Turn Corned Beef Into an Easy Soup by Adding Cabbage 

Filipinos like it simple. Filipinos like to add anything to everything. A bit of a paradox but that's basically how Filipino recipes work. It's the use of the same ingredients in different ways, making unique recipes while keeping it basic. This dish is somewhat a representation of this paradox. It's a common people's food but quite different from the usual dish. 

Corned beef was once inexpensive but price inflation made it expensive than regular meat or even more so. How do the Filipino folk make it last? By adding water and vegetables of course. Anything can be a soup if you put enough water in it. While the classic potatoes and corned beef is hearty enough, it simply isn't made to last longer than breakfast. That's a no-no in Filipino culture. Food should be plentiful to sustain the entire day. Keep the left over in the fridge and reheat it as many times as possible. Making soupy food is the best method for having large dish volume. 

By adding water and vegetables with corned beef, you can make an instant soup with minimal effort. It's a new way to eat corned beef! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 12 oz can corned beef
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 2 1/2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps: 

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.
2. Saute garlic and onion until fragrant.
3. Add corned beef. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Using the can of corned beef, measure 2 cups water and pour in wok. Make sure to get the leftover meat in the can to the water. Let boil for 3 minutes.
5. Add potato and cabbage. Cover and let simmer on low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Add a teaspoon of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
7. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
8. Serve hot.

A similar recipe can be found in Panlasang Pinoy. Ingredients can be sourced from My Tindahan. Image from Panlasang Pinoy.