LASWA ALUGBATI

A regular fare in most Ilonggo home-cooked lunch, this vegetable soup is very nutritious and simple to make.
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 15 mins Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 3 cups, water
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tomato quartered
• 1 cup, peeled & diced kalabasa (squash)
• 6 pcs shrimps (optional)
• salt to taste
• 1 cup, talong (eggplant) sliced 1" thick
• 1 cup, sitaw (stringbeans) cut to 2" long
• 2 cups, alugbati leaves (removed from stalk)

Directions: Boil water in soup pot. Add the onion, tomato, kalabasa and shrimp if you have it. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Once the alugbati leaves have softened, remove from heat and serve immediately.

My Notes: There are several versions of the Ilonggo Laswa. If using alugbati, I don't usually include okra or tugabang as the 'slime' from these vegetables tend to overpower the crispness of alugbati.