Enjoy your favorite boiled soup in minutes! Corned beef nilaga is easy to make with simple pantry ingredients yet turns out super tasty. It’s the perfect comfort food on its own or with steamed rice.
This nilagang corned beef is my Pinay take on the classic New England Boiled Dinner, a one-pot dish made of corned beef brisket, cabbage, and root vegetables such as potatoes carrots, and turnips.
The boiled dinner is one of our favorite holiday meals, but I don’t make it other than on St. Patrick’s Day when the dish is traditionally served. Why take forever and a day to simmer the brisket to tenderness when I can use tinned corned beef for instant gratification?
Corned beef nilaga delivers the same comforting flavors but with less work and less time. It’s ready in a matter of minutes yet turns out full of flavor.
I know it sounds like a strange idea, but try it before you knock it! You’ll be surprised how well the recipe works. It tastes just like corned beef guisado but in soup form!
This recipe is super easy, but there are two things to note for best results.
- Use a chunky variety of canned corned beef. My favorite brands are Martin Purefoods, Palm, Ox & Palm, and Argentina.
- Gently break the corned beef into large pieces and limit stirring the soup to keep the meat in chunks.
Cooking tips
- This corned beef nilaga is meant to be a quick recipe and uses canned corned beef. You can swap it with corned beef brisket if available. Cut the meat into 2-inch chunks, cover with water, and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Add the vegetables and cook until tender. Season with salt and peppercorns.
- The recipe uses potatoes, cabbage, and green beans. Feel free to add common nilaga vegetables such as carrots, sweet corn on the cob, and scallions.
How to serve and store
- This nilaga soup is delicious on its own or with steamed rice. Enjoy it as main dish for lunch or dinner.
- Store leftovers in container with lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 F, keeping stirring to a mininum.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon beef base or 1 piece beef bouillon
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
- 1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 8 green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 can (12 ounces) corned beef, chunky-style
- 1/2 cabbage, quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, combine water, beef base, onions, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring until the beef base is dissolved.
- Add potatoes. Lower heat and simmer until tender.
- Add green beans and cook until half-cooked.
- Add corned beef and cabbage. With the back of the spoon, break corned beef into desired pieces.
- Continue to cook until beef is heated through and vegetables are tender yet crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use a chunky variety of canned corned beef. My favorite brands are Martin Purefoods, Palm, Ox & Palm, and Argentina.
- Gently break the corned beef into large pieces and limit stirring the soup to keep the meat in chunks.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Shin Hyung says
Been trying some of your recipes and it was very helpful since i want to try and learn a lot of Pinoy cooking.
Rebecca Limayo says
Hi Lalaine I’m from SanDiego and work as Food Service in one of the well known hospital her, anyway I like cooking and it happened that I downloaded your receives and I love it I used to experiment some of your recipices and my family love it so much. But anyway good luck to your book yes I will buy your cooking book. GOOD LUCK and God Bless!
Brian says
As an English man I always enjoyed Corned Beef in the UK and Canada. Now I live in the Philippines. Although the brands of Corned beef might taste OK they can not compare with western brands. Why oh why do I have to check the corned beef and remove bits of skin, vein, fat and something I’m never sure what it is before I can start cooking. Filipino Corned beef would not be accepted in western counties. Please oh Please recommend a brand of Filipino Corned beef that is acceptable or an out of the country brand in keeping with that produced in the west.
Lalaine says
Hahaha, Brian, I am so sorry but I had to laugh when I read your comment. My boyfriend is American and he can’t understand how I can possibly eat the canned Filipino corned beef. He compares it to dog food! The funny thing is, the canned stuff is one of my favorites but I do not like REAL corned beef or what you call New England Boiled dinner.
Have you tried Hereford brand?
Tina says
Delimondo is a Philippine brand of corned beef. Try it. It’s really good but a tad expensive compared to other local brands.
Beverly Lani Galace says
I AGREE WITH BRIAN FILIPINO CORN BEEF CAN NOT COMPARE WITH WESTERN BRANDS
Bing Bea says
My husband who mostly does the cooking in our kitchen cooks Stewed corned beef, now I show him this recipe as a variety!☺
Lalaine says
Hello Bing
Hope you like it 🙂
Yvonne Frogosa says
Gotta try this one 🙂
Ally says
As a mother ( and med student) currently living in Manila but originally from California, Its hard to think of everyday qick and easy recipes, especially if its not what you grew up with ..so a big THANK YOU for your website.. It is now my go to site for recipes
Lalaine says
Hello Ally
I am glad you are finding the site useful. Here in California, we have to substitute at times as ingredients are not always available or as fresh as they should be. I envy you, I am sure your trips to the wet markets are an adventure 🙂
tim says
how about the onion?
Lalaine says
Corrected, I included the adding of the onion in the steps list. Thanks 🙂
Lovely says
wow! will try this!
Lalaine says
Please do, it’s so easy to make and so good 🙂
Martin Taylor says
Hi I’m enjoying your beautiful site and mouthwatering recipes. However I do have one suggestion. Although it’s cute and makes your page look unique, that cursive font is very hard to read and leads to lots of frustration, almost to the point of not wanting to read it. Just a friendly suggestion. Keep the awesome recipes coming!
Lalaine says
Hi Martin
Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate hearing your thoughts. I choose that font because I thought it will, as you said, make my posts a little different (kind of like short notes on recipe cards) but you are not the first person who had difficulty with the cursive font. I’ve been wanting to change it for months now but I don’t know how to change my site’s design. I need to contact my website designer and have it modified to a more readable font. Thank you so much again.
Mia S says
This is first time I know we can actually make nilagang corned beef! I haven’t thought of that. Thanks for sharing.
Lalaine says
It was delicious 🙂