Clam Soup (Tinolang Halaan)

Every time I crave for a simple seafood soup dish, I always think of the Filipino clam soup called tinolang halaan. I love the soothing effect of clam soup and it makes me feel comfortable; it also helps relieve my congestion when I have the cold. I get the clams packaged in my local grocery store. The clams are usually frozen and secured in an air tight packaging. This means that I am saving a little time because I do not need to clean the clams. Cleaning the clams might sound easy. Well, it is, but you have to wait for a while. When I buy fresh clams (halaan) in the Philippines, I soak them first in tap water for a few hours. I do this so that clams will voluntarily open themselves and spit-out the sand and other impurities that they have. If you do this, you’ll notice that the bowl with water and clam will be murky towards the end, with sand particles visible.This is my indication that I can start brushing the shelled clams one by one so that I can start to cook. The easiest part is cooking the clams. all I do is boil water and add the ingredients one at a time. It will take me less than 20 minutes to completely cook the clam soup. Quick and easy, isn’t it?

Try this Clam Soup Recipe. Let me know what you think!

Clam Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. shell clams (packaged)
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and drained
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 thumb ginger, julienned
• 3 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Procedure

1. Boil the water in a stockpot.
2. Add the ginger and onion. Cover and continue to boil in medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir-in the clams. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Add-in the spinach. Cover and cook for a minute more.
5. Sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl.
7. Serve. Share and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 3

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