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Filipino

Bulalo

Non-vegetarian

A rich, clear Filipino soup of beef shank and marrow bones simmered until meltingly tender, with corn on the cob, cabbage and leafy greens, seasoned with fish sauce.

Bulalo is a Filipino soup from Philippines, ready in about 3 hours 35 minutes and made with beef shank (bone-in, cross-cut) and sweet corn. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
3 h 20 min
Total
3 h 35 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
260

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Blanch the beef shank (opens in a new tab) in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain, rinse the meat and clean the pot.

    Food safety: Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw beef.

  2. Step 2

    Return the shank to the pot with the water, onion (opens in a new tab) and peppercorns. Simmer very gently, partly covered and skimming often, for about 3 hours until the meat is falling from the bone (or 1 hour at high pressure with a natural release).

    A bare simmer keeps the broth clear and stops the marrow from sliding out of the bones.

  3. Step 3

    Season with fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and salt. Add the corn (opens in a new tab) and simmer 10 minutes, then the cabbage (opens in a new tab) and green beans (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes and the bok choy (opens in a new tab) for the last 2 minutes.

    • 17 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Serve in a large bowl with the marrow bones and the broth piping hot, with a dip of fish sauce (opens in a new tab), lime (opens in a new tab) and chilli on the side.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Batangas and Tagaytay, Southern Luzon, Philippines · Well documentedMore food from Philippines
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled, Pressure-cooked
Taste
savoury, rich, umami, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Whole-food focusedWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Beef shank (bone-in, cross-cut) · Sweet corn · Onion · Fish sauce · Cabbage · Bok choy
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Blanching · Pressure cooking

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

260 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 813 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 55%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 22%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy260 kcal32 kcal
Protein36 g4.4 g
Carbohydrate14.5 g1.8 g
Net carbohydrate11.5 g1.4 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3 g0.4 g
Fat6.5 g0.8 g
Saturated fat2.1 g0.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol59 mg7 mg
Sodium1038 mg128 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
946 mg
Calcium
153 mg
Iron
4.4 mg
Magnesium
79 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
96 µg
Vitamin C
41 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
5 µg
Folate (DFE)
87 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green beans, lime, fresh red chilli.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Scoop out the marrow and stir it into the broth or spread it on rice — it is the best part.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard — the broth clouds and the marrow slips out of the bones.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice and a dipping sauce of fish sauce with calamansi or lime and chopped chilli.

Food safety

  • Cool the broth quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat to a full simmer.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days chilled; freeze the broth and meat without the vegetables.

Reheating

  • Bring back to a simmer before serving.

Variations

  • Nilagang baka: A similar boiled beef soup made with cheaper cuts, potatoes and plantain (saba).

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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