Filipino Soup Number 5 (Lansiao)
Soup Number 5 is a traditional Filipino-Chinese soup made with bull's testes and testicles, simmered in beef broth with Chinese medicinal herbs (sibut) and aromatics, commonly served as a hangover remedy and believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
Equipment
- Large stock pot (para sa mahabang pagluluto) for long simmering
- Sharp knife and cutting board (kutsilyo at sangkalan) for precise ingredient preparation
- Fine mesh strainer (pangsala) for straining herbs
- Heavy-bottom sauté pan (kawali) for sautéing aromatics
- Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat) for accurate portions
Ingredients
Primary Ingredients:
- 800 g bulls' testes and testicles bayag ng toro, cleaned and parboiled
- 200 g beef tendons litid
- 4 cups beef stock sabaw ng baka
- 4 cups water tubig
- 2 cups beef broth sabaw ng baka
Aromatics and Herbs:
- 8 stalks lemongrass tanglad
- 1 packet sibot/sibut herb mix halamang intsik
- 4 birds eye chilies siling labuyo
- 2 thumb-sized ginger luya
- 2 white onions sibuyas
- 1 whole head garlic bawang
- 2 stalks spring onions sibuyas dahon
Seasonings:
- Fish sauce patis to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper paminta
- Cooking oil mantika
Instructions
- First, clean the bull's testes and tendons thoroughly in salted water. Cut into large chunks. Parboil twice in fresh water to remove any gamey taste, about 5 minutes each time.
- In a large pot, combine the parboiled meat, tendons, water, beef stock, bruised lemongrass stalks, and sibot herbs. Bring everything to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and cover. Let it simmer gently for 3.5 hours until the meat becomes very tender.
- While waiting, prepare your aromatics. Slice your ginger thinly, chop the onions, mince the garlic, and cut the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
- Once the meat is tender, remove it from the broth and cut into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth and throw away the lemongrass and herbs. Keep the broth.
- Get a clean pot and heat some oil over medium heat. Cook the garlic first until it turns light golden. Add the onions and white parts of spring onions, cooking until soft. Add the ginger and cook until you can smell its aroma.
- Put the sliced meat and tendons back in. Add the chilies and cook everything together for 2 minutes.
- Pour in your saved broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors can come together.
- Add fish sauce to taste and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Give it 5 more minutes to simmer.
- Serve hot in bowls, topped with the green parts of spring onions you saved earlier.
- This soup tastes best piping hot and is perfect as a late-night dish or early morning pick-me-up.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Parboil meat twice to remove strong gamey flavors (malansa)
- Choose fresh, pink-colored testes for best quality
- Add ginger generously to balance medicinal herbs
- Let soup rest 10 minutes before serving for flavors to meld
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 45gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 468mgPotassium: 295mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!