Pancit Lomi

Pancit Lomi is a hearty and tasty soup made with fresh egg noodles, chicken, and vegetables. It’s easy to make in under an hour and delicious and filling as a midday snack or dinner meal.

This pancit lomi cost me a good 20 minutes of overseas calls to the Philippines. You see, I’ve made this noodle soup regularly over the years, but on my recent trip, one of my aunts made a huge pot for our afternoon merienda, and it was so delicious!

The lomi she cooked was very basic with just simple add-ons of chicken, liver, eggs, napa cabbage, and carrots, but it had a certain depth of flavor, an “it” factor, you might say, that I couldn’t place my finger on. So this afternoon, in between her halo, ano kamo, halo, halo, di kita marinig (hello, what, hello, hello, I can’t hear you), I discovered her secret ingredient: crab and corn soup mix!

Ingredient notes

This chicken noodle soup is thick and hearty, with loads of meat, vegetables, and a flavorful broth for the ultimate comfort food.

Lomi noodles

Lomi noodles are a variety of thick egg noodles that are usually soaked in lye water during the making process to achieve their characteristic chewy texture. The noodles are the primary ingredient, along with a variety of meat cuts, vegetables, and cornstarch-thickened soup stock, in the popular Batangas Lomi. They’re also delicious in stir-fried pancit lomi guisado.

Variations and topping suggestions

I used chicken, liver, carrots, and napa cabbage for this recipe but feel free to kick it up a notch with your favorite additions and toppings. Check out the suggestions below.

• pork belly
• crispy lechon kawali
• lumpiang shanghai
• meatballs, squid balls, or fish balls
• shrimp
• diced homemade holiday ham
• kikiam
• crushed pork chicharon
• hard-boiled eggs or quail eggs
• chopped scallions
• crispy toasted garlic or shallots

Pancit lomi cooking steps

If you’re in the mood for a pancit lomi, there’s no need to drive to your lomi haus. It’s so easy and quick to make at home, you’ll be enjoying a piping bowl in no time!

1. Blanch noodles– bring enough water to cover noodles to a boil in a pot. Add the noodles and quickly blanch for about 30 seconds or just until loosened. Drain well and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. Pan-fry liver– heat about a tablespoon of oil in a wide pan. Add liver and cook until lightly browned and just about done. Remove from pan and keep warm.
3. Brown chicken– heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large pot and saute onions and garlic until softened. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 1 minute.
4. Simmer– Add about 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
5. Cook noodles- add noodles and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until half done yet.
6. Add crab and corn soup mix and stir to dissolve. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
7. Cook– add liver and cook for about 1 minute. Add carrots and cook for about 1 minute. Add napa cabbage and continue to cook for about 1 minute or until vegetables are tender yet crisp.
8. Thicken– combine cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the slurry to the pot, stirring well to prevent lumps, and continue to cook until the soup is slightly thickened.
9. Add eggs slowly in a thin stream and allow to set slightly for about 10 to 15 seconds before stirring so you’ll get nice ribbons of egg throughout the soup.

Cooking Tips