Filipino Sinigang Sour Soup (Printable Version)

Tangy and savory Filipino soup loaded with tender pork and vegetables in a signature sour tamarind broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2.2 pounds pork belly or pork ribs, cut into chunks

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
03 - 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
04 - 1 daikon radish, peeled and sliced
05 - 10 string beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
06 - 1 eggplant, sliced
07 - 2 cups spinach leaves or water spinach, washed
08 - 2 long green chili peppers

→ Flavoring and Seasoning

09 - 1 packet (1.4 ounces) tamarind soup base mix
10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon salt
12 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 6 cups water

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pork chunks, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface.
02 - Add quartered tomatoes and onion. Simmer for 20 minutes until pork begins to tenderize.
03 - Stir in sliced daikon radish and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
04 - Add eggplant, string beans, and green chili peppers. Simmer for 5 minutes.
05 - Mix in tamarind soup base, dissolving completely into the broth.
06 - Season with fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning according to taste preferences.
07 - Add spinach or water spinach leaves and simmer for 2-3 minutes until just wilted.
08 - Serve hot accompanied by steamed white rice.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The perfect balance of sour and savory that wakes up your palate like nothing else
  • A one pot meal that feeds a crowd and gets better overnight
  • That nostalgic comfort food quality that turns any bad day around
02 -
  • The vegetables will continue cooking in the hot broth even after you turn off the heat, so slightly undercook them
  • Sinigang always tastes better the next day when all those flavors have had time to really get acquainted
  • Fresh tamarind requires extra work but produces this multidimensional sour that puts the powder mix to shame
03 -
  • A splash of patis (fish sauce) in your serving bowl can brighten flavors that have mellowed
  • Leftover sinigang makes the most incredible fried rice the next morning