- moringa leaves
- garlic cloves
- eggplants
- onions
- ginger
- green onion
- long green pepper
Most Common Meat
- milkfish
- shrimp
- salmon
- pork
Seasoning
- salt
- pepper
- fish sauce
- lemon grass
The Bulanglang recipe is a simple meal to make. You just need to boil water and add the veggies according to their cooking times. Thick and hard vegetables like squash, green papaya should be cooked or boiled first. This is then followed by seafood and soft vegetables like okra as well as moringa leaves. Next, season with fish sauce, salt and pepper. However, if you want to add pork meat in the recipe, the pork meat should be cooked first before adding the thick and hard vegetables.
My recipe uses the same concept of the Filipino vegetable soup but with a few twists. I wanted this recipe to not only appeal to Filipinos but also to other nationalities. My biggest desire was that I wanted the recipe appeal to my husband’s taste palate. I also use ingredients that are available in the local grocery stores and not only in the Asian stores so it would be easier to make this recipe for everyone. The only ingredient I used in this recipe that may sound new to you is Kabocha. However, you can actually find Kabocha in most Meijer stores or you can buy it through Amazon. Just like the traditional Filipino vegetable soup, you can also recreate this recipe to make it your own. For example you can add potatoes or add cod instead of salmon, or mussels instead of shrimp. If you want this recipe to be spicy, just add a teaspoon or more of red pepper flakes.
How To Make The Salmon And Shrimp Recipe A La Filipino Vegetable Soup (Bulanglang)
In this recipe, you can use water instead of chicken or vegetable broth, or skinless salmon fillets. You can also use shrimp without shells or with shells on. Personally, I like to cook shrimp with the shells on because the shells will add a good flavor profile which makes the dish even more delicious.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time : 18 to 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of salmon fillet, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 lb of large shrimp
- small kabocha or acorn squash, peeled and sliced into bite size
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 whole red onion, thinly sliced.
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 gloves minced garlic
- 15 oz. can of whole tomatoes, crushed with hand
- 15 oz. can of vegetable broth
- 15 oz. can of chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup of water
- a handful of fresh spinach
- zest of whole lemon
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Instructions:
- Using a paper towel, pat dry the salmon and shrimp. Then transfer them into a big bowl, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge while you are prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Once you have prepared the other ingredients, get the bowl containing the salmon and shrimp from the fridge and let it sit on the counter before you start cooking the vegetables. In this way, the seafoods will be at room temperature before you cook them.
- Using a large skillet or large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger into the pan and stir fry them for about 2 minutes. Then add the slices of Kabocha or acorn squash into the mixture and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Stir continuously for about 1 minute.
- Next, stir in the tomatoes, broth and water into the mixture and season with fish sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Then turn to medium heat and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the Kabocha is tender but still crisp,
- Add the salmon, shrimp, lemon zest and spinach into the mixture. Cover and cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
- Serve with steamed white rice and enjoy this delicious dish with your loved ones.
