This Pork Nilaga was my Filipino family’s favorite recipe for rainy or cold days. It uses tender pork ribs, sweet saba bananas, leafy greens, and hearty potatoes, all simmered in a light, savory soup!

Recipe Rundown

Ingredients

You’ll need water, pork (use either ribs, belly, butt, or shoulder), an onion, black peppercorns, a pork bouillon cube, and fish sauce (can replace with kosher salt). Mix-ins include potatoes, saba bananas (Filipino bananas), and green or Napa cabbage.

Instructions

Simply place all the ingredients into the pot, bring to a boil (skimming off any scum), and let simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or until tender. Afterwards, add in the potatoes, bananas, and cabbage to soften briefly, and serve.

Quick Tips

Simmering adequately ensures tender pork and flavorful broth. You may also use a pressure cooker, if desired, to halve the cooking time. Don’t forget to serve with fish sauce on the side to dip the meat in to add additional umami and savory notes to each bite.

Storage

Nilaga can keep for up to 3-4 days stored in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 1 month. Simply place on the stove or in the microwave to reheat until fully warmed-through. If frozen, be sure to let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight prior to warming.

Table of Contents

As a kid, I’ve always found this dish bland. But as I grew older, I actually began to crave the light and delicate taste of the soup. My favorite part of this dish was always the bananas. They were naturally sweet, adding something hearty and sweet to every bite.

Just don’t forget to dip the meat in a sawsawan (Filipino dipping sauce) made with fish sauce, a little squeeze of lemon, and maybe a chili pepper, to add some savory and umami notes.

Pork Nilaga or Nilagang Baboy (Filipino Boiled Pork Soup)

Ingredients and Substitutions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!

Pork: I used pork side ribs for this recipe, but feel free to go for other options such as pork shoulder, belly, or even butt.

Substitutes: You may also use beef (think beef shanks, short ribs, brisket, chuck), for a classic Beef Nilaga (Nilagang Baka).

Onion, whole black pepper: These are the only two spices and aromatics we’ll need for this recipe to make a light and mellow-tasting broth.

Pork bouillon cube, fish sauce: These two seasonings will add the needed umami, savoriness, and salty components to the broth.

Substitutes: You can replace the pork cube with equal parts of pork broth for however much liquid the recipe calls for, or alternatively, you may also use the instant pork broth powder. Fish sauce can be omitted and replaced with kosher salt, to taste.

Potatoes, saba bananas, cabbage: These are the classic mix-ins for most nilaga recipes. The potatoes add a hearty component, the saba bananas (Filipino bananas) provide some sweetness, and the cabbage gives a light crunch and additional fibre.

Substitutes: Feel free to omit or substitute these ingredients to your preference or accessibility. Potatoes can be replaced with squash or kalabasa. Cabbage can be replaced with most greens such as bok choy or spinach. Saba bananas can’t be replaced with standard Western bananas (these are far too soft and can turn to mush in the soup). You can find these Filipino bananas either fresh, or most of the time, frozen in most Asian or Filipino groceries.

Instructions

In a large, deep pot, add the water, pork ribs, onion, pork bouillon cube, black pepper corns, and fish sauce.

Bring this to a boil, skimming off the scum that floats to the surface. Once boiled continuously for about 5-10 minutes and no more scum is released, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 45 minutes until the pork is tender.

After 45 minutes, add in the potatoes and let simmer for 7-10 minutes until softened.

Finally, add in the cabbage and bananas. Simmer for 5 more minutes to soften. Taste the soup, and season with more fish sauce and/or kosher salt, to taste.

Serve warm with a bowl of rice and fish sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.

Cooking Tips

Simmer the pork adequately: Don’t rush the simmering step! This ensures the pork is tender and cooked, as opposed to rubbery and chewy. You may also place this in a pressure cooker if desired to halve the cooking time. Simmering also helps to develop the flavors further, as opposed to a quick rapid boil that will cause your soup to taste flat and bland.

Serve with fish sauce on the side: Known as sawsawan (a Filipino dipping sauce), fish sauce helps to give additional flavor and saltiness to each bite. Simply add a quarter of a teaspoon or so of the fish sauce on top of the pork and take a bite. You may also add some Thai chili for extra spice into the dipping sauce.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can keep for up to 3-4 days refrigerated in a resealable container. You can also freeze this for up to 1 month.

To reheat, simply place on the stove over medium heat or microwave until the pork is warmed-through and the soup is in its liquid state. If frozen, be sure to let it thaw adequately in the fridge overnight before warming.

What cut of pork is best for Nilaga?

It depends on your preference, but I personally love pork ribs (baby-back or side) since the bones add tons of flavor to the broth. For a more indulgent cut, go for pork belly or fatty chunks of pork shoulder or butt.

What’s the difference between and Nilaga and Bulalo?

The difference has to do with the beef. If the soup has bone marrow, it’s Bulalo. If it doesn’t have marrow, it’s Nilaga (which can be made with either pork or beef)

Further, some versions of Nilaga will also include saba bananas, potatoes, and/or carrots, which are typically not included in a Bulalo recipe.

Can I use a pressure cooker for this?

You definitely can. Simmering the pork for 45-60 minutes is crucial to ensure a tender, fall-off-the-bone result, but you can lessen the cooking time using the a pressure cooker.