Soup Number 5 is not for everyone. I understand if you want to skip this one. This is one of the most exotic Filipino dishes. But for those who are curious about authentic Filipino food and traditional medicinal soups, this is as real as it gets.
The name "Soup Number 5" comes from old Chinese Filipino restaurants where soups were numbered on the menu for discretion. Numbers 1-4 were chicken, pork, beef, and seafood, and number 5 was this exotic dish. It's traditionally served as pulutan or a hangover cure. Many believe it has medicinal properties, thanks to the Chinese herb mix called sibut.
My Ingredients
- 800g bull's testicles and penis, cleaned and parboiled
- 200g beef tendons
- Water for boiling
- Beef stock
- Sibut herb mix (Chinese medicinal herbs)
- 8 stalks lemongrass
- 2 stalks spring onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
- Oil for sautéing
- Garlic, minced
- Onions, chopped
- Ginger, minced
- Chilies
- Fish sauce (patis)
- Freshly ground black pepper
How I Make My Exotic Soup Number 5
- I start by combining my parboiled bull's organs, beef tendons, water, beef stock, lemongrass, and sibut herb mix in a pot. I bring everything to a boil, then simmer on low heat, covered for 3½ hours or until everything is tender.
- Once tender, I remove the organs and tendons from the pot and set them aside. I discard the lemongrass and sibut herbs, but I keep all that flavorful liquid as my soup base.
- I slice the cooked organs and tendons into bite-sized pieces.
- In another pot, I heat oil and saute my garlic, onions, white sections of spring onions, and ginger.
- I add my sliced organs, tendons, and chilies to the pot and saute everything for about 2 minutes.
- I pour in my reserved cooking liquid and bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- I increase the heat slightly to reduce the liquid. The collagen from the tendons helps keep the soup thick.
- I season my soup with fish sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- I serve the soup hot in bowls, topped with the green parts of the spring onions for color.
- Enjoy your soup number 5!
My Personal Tips
- Finding ingredients is the biggest challenge. I recommend calling specialty butchers or Filipino/Chinese markets ahead of time.
- The parboiling step is crucial for removing strong flavors and making sure the organs are properly cleaned.
- Don't rush the long simmering process. The tendons need time to break down and release their collagen.
- The sauteing step with aromatics helps mask the medicinal taste of the herbs and makes it easier to eat.
- Freshly ground black pepper is important. It helps balance the flavors.
- Soup number 5 is traditionally served as pulutan or as a hangover cure.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
My Exotic Soup Number 5 Recipe
My Soup Number 5: traditional Filipino medicinal soup with bull's organs and Chinese herbs for those brave enough to try.
Ingredients
Method
- I start by combining my parboiled bull's organs, beef tendons, water, beef stock, lemongrass, and sibut herb mix in a pot. I bring everything to a boil, then simmer on low heat, covered for 3½ hours or until everything is tender.
- Once tender, I remove the organs and tendons from the pot and set them aside. I discard the lemongrass and sibut herbs, but I keep all that flavorful liquid as my soup base.
- I slice the cooked organs and tendons into bite-sized pieces.
- In another pot, I heat oil and saute my garlic, onions, white sections of spring onions, and ginger.
- I add my sliced organs, tendons, and chilies to the pot and saute everything for about 2 minutes.
- I pour in my reserved cooking liquid and bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- I increase the heat slightly to reduce the liquid. The collagen from the tendons helps keep the soup thick.
- I season my soup with fish sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- I serve the soup hot in bowls, topped with the green parts of the spring onions for color.
- Enjoy your soup number 5!
Notes
- Finding ingredients is the biggest challenge. I recommend calling specialty butchers or Filipino/Chinese markets ahead of time.
- The parboiling step is crucial for removing strong flavors and making sure the organs are properly cleaned.
- Don't rush the long simmering process. The tendons need time to break down and release their collagen.
- The sauteing step with aromatics helps mask the medicinal taste of the herbs and makes it easier to eat.
- Freshly ground black pepper is important. It helps balance the flavors.
- Soup number 5 is traditionally served as pulutan or as a hangover cure.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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