Utan

Utan or Utan Bisaya or Sinabawang Gulay (soupy vegetables) or Law-oy or Laswa is a very nutritious all vegetable soupy dish of the Philippines that is served over steamed rice.

It consists of leaves of Moringa oleifera known in the Philippines as kamunggay, marunggay, balunggay and malunggay, okra, a Philippines pumpkin or squash called kalabasa or calabasa, leaves of Basella alba known in Philippines as alugbati, the long slender oriental variety of eggplant known as talong or tawong, ginger root known as luya or luy-a, tomatoes known as kamatis, yard long beans known as pole sitaw or batong or balatong, taro root known in Philippines as gabi, green onions and additionally may contain Chinese or head cabbage, lemon grass known as tanglad, bitter melon known as ampalaya, young luffa known as patola, green papaya, and chayote known as sayote.

It is also seasoned with pork, beef, chicken or fish stock and salt. Variations of this dish may contain coconut milk. Non-vegetarian variations may contain fresh fish or dried fish known as bulad or uga or may even contain shrimp. In the USA where Kamunggay leaves may be hard to find, then clover leaves from the yard can serve as a nice substitute.