The dish often includes grilled or fried fish to enhance its taste, making it a staple in Ilocano cuisine.

It consists of a variety of fresh vegetables, including leafy greens, shoots, blossoms, legumes, and fruits.

These include bamboo shoots (rabong), which provide a crunchy texture and earthy flavor; edible vine flowers (sabidukong), which enhance the dish's aroma with a floral note; and wild mushrooms (u-ong), which add a chewy, umami-rich element to the soup.

These additions contribute a distinct oceanic flavor that pairs well with the savory bugguóng (fermented fish paste) broth.

The classic version of dinengdeng typically consists of a mixture of leafy greens, shoots, and other vegetables, including long beans (utong), okra, jute mallow (saluyot), bitter gourd (parya), sweet potato leaves (uggot kamote), and moringa leaves (marunggay).

[12] Introduced in 1974 by Theo Butuyan of Pangasinan at his restaurant "Elena's" in Waipahu,[13] this version includes eggplant, bottle gourd, water spinach, tomatoes, and onions.

It is simmered with shrimp and crispy pork belly, creating a richer and more indulgent version of the dish while maintaining the Ilocano tradition of utilizing locally available ingredients.