Laswa

4.17 from 6 votes

Laswa is a nutritious and delicious Ilonggo vegetable soup. This simple dish made of shrimp and fresh vegetables is perfect as a main entrée or as a side to fried fish or grilled meat.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: Servings

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

6 cups water
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, peeled and pounded
½ pound small head-on shrimp, peeled and pounded
½ small calabasa, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 bunch sitaw, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
2 medium eggplant, stems trimmed and cut in a bias into 1-inch chunks
2 medium ampalaya, seeded and cut into ½ inch thick
6 pieces okra, ends trimmed and cut in a bias into halves
1 large patola, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a pot over medium heat, combine water, onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil and cook until softened.
Add shrimp and calabasa. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp changes color and squash is half done.
Add sitaw and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add eggplant, ampalaya, and okra, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add patola and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet crisp.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Notes

Cut the vegetables in uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.
Use head-on shrimp as it delivers more flavor than peeled.
Add the vegetables according to how long they take to cook. Calabasa and sitaw, which are tougher vegetables, go in first, followed by okra, eggplant, and ampalaya. Patola, which needs less time to soften, goes in last.

Nutrition