Pork Sinigang

iamwinfred

Pork Sinigang is the kind of soup that turns any regular weeknight into something worth savoring. The broth is tangy, savory, and packed with tender pork and fresh vegetables in every spoonful. This Filipino classic is a warm hug in a bowl, perfect for rainy afternoons or anytime you need comforting food.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Servings servings

Calories 320 kcal

Equipment

Large stockpot
Dutch oven
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Fine-mesh strainer optional, if using fresh tamarind pods
Ladle
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons

Ingredients

2 pounds pork belly or pork spare ribs cut into 1.5 inch pieces
8 cups water
1 medium yellow onion quartered
2 medium tomatoes quartered
1.4 ounces tamarind soup mix or 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce plus more to taste
1 medium daikon radish peeled and sliced into rounds
1 medium Asian eggplant sliced diagonally
1 cup string beans sitaw, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 cups water spinach kangkong, washed and trimmed, tougher stems removed
1 to 2 long green chili peppers siling pansigang
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut pork into 1.5 inch pieces. Quarter onion and tomatoes. Slice daikon into rounds, eggplant diagonally, and trim string beans into 2 inch pieces. Wash water spinach thoroughly.
Place pork in stockpot with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, let bubble for 3 minutes. Skim off gray foam that rises to the surface.
Add quartered onion and tomatoes. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially. Cook for 45-55 minutes until pork is fork tender.
Once pork is tender, stir in tamarind soup mix or paste. Add fish sauce. Taste and adjust sourness and saltiness as needed.
Add daikon radish and simmer 5 minutes. Add eggplant and cook 3-4 minutes. Add string beans and chili peppers, simmer 3 minutes until beans are bright green.
Turn off heat, add water spinach leaves. Stir into hot broth and let residual heat wilt them for 1-2 minutes. Do not boil.
Season with additional fish sauce, salt, or tamarind if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

Season the broth in layers, adding fish sauce and tamarind gradually rather than all at once for best flavor balance.
Choose pork with some fat and bone for a richer, more flavorful broth.
Do not overcook the leafy greens - they should stay bright and slightly tender when served.
Let the soup rest for a few minutes off the heat before serving so the flavors can settle and meld together.
For a deeper, fruitier sourness, use fresh tamarind pods instead of the packet mix.
Swap the pork for shrimp, salmon, or beef short ribs for a different protein variation.
Use fresh guava or green mango instead of tamarind for a different type of sourness.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavor deepens the next day.
Freeze the broth and pork separately from the leafy greens for up to 2 months.
Add a small handful of fresh water spinach when reheating, as the original greens will have softened considerably.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 460mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 10mg

Keyword filipino soup, pork sinigang, sour soup, tamarind soup