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!
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.
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. You may also use beef (think beef shanks, short ribs, brisket, chuck), for a classic Beef Nilaga (Nilagang Baka).
Onion, black pepper, pork bouillon, fish sauce: These are the spices and seasonings we’ll need to make a light, savory, and mellow-tasting broth. Fish sauce can be omitted and replaced with kosher salt, if desired, to taste
Potatoes, saba bananas, cabbage: These are the classic mix-ins for most nilaga recipes. The potatoes and bananas can be replaced with squash or kalabasa (I wouldn’t use standard bananas because they can turn to mush in the soup) and the cabbage can be replaced with most greens such as bok choy or spinach. Feel free to omit or substitute these ingredients to your preference.
Instructions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!
In a large, deep pot, add the water, pork ribs, onion, pork bouillon cube, fish sauce, and black pepper corns. Let simmer for until the pork is tender. Afterwards, add in the cabbage and bananas and season to taste.
Serve warm with rice and dish sauce as a dip.
Cooking Tips
Simmer the pork: 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.
Pork Nilaga Recipe (Filipino Boiled Pork Soup)
4
servings10
minutes1
hour1
hour10
minutesThis 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!
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
6 cups water
2-3 lbs pork side ribs (may substitute with pork belly, pork shoulder, or pork butt cut into chunks)
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
1 pork bouillon cube (may substitute with beef or chicken bouillon, instant stock powders, or liquid stocks)1
1 tablespoon fish sauce (may substitute with kosher salt, to taste)
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
6 baby potatoes, halved (may substitute with yellow potatoes, squash, or kalabasa cut into chunks)
3 saba bananas, sliced into three chunks 2
2 cups green or Napa cabbage, chopped (may substitute with bokchoy or spinach)
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
- In a large, deep pot, add the water, pork ribs, onion, pork bouillon cube, fish sauce, and black pepper corns.
- 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.
Notes
- 1. If using liquid stocks, use the same amount of water needed for the recipe and omit the bouillon cubes/instant powders.
- 2. Finding fresh saba bananas are much easier in the Philippines, but can be difficult in the West. Some Asian or Filipino groceries sell Saba bananas fresh seasonally, but you can also use the frozen saba bananas available year-round. Note that these bananas are not interchangeable with standard Western bananas since they are much firmer, preventing them from going mushy in the soup.
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Can you please put the measurement for black pepper corn? It is not on the list. Thanks!
Hi! Thanks for noting that, I’ve just updated it 🙂 Happy cooking!