A sour, comforting tamarind-based pork soup loaded with vegetables, a Filipino everyday favorite.
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.
Serves 6
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.
Stir in tamarind soup base powder (or strained fresh tamarind pulp). Taste and adjust; the broth should taste distinctly sour.
Add radish and eggplant, simmering 8 minutes until nearly tender.
Add string beans and chiles, simmer 4 more minutes.
Stir in water spinach or spinach and fish sauce, simmering just 1-2 minutes until wilted. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Add vegetables in stages by how long they take to cook; dumping everything in at once leaves some mushy and others underdone.
If using fresh tamarind, boil the pods first, then mash and strain through a sieve to extract the pulp before adding it to the soup.
Taste and adjust sourness at the end since tamarind bases vary in strength between brands; add more if it tastes flat.
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.
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.
Sinigang is considered one of the Philippines' most iconic dishes, with sour souring agents varying by region, tamarind, kamias, calamansi or green mango depending on what grows locally. It has long been a staple of Filipino home cooking, prized for its comforting sourness and adaptability to whatever protein and vegetables are on hand.
Yes, this is a common variation called sinigang na hipon; just reduce the initial simmering time since shrimp cooks in minutes, not the 40 minutes pork needs to tenderize.
Tamarind soup base powder is the most common substitute and widely sold at Asian grocers; in a pinch, a mix of lime juice and a small amount of brown sugar can approximate the sour-sweet balance, though it won't be identical.
Tamarind bases vary in concentration by brand; add more gradually and taste as you go, since it's easier to add more sourness than to fix an overly sour broth.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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