Sinigang
A sour Filipino soup — tamarind, tomato, radish, greens, and pork or fish. The sour is the point.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Sinigang is a sour broth. Tamarind is the usual sour; kamias, green mango or a mix also happen. Pork ribs or fish, daikon, tomato, onion, kangkong or spinach. A packet of sinigang mix is how a lot of homes do the sour, and we will not pretend they do not.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Pork, ribs or belly chunks700 g
- Tamarind44 ml
- Tomato2 medium
- Korean radish, daikon, half-moons200 g
- Spinach, or kangkong if you have it150 g
- Fish sauce30 ml
- Fresh chilli (optional)2
- Water1.8 l
- Rice, uncooked, to serve300 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer pork, onion and tomato 35 minutes. Add radish. Dissolve tamarind in a little hot broth, strain in.
40 min
Step 2
Fish sauce, chilli. Greens in the last 2 minutes. Taste: sour first, then salty.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 631 kcal
- Protein
- 54.7 g
- Carbs
- 41.3 g
- Fat
- 26.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.9 g
- Fibre
- 3.8 g
- Sugar
- 12.7 g
- Sodium
- 1759 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Fish
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Tamarind → A sour mix of lime and a little brown sugar
Wrong sour. An emergency.
Tips
- A sinigang mix packet is the weeknight sour. Still sinigang.
- Fish sinigang is lighter and faster. Add the fish at the end.
History & culture
The other national soup next to tinola and nilaga. Rice on the side. Sour should make you reach for the rice.
Sour soups are older than any brand packet. Tamarind is the sour that travelled.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Sinigang take?
1 hr 5 min all in — 15 min prep, 50 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 pots. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Fish sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much fish sauce?
2 tbsp of Fish sauce.
What can I use instead?
Tamarind → A sour mix of lime and a little brown sugar. Wrong sour. An emergency.
Any tips from this recipe?
A sinigang mix packet is the weeknight sour. Still sinigang. Fish sinigang is lighter and faster. Add the fish at the end.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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