How to Cook Lomi

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Lomi is a Filipino noodle dish similar to chicken noodle and egg drop soup. It has a thick and creamy broth along with meat and vegetables. Lomi contains simple ingredients so it’s easy to prepare and it takes less than an hour to make. If you want to relax with a warm and delicious meal after a long day, lomi is the perfect dish for you to try!

Ingredients

10 ounces (280 g) of chicken, beef, or pork, sliced into strips
¹⁄₂ pound (230 g) of miki noodles
½ head of cabbage, chopped
1 cup (50 g) of chopped carrots
½ cup (50 g) of chopped scallions
1 bouillon cube
1 medium onion, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon (7.5 g) of cornstarch
1 egg
6 to 7 cups (1,400 to 1,700 mL) of water
1 teaspoon (5.7 g) of salt
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (44 mL) of cooking oil
Soy sauce (optional)

Makes 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Preparing the Meat and Vegetables

1
Chop cabbage, carrots, scallions, and onion into ¹⁄₂ in (13 mm) cubes. Using a cutting board and a chef’s knife, cut the vegetables so they are similar in size. Keep each vegetable separate from one another after you chop them since they will be added to the lomi at different times.^{[1]
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- Experiment with how you want to chop the cabbage. Leave it in larger pieces or slice it into thin strips for different textures in your lomi.
2
Crush the garlic with the side of your knife or with a press. Peel the garlic using a knife by pressing down on the cloves with the side of your knife. Either use the knife to crush the garlic into smaller pieces or use a garlic press to mince it.^{[2]
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- You can use pre-minced garlic from your local grocery store as a substitute.
3
Slice the meat into 1 in (2.5 cm) strips. Use a sharp knife to cut into your meat of choice. Traditional lomi is made with either chicken or pork, but you can use whatever meat you want.^{[3]
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- Replace the meat with tofu for a vegetarian option.
- Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat to avoid cross-contamination.
4
Saute the carrots, onions, and garlic in a pot over medium heat. Pour 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of cooking oil into the pot and add the carrots, onions, and garlic. Stir them into the oil until they are soft and can easily be split apart by the spoon. This should take about 5 minutes.^{[4]
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- Add the carrots later into the sautee process to keep them crunchier in the final dish.
5
Add the meat to the pot and cook it until it is browned. Put the meat into the pot with the sauteed vegetables. Stir the meat regularly so it gets an even cook on all sides.^{[5]
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- It should take about 10 minutes to fully cook the meat.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Making the Broth

1
Pour 6 to 7 c (1,400 to 1,700 mL) of water in the pot and boil it. Pour water into the pot with your carrots, onions, garlic, and meat. Stir it together so none of your ingredients get stuck on the bottom of the pot. Bring the water to a boil.^{[6]
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- Preheat the water on a separate burner to speed up the process.
2
Stir in a bouillon cube until it is dissolved before lowering the heat. Choose a bouillon cube with the same flavor as your meat. For example, if you’re using chicken, use a chicken stock bouillon cube. Stir the broth until it is completely dissolved and turn the broth down to a simmer.^{[7]
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- Use premixed stock if you want to save time.
- Use vegetable bouillon or stock for vegetarian options.
3
Add the cabbage, scallions, and noodles and cook them for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the ingredients together so they mix thoroughly. Let everything simmer together so the noodles soften and absorb the flavor from the broth.^{[8]
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- Miki noodles can be purchased at your local Asian food market. Otherwise, you can use any other form of egg noodle.
- Scallions can be added later if you want them to remain crunchy.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Thickening and Serving the Lomi

1
Beat an egg in a small bowl until the yolk and whites combine. Use a whisk to combine the yolk and egg white of the egg. Keep mixing until you don’t see any separation and so it has a smooth consistency.^{[9]
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2
Pour the beaten egg into the broth. Slowly tip the bowl so a small stream of egg pours into the lomi. Use your other hand to stir the lomi continuously so the egg mixes throughout the entire broth.^{[10]
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- If you do not stir while you pour, the egg will cook and clump rather than have a smooth consistency.
3
Thicken the broth with 1 tablespoon (7.5 g) of cornstarch. Dump the cornstarch a little bit at a time and stir it into the lomi completely. Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent when it hits the water and will give your lomi better texture.^{[11]
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- Premix a little water into the cornstarch to pour it into the lomi easier.
4
Add salt and pepper and let the soup simmer until the broth thickens. Keep the lomi on low heat for another 2 minutes and stir it occasionally. The cornstarch and egg will continue to thicken the broth in this time.^{[12]
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5
Serve the lomi hot and garnish it with soy sauce for added flavor. Use a ladle to transfer the lomi into a serving bowl. Make sure you have a little bit of each ingredient in the bowl. If you want, you can add a little soy sauce to enhance the flavor.^{[13]
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- Chop a hard-boiled egg to use as added garnish.