Misua at Patola Soup is simple yet tasty and flavorful Filipino soup made with Chinese misua (miswa) noodles and patola also known as sponge gourd. Misua is a very thin Chinese noodle made from wheat flour that complement this soup well.
This dish is good on its own or with white rice. If you are non-Filipino and reading this, Filipinos love to eat their soup and noodles with white rice. We eat spaghetti and all our noodle dish with rice.
Why, I don’t know but it is delicious! Carbs on carbs…
What is Misua?
Misua or miswa are very thin, fragile salted noodles made from wheat flour. Another noodle type that we adapted from the Chinese.
This noodle cooks between a minute to 2 minutes in boiling water so it is added last.
If you are making soup, make sure you have enough water as this noodle will suck up the liquid quick.
What is Patola?
In the Philippines, sponge gourd are called patola. The young vegetable is used for cooking soup or vegetables.
I’m sure you have heard of Luffa, a body scrub used in the shower. When patola or sponge gourd is left hanging on the vine until it ripens and dries, luffa or loofah is the by-product. Once it dries, the flesh disappears leaving only the fibrous skeleton known as the sponge bath (luffa).
Patola doesn't take long to cook. Cook until tender but crisp. It can get mushy if overcooked.
If sponge gourd is not available, ridged gourd can be used instead. Be sure to choose the young gourd as they can get fibrous.
Also, once vegetable is sliced some seeds might be hard. Remove and discard it.
What to Substitute Pork with?
Some are not a big fan of pork and substituting it with ground chicken, ground turkey, ground beef or shrimp will work.
Cooking is about tweaking it to your liking. I am more of practical than traditional especially when it comes to cooking. Use whatever is available to you!
How to Cook Misua at Patola Soup
If my mom is cooking this dish, without a doubt she’ll be making some meatballs. She does it the traditional way.
My mom has dementia and no longer cooks. She probably don’t remember what this is!
Depending on my mood when I am cooking, I might make meatballs. Yes, if I am lazy, I skip the meatballs instead I saute the pork breaking it into bigger pieces emulating meatballs.
If I am making meatballs, it is a simple recipe. It is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little bit of flour.
This Misua at Patola soup is so tasty and flavorful if using chicken stock or chicken bouillon. When using more than 2 cups of water, I suggest to season with chicken bouillon.
It only takes a few minutes to cook the patola then you add the misua last. This will cook in about a minute or two.
This dish is prepared and cooked in half an hour. If you are pressed for time, this is simple and easy to make and your kids will enjoy it.
It is a balanced meal with meatballs (if making it), noodles and vegetable made into a soup. What’s not to love!
Recipe
Misua at Patola Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large patola peeled and sliced
- 2-3 ounces misua or vermicelli noodles
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Using a peeler, peel the skin of patola (sponge gourd). Slice patola lengthwise then crosswise about ¼ inch thick. Remove and discard hard seeds.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil.
- Saute onion until softened.
- Add garlic. Cook until golden.
- Add ground pork. Cook until pale.
- Pour water or chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Season with fish sauce, chicken bouillon, ground black pepper and garlic powder.
- Lower heat and add patola. Cook for about 4 minutes or until tender.
- Add misua noodles or vermicelli. This will cook in about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Season with salt, if needed.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If using chicken stock, it is ok not to add chicken bouillon. You could put a little bit if you like.
- If using water, add chicken bouillon for a flavorful soup. If not using chicken bouillon, reduce water to only 2 cups.
- Choose a young patola vegetable. It is less fibrous.
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