Chicken Tinola with Kalabasa: A Warm and Flavorful Soup

Hello, everyone! 😊
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‎Today, I’m sharing a dish that came from what we have. We still had plenty of kalabasa (squash) left from our last meal, and I really didn’t want it to go bad or end up in the trash.
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‎So I thought, what better way to use it?
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‎That’s when Chicken Tinola with Kalabasa, came into my mind.
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‎To those who do not know, tinola is one of those classic Filipino dishes.
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‎It’s simple to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for any time of the day.
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‎And the secret to making it taste just right? It's ginger and fish sauce. Those two ingredients give tinola its delicious taste.
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‎So, let me walk you through exactly how I made this version, so you can try it too.
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‎Ingredients:
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‎• 700 grams chicken
‎• 2 cups kalabasa (squash)
‎• 2 tablespoons luya (ginger)
‎• 1 medium onion
‎• 1 piece siling haba (green chili)
‎• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
‎• 4-5 cups water
‎• salt and pepper
‎• a little cooking oil
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‎Step-by-step procedure:
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‎I started by heating a little oil in our pot. Once it was warm enough, I put in the sliced ginger and chopped onion. I stirred them for a while until the onion became soft and clear, and the ginger released its nice smell.
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‎Next, I added all the chicken pieces into the pot. I mixed them around and cooked them until the meat turned light brown.
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‎Then came the fish sauce. I poured it in and let it simmer for just a minute or so.
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‎Right after that, I put in a little bit of crushed black pepper and a pinch of salt too. Then gave it a good mix so all those nice flavors would soak right into the meat.
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‎After that, I poured in the water and waited for it to boil. Once it started bubbling, I turned the fire down low, covered the pot, and just let it cook slowly. I left it like that for about 15 to 20 minutes, until I could tell the chicken was getting tender and soft.
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‎When the chicken was almost done, I put in the chunks of kalabasa. I also gave it a stir, covered the pot again, and let it cook for another 10 to 12 minutes.
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‎I checked it after a while, and the squash was already soft and easy to break apart. I also tasted the flavor and added a bit more fish sauce.
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‎If you have chili leaves or malunggay, you can also add them before turning off the fire. Since my hubby didn't get any malunggay, I didn’t put any other leaves or veggies anymore. It was just chicken and kalabasa.
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‎This recipe is healthy, budget-friendly, and completely delicious.
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‎You can serve this hot with steamed rice, and get satisfied with your whole family. Enjoy!
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‎Until my next ideas...
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‎Thanks for the visit! Have a lovely day. Buh-bye. 💗🌸
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‎All images used in this post are my own unless stated otherwise.
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