Utan Bisaya (Visayan Vegetable Soup)

Being a true-blue Cebuano, one must have tasted the ever-famous Visayan Vegetable Soup or in Visayan terms “Utan Bisaya”. Some locals call it “Lau-oy”. Regardless of the name, I’m sure you would describe it as delicious and healthy at that. Basically, this is a mixture of vegetables made into a soup.  Most household cooks this dish every now and then and serves to the family. To share the wonderful yet very simple recipe, I wrote it down here and hope you’d try this one in your homes:









Prepare: (Good for 5 persons)

• 
   10 stalks “Malunggay” leaves


• 
   10 stalks “Alogbati”


• 
   1 pc eggplant


• 
   6 pcs okra


• 
   1 pc “sikwa” (big)


• 
   6 pcs string beans


• 
   300 grams yellow squash


• 
   3 pcs gabi (small)


• 
   Lemon grass ( 3 leaves)


• 
   Spring onions ( 2 heads)


• 
   1 pc tomato


• 
   Ginger


• 
   Salt


• 
   Msg (optional)


• 
   Fried fish (optional)

Steps:



Put water (around 1000 ml) in the casserole and bring it to boil. Put Gabi first, and when soft, add the following in order: squash, eggplant, stringbeans, okra, sikwa, lemon grass, and spices, salt. After a while, add the alogbati and malunggay. Being leafy and easy to cook, the last 2 are dropped last. Served while still hot.