Filipino Sinigang na Baboy (Tamarind Pork Soup)

About This Recipe

Sinigang is one of the most beloved Filipino comfort dishes, a sour soup built on tamarind's distinctive tang, though other souring agents like guava, kamias or green mango are used in regional variations. Pork simmers slowly until tender, then a growing lineup of vegetables, radish, eggplant, string beans, water spinach, gets added in stages so nothing turns mushy by the time it hits the table. The soup's defining feature is balance: enough sourness to make your mouth pucker slightly, enough saltiness from fish sauce to round it out, and a light broth that stays clear rather than thick. Using fresh tamarind pods (boiled and strained for their pulp) gives the deepest, most complex sourness, though tamarind soup base powder is the everyday shortcut most Filipino households actually reach for on a weeknight. Sinigang is often called Filipino comfort food during rainy days or when someone is feeling under the weather, and it's traditionally served with a small plate of patis (fish sauce) and chile on the side for dipping the pork.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 900 gpork ribs or belly(cut into chunks)
• 8 cupswater
• 1onion(quartered)
• 2tomatoes(quartered)
• 40 gtamarind soup base powder(or 200g fresh tamarind pulp)
• 1daikon radish(sliced)
• 1eggplant(sliced)
• 150 gstring beans(cut into 5cm pieces)
• 3 cupswater spinach (kangkong) or spinach
• 3green finger chiles
• 2 tbspfish sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the pork

   Place pork, water, onion and tomatoes in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered 40 minutes until pork is tender.

2. 2

   Add the sourness

   Stir in tamarind soup base powder (or strained fresh tamarind pulp). Taste and adjust; the broth should taste distinctly sour.

3. 3

   Add the firmer vegetables

   Add radish and eggplant, simmering 8 minutes until nearly tender.

4. 4

   Add the quick-cooking vegetables

   Add string beans and chiles, simmer 4 more minutes.

5. 5

   Finish with greens

   Stir in water spinach or spinach and fish sauce, simmering just 1-2 minutes until wilted. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Variations

• •

  Use shrimp instead of pork for sinigang na hipon, a lighter, faster-cooking seafood version.

• •

  Swap tamarind for green mango or guava for a different regional sourness profile.

• •

  Add gabi (taro root) early in the simmer for extra body since it naturally thickens the broth slightly.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens overnight, though the vegetables soften further. Reheat gently on the stove without a hard boil.

Frequently Asked Questions