Classic, hearty, spicy soups to keep the cold at bay during ‘bed weather’ days

The week has just started, but classes have already been suspended and many people are staying home to keep safe from Tropical Storm Ruby's wrath as it makes its way to the West Philippine Sea. Although it has already weakened, Ruby is still expected to make you bring out your sweaters, pajamas, and socks to fight the cold of its heavy rainfall—and eat, of course.

Since the storm is expected to linger inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility until Thursday, here are some new soup dishes to kiss the cold goodbye for an entire week:

Sabo bulung Bonifacio

Trying out new dishes can be intimidating, but sabo bulung Bonifacio, also known as "sabaw ng maralita," is kitchen newbie-friendly. It is a simple yet flavorful dish that tastes like nilaga but with a kick, Midnight Express host Mikael Daez once described.

To make this soup, just saute garlic and onions, then add water and upo. Put in the Bonifacio leaves when the water boils. 

Suam na saging

Suam na saging is another simple but tasty soup you can try. It has one main ingredient—saba—so any kitchen can easily whip up this recipe. Learn how to make this soup from Idol na Kusina.

Laksa

If you're adventurous enough to go beyond Filipino cuisine, try to create the rainy-day-perfect spicy noodle soup laksa. It is a Peranakan dish, and therefore is a fusion of Malay and Chinese flavors. Some laksas have curry in them. Too new for the taste buds? Give it another try; an international website named the recipe one of the most delicious dishes in the world.

Soba noodle soup

With pork belly, hard-boiled eggs, dried shitake mushrooms, and soba noddles as some of its ingredients, this Japanese-inspired soba noodle soup is a hearty dish for the entire household.

Hototay

Meaning "good from the start until the last drop of the soup" in Cantonese, hototay is a hundred-year-old Chinese recipe. How good is this soup? You be the judge, but is definitely fillling, with ingredients that include shrimps, scallops, squid, chicken, sea cucumber, mushroom, and assorted vegetables.

Other soups to try

If you have more time in your hands and want to experiment with more recipes, check out soup dishes from the Aetas, the Filipino-Japanese crossover caldereta ramen, and the Mexican-inspired sopa de fideo.

You can also stick to the classic and traditional recipes like pumpkin soup and minanok. — Trisha Macas/BM, GMA News