Sinigang na Baboy (Filipino Sour Pork Soup)

About This Recipe

Sinigang is the dish Filipinos crave most when away from home — a sour, clear broth made with pork (or shrimp, fish or beef), soured with tamarind (most commonly), calamansi, green mango or bilimbi. The sourness is the defining characteristic; it should be assertive and refreshing, not mild. The broth is loaded with vegetables: water spinach (kangkong), long beans, tomatoes, radish (labanos), eggplant and okra. Sinigang is served as a main course with steamed white rice — diners use the broth as both soup and sauce, spooning it over their rice. The dish represents Filipino cuisine's love of sour flavours (kinaasim), which contrasts with sweet and savory notes in other dishes. Rooted in the everyday cooking of Filipino kitchens, Sinigang na Baboy (Filipino Sour Pork Soup) balances technique and tradition: the pork ribs or pork belly, cut into pieces is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight dinner or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the pork ribs or pork belly, cut into pieces, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gpork ribs or pork belly, cut into pieces
• 80 gtamarind paste or 2 sachets sinigang mix
• 3tomatoes, quartered
• 1white onion, quartered
• 2 litreswater
• 150 glong beans (sitaw), cut into 5 cm pieces
• 200 gwater spinach (kangkong) or baby spinach
• 200 gradish (daikon), sliced into rounds
• 2Asian eggplant, sliced
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• to tastesalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the broth

   Place pork, tomatoes and onion in a large pot with 2 litres water. Bring to a boil, skim foam thoroughly, then simmer for 45 minutes until pork is tender.

2. 2

   Add souring agent

   Add tamarind paste (or sinigang mix) and fish sauce. Stir and taste — the broth should be clearly sour. Add more tamarind if needed.

3. 3

   Add firm vegetables

   Add radish and eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add delicate vegetables

   Add long beans and cook 3 minutes. Add water spinach, stir and turn off the heat — it wilts in the residual heat.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls and serve with steamed white rice. Fish sauce with chilli is served on the side for dipping the meat.

Variations

• •

  Sinigang na hipon: replace pork with large prawns (shrimp). Reduce cooking time significantly.

• •

  Sinigang na salmon belly: salmon belly fat enriches the broth beautifully.

• •

  Sinigang sa miso: add white miso paste to the broth for a deeper, umami-rich version.

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently — don't add more vegetables, which become soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions