Pesang Isda (Fish in Ginger Soup)

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November 17, 2018 by Liza Agbanlog 9 Comments

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I made this comforting soup the other day when it was rainy and gloomy. On rainy days, I long for some hot and steamy soup. This Filipno pesang isda (fish in ginger soup) was just what I was craving.

I have many fond memories of this soup. I remember my mom making this soup for me and my siblings when were not feeling well. She made this soup usually using dalag (murrel), which is a fish that is common in the Philippines.In this simple soup, the aromatics are sauteed and then water is added and boiled. Afterwards, the fish is added and then the vegetables in the last few minutes of cooking. The fish was cooked perfectly. This was the first time my husband tasted this soup and I am glad that he loved it!

Liza Agbanlog

4 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 4 servings

Calories 207 kcal

Ingredients

2 fish steaks , (red snapper or cod), about 1 lb 12 oz
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 lb bok choy (5 pieces)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion , sliced
1 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and julienned
2 tbsp fish sauce
8 cups water
2 green onions , thinly sliced

Instructions

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Slice each boy choy in half, rinse thoroughly under cold running water and then drain. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and ginger, and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the fish sauce and stir. Add the water and boil for 10 minutes.
Add the fish and cook for 7 minutes or until the fish is almost done.
Add the bok choy and cook for another 3 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
Serve, garnish with chopped green onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 880mgPotassium: 841mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5245IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 1.3mg

Keyword filipino, fish, soup

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Nutrition Facts

Pesang Isda (Fish in Ginger Soup)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 207 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 880mg38%

Potassium 841mg24%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 25g50%

Reader Interactions

Comments

lullete
July 19, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for the recipe.. made me reminiscences my father’s cooking & life in the Philippines 🇵🇭.. very delicious and light..some recipes about pesang issa ; fish was fried first which I know no frying.
Reply
- Liza Agbanlog
  July 19, 2021 at 1:42 pm
  Hi Lullete,
  This recipe also brings back fond memories for me. Growing up, my mom used to make pesang dolag for us. My mom never fries the fish but I have seen some recipes that fry the fish first before adding to the soup.
  Reply
- Jean
  March 6, 2022 at 9:36 am
  I know fish is not fried, too
  Reply
martiancook
February 26, 2021 at 6:12 am

I tried this and threw in a few strands of string beans for more protein 🙂 I think I would try with pepper next time though….siling espada or red bell peppers
Reply
Agustin Lozada
April 11, 2019 at 1:15 pm

one of my favorite tagalog dish. I would love this with dalag or snakehead but its illegal to raise it here in US.
Reply
- Liza Agbanlog
  April 11, 2019 at 8:27 pm
  Hi Agustin,
  Growing up, my mom would make this soup using dalag too. She would specially made this soup for me and my siblings when we were sick. This soup brings so many memories for me 🙂
  Reply
- Anonymous
  February 20, 2020 at 10:35 am
  I saw dalag at the Seafood City market here in Union City, California. They are wildcaught in Canada.
  Reply
Christopher
November 23, 2018 at 10:37 am
I love the idea of this recipe, especially the ginger-based soup.
Yet, I currently live in an area of the world where bok choy is not readily available (Caribbean). Do you have any suggestions for a substitute?
Thank you!
Reply
- Liza Agbanlog
  November 23, 2018 at 4:00 pm
  Hi Christopher,
  You can use green cabbage or napa cabbage instead of bok choy. Napa cabbage has the same cooking time as boy choy but green cabbage needs more cooking time. If you are using green cabbage, you have to adjust the cooking time for the fish and cabbage. Cook the fish for 5 minutes and then add the quartered cabbage and cook until the fish is cooked through and cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
  Reply