When the skies turn gray and the rain starts to pour, there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of a Filipino comfort classic to warm the body and soothe the soul. From creamy sopas to hearty lomi, these dishes have long been rainy-day staples in Filipino homes — and even your favorite celebrities turn to them when the weather calls for cozy meals.
We’ve rounded up five go-to recipes for rainy days from some of your favorite stars, each with a homey charm and flavor that will make you want to grab a spoon and dig in.
1. Tinalong Manok ni Goma
Considered one of the most popular Filipino dishes is Tinolang Manok (chicken soup). In his vlog, actor-politician Richard Gomez, who also loves to share his love for cooking, shared how he prepares his recipe of tasty and healthy tinola. Easy to cook and budget-friendly, Gomez uses just the basic ingredients -- chicken, malunggay (moringa) leaves, papaya, pepper leaves, black pepper, ginger, onion, garlic, salt, olive oil and lemongrass -- for his version of this classic dish.
2. Chicken Sopas ala T'yang Amy
Sopas or macaroni soup is definitely a dish that we love to eat during cuddle weather. In one of the episodes of "Umagang Kay Ganda," host-actress Amy Perez shared a quick and healthy recipe of her favorite chicken sopas. Perez's version uses chicken, elbow macaroni, butter, onion, celery, carrots, chicken stock, carrots, cabbage, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and hotdog (optional).
3. Arroz Caldo with a Twist ni Danica
Who can resist a hot and savory arroz caldo (rice porridge with chicken) during a cold weather? Actress Danica Sotto via her vlog, showed how she prepares her version of arroz caldo with a twist. For her version, Sotto uses chicken marinated in ginger, malagkit (glutinous rice), turmeric powder (or fresh turmeric), and chicken stock. For its toppings, she puts century egg or boiled egg, spring onion or onion leeks, and calamansi.
4. Lugaw Pares ni Marvin
Craving for two-in-one meal this rainy day? Actor Marvin Agustin showed through his vlog his version of Lugaw Pares or rice porridge with pares or braised beef stew. Traditionally pares is served with friend rice and soup, but this time, Agustin paired his beef pares with rice porridge. Agustin separately cooked rice porridge and beef pares. He used the pares as one of the toppings of lugar, which also includes boiled egg, spring onion, fried garlic and calamansi,.
5. Batangas Lomi ni Judy Ann
Nothing beats a hot noodle soup when its raining. In her vlog, actress Judy Ann Santos showed how she prepared her version of the popular Batangas lomi. Santos even shared a brief history of lomi, which originated in Batangas and was first introduced by Chinese restaurateur To Kim Eng in the late '60s. To make her Loming Batangas special, Santos' uses crunchy chicken skin as part of the dish's toppings.
As of this writing, gloomy weather is looming over Metro Manila as rain continues to pour.
According to weather bureau PAGASA, heavy rainfall triggered by habagat or southwest monsoon, is expected to affect Metro Manila and several other provinces in Luzon until Wednesday.
Heavy rainfall over Metro Manila, Luzon to persist until Wednesday: PAGASA