Bulanglang na Hipon is a sour soup made of shrimp, guavas, and water spinach. This Kapampangan version of sinigang is super easy to make and a delicious, filling comfort food year-round.
Bulanglang was a staple dish in our household when I was growing up. My mom and my siblings would gather around a piping-hot pot full of this Kapampangan sinigang and a kaldero of steamed rice every Sunday lunch.
It was a meal we always looked forward to as a family. The soup was light and refreshing yet delicious and filling. A tasty way to warm up during chilly rainy days or cool down in warmer months!
What is Bulanglang
Bulanglang, in the Southern regions of the country, refers to a boiled vegetable dish flavored with bagoong, similar to dinengdeng or laswa. Kapampangan bulanglang, however, is a type of sinigang that uses guavas as the souring agent in place of the more common tamarind fruit.
The soup is made pork, shrimp, or milkfish, along with fresh guavas for a tangy and slightly sweet taste. While traditional sinigang may include a variety of vegetables such as okra, pechay, radish, and eggplant, bulanglang mostly uses kangkong (water spinach) and gabi if using pork or banana blossom if using bangus.
Ingredient notes
- Use head-on shrimp for the best flavor.
- I use Mexican cream guavas with thin pale-yellow skin, creamy white flesh, and soft, edible seeds. Some varieties of the fruit have harder seeds and thicker flesh; peel the skin and adjust cook time as needed.
- Fresh fruit is best, but sinigang guava mixes are available for ease and convenience.
Helpful tips
- For a delicious balance of sour and sweet fruit taste, use a mix of ripe and still green guavas.
- To add depth of flavor, replace the water with rice washing.
The guava's seeds and inner pulp carry tons of flavor. Extract their juice and add to the soup!
- Scoop the seeds with a spoon and combine with about a cup of water in a bowl.
- Mash with the back of a spoon and strain in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Discard the seeds and add the extracted juice to the pot.
How to serve and store
- Enjoy the soup on its own, or serve it with steamed rice and spiced patis as a dipping sauce for a hearty lunch or dinner.
- Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave until completely warmed through.
More seafood recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound head-on large shrimp
- 7 large ripe guavas
- 5 cups water
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch kangkong (water spinach)
Instructions
- Trim tendrils off shrimp. Wash and drain well.
- Cut into guavas into halves and using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds.
- In a bowl, combine guava seeds and pulp and 1 cup of the water. Using the back of a spoon, mash to extract pulp and strain in a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the guava juice and discard the seeds.
- Trim about 2 inches from the kangkong stalks and discard. Cut kangkong into 3-inch lengths, separating the sturdier stalks from the leaves. Wash thoroughly and drain well. Set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine the remaining 4 cups water, onion, and guavas. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until guavas begin to soften.
- Add the extracted guava juice.
- Add shrimp and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp change color and are cooked through.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Add kangkong and cook for about 30 seconds or until just wilted. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a delicious balance of sour and sweet fruit taste, use a mix of ripe and still green guavas.
- To add depth of flavor, replace the water with rice washing.
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
vanessa says
Hi, thankyou for the recipe of bulanglang na hipon.. I really love to cook for my husband but really dont know how, I've been trying out other recipes but since were both kapampangan we are looking for food that will match our tastes.. I added the website to my favorites so that I can visit it anytime.. thanks again. ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you, Vanessa ๐
Hazel says
Laine,
Salt not patis? I am adding patis and will tell you how it turns out. Thank you for this recipe. I don't have to ask my mom every time I want to make this dish.
Lalaine says
Hello Zel,
I don't really like to use fish sauce in dishes I don't saute first. I find it kasi "malansa". Let me know how it is with fish sauce.
Like you, sometimes, I have to call my mom to ask for recipes ๐
Shobelyn says
This is the first time I have heard about Bulanglang and the first time that I have heard about guava in a sinigang. What a revelation. My husband is Kapamapangan too and he is also a very good cook. Thanks for this recipe. I am so curious how it would taste like with the guava in it. I will have to check our Asian store if they carry guava leaves.
Lalaine says
Hi Shobelyn
The broth using guavas is lighter and less sour than that using tamarind but equally delicious!
It's always nice to have a husband who knows how to cook ๐