Sotanghon with Upo Soup

Sotanghon with Upo Soup is a hearty, healthy and delicious soup that only takes a few minutes to cook. Sotanghon is a Filipino term for vermicelli noodles while upo in English is bottle gourd.  Upo is a delicate vegetable that will cook easily so don’t overcook it.  It goes well with any meat and sotanghon.

Sotanghon with Upo Soup is a delicious Filipino soup. Sotanghon is vermicelli noodles & upo is bottle gourd.

If you are trying to avoid eating rice this Sotanghon with Upo Soup is a meal in itself.  I know, we Filipinos love having everything with white rice. How can you not? White rice is very good too but high in carb. Eat it in moderation and you’re fine. When pressed for time this dish is not fussy to make. It is simple, quick and delicious.

In the US, upo is sold in Asian and Mexican stores. I don’t see it in regular grocery stores.

If you haven’t paid attention to this vegetable maybe the following benefits will change your mind. Upo has been regarded as one of the healthiest vegetables. It keeps you hydrated with 92% water and rich in Vitamin C, K and calcium. If you love juicing, bottle gourd juice is known to help maintain a healthy heart, lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar level and maintains blood pressure. These are a few of the health benefits derived from this vegetable.

So, if you’ve never had this dish before time to try it. It doesn’t disappoint.

How to Cook Sotanghon with Upo Soup

Sotanghon with Upo Soup

A quick, hearty and delicious soup with noodles and upo (bottle gourd).

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: Filipino

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 3

Calories: 552kcal

Ingredients

• 1 small size upo (bottle gourd), peeled and sliced thinly
• 100 grams sotanghon - vermicelli noodles
• ½ pound ground beef
• ¼ pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium size onion chopped
• 2 stalk green onions chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• salt to taste

Instructions

• In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat..
• Saute onion until soft.
• Add garlic. Cook until golden.
• Stir in ground beef. Cook until pale.
• Add shrimp. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes or until pink.
• Toss-in chopped upo (bottle gourd). Stir occasionally and cook for about 1 minute.
• Pour chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
• Add sotanghon noodles and cook until tender.
• Season with ground black pepper, fish sauce and salt.
• Toss-in chopped green onion.
• Serve hot. Enjoy!

Notes

1. When chopping upo, the center is also edible as long as the seeds are tender. If seeds are mature, remove it.
2. If not eating right away just soak enough noodles.
3. It is OK to add more chicken stock or a little bit of water, if needed. Taste and season accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 2041mg | Potassium: 864mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3.9mg

Sotanghon with Upo Soup is light and hearty Filipino soup.