Sinigang

Sinigang is a Filipino sour soup with pork belly, tamarind broth, and vegetables like daikon radish, eggplant, string beans, and kangkong. The broth is sour from the tamarind and savory from the pork fat that comes out as the meat simmers. This Pork Sinigang is the most common version of sinigang in Filipino homes. It is eaten with rice and a saucer of fish sauce with crushed siling labuyo on the side. This Pork Sinigang recipe uses the traditional boiled method.

This is one of the first dishes I tried cooking. It was the very first, actually. Adobo was second. I watched my mom cook sinigang many times as a kid, so I knew the steps. I was also the one tasked to buy the ingredients from the flea market just outside our subdivision, so I knew what to get. That was over thirty years ago, and Pork Sinigang has stayed in regular rotation in my kitchen ever since.

This recipe gives you a clear, sour broth with tender pork and vegetables that still have a bit of bite. The detail that matters most is the souring agent. Fresh young tamarind gives the cleanest sour flavor. Sinigang mix works too when you need something faster.

What is Pork Sinigang?

Pork Sinigang, also called sinigang na baboy, is a Filipino sour soup with pork in tamarind broth and vegetables added in batches at the end. The name comes from the Tagalog word sigang, which means to stew. Sinigang is a cooking method more than a single dish. The protein can change to beef, fish, or shrimp.

The pork version is what most Filipinos mean when they say sinigang without saying which kind. The chicken version is called sinampalukang manok when made with young tamarind leaves. In 2021, TasteAtlas named sinigang the best vegetable soup in the world. It is also mentioned alongside adobo as a candidate for the unofficial national dish of the Philippines.

In Filipino homes, Pork Sinigang is served hot with rice. It is the soup people cook on rainy days, cold afternoons, and weekday dinners when the family wants something familiar.

Why This Pork Sinigang Recipe Works

This Pork Sinigang recipe works because the method keeps the flavor clear and the texture right. The traditional boiled approach gives a cleaner tamarind taste than the sautéed version, and the vegetables stay fresh because each one is added at the right time.

• Boiling the fresh tamarind separately. The 40-minute boil pulls the sour out of the pulp. Adding this concentrated broth to the pork gives a stronger, clearer sour than tossing tamarind into the pot whole.
• No oil and no browning. Searing the pork adds richness but also makes the broth cloudy. The traditional boil lets the pork fat render slowly for a clean broth.
• Skimming the scum early. Skimming during the first 15 minutes is what separates a clear sinigang from a cloudy one.
• Adding vegetables in batches. Daikon and eggplant take longer to cook. String beans need a few minutes. Kangkong only needs the residual steam at the end.
• Finishing with fish sauce. Patis is umami with saltiness. Sinigang seasoned with fish sauce tastes deeper than sinigang seasoned with plain salt.

Ingredients

• Pork belly is my preferred cut. The fat gives the broth its body. You can also use pork shoulder, spare ribs, or pork neck bones.
• Young tamarind is the traditional souring agent. These are the unripe green pods.
• Water spinach (kangkong) – Wash thoroughly and separate the leaves from the tougher lower stems.
• String beans (sitaw) – Cut into 2-inch lengths. Green beans work as a substitute.
• Eggplant – Chinese or Japanese variety is best. Slice diagonally or roll-cut.
• Daikon radish (labanos). One medium piece is enough. This is an optional ingredient.
• Okra – Use whole or sliced.
• Tomatoes – Slice into wedges.
• Long green pepper (siling pansigang). Use 2 pieces. Jalapeño or Serrano work as substitutes.
• Onion – Sliced into wedges and added with the pork.
• Fish sauce (patis). To taste in the pot, plus more for dipping on the side.

Making Pork Sinigang is straightforward when you handle the tamarind and the pork separately at the start. Take it one step at a time and the pot will come together cleanly.

The old school method of cooking sinigang makes use for fresh young tamarind. This has to be boiled until enough sourness is extracted from it. In this recipe, I boiled the tamarind in 2 quarts of water for 40 minutes. It can be done for up to 1 hour for optimal results.

Once the flavors are extracted from the fruit, the solid parts of the tamarind need to be removed. Do this by running the water into a kitchen sieve or a strainer. I recommend squeezing the tamarind afterwards. You will be surprised on how much flavors are left in the pulp.

Traditional sinigang is cooked plainly by boiling all the ingredients together. Start by pouring the tamarind broth (in step 1) into a cookware of your choice. Deep and wide pots are perfect for this.

Boil the liquid and then add some onion and tomato. This will add flavor to the broth. This is also the proper time to add the pork belly. Make sure to cover your pot so that the liquid can boil quickly.

Skim-off the floating scums, add a bit of fish sauce for flavor, and then cover and simmer until the pork becomes tender. This can take between 45 to 90 minutes depending on the quality of the meat.

Not all vegetables cook at the same time. This is the reason why I am adding the sinigang veggies by batch.

The first batch of veggies to add are daikon radish and eggplants. Some people also add their string beans at this point if they want it to be extra soft later on. I prefer mine to be a bit crisp.

After 5 minutes of cooking in low heat (above simmering temp), add the long green peppers, string beans, remaining tomatoes, and okra and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

There is one vegetable that needs to be added yet. I am referring to the water spinach. I personally add the stalk and leaves on the later part of the process to retain its freshness. It is important to serve the soup right away (while piping hot) for best results.

For this step, I added the stalks of the water spinach and seasoned the dish with fish sauce (patis) and ground black pepper (this ingredient is optional). Quickly cook it for around 2 minutes before adding the water spinach leaves. Cover and turn the heat off. You will basically be cooking the leaves using the residual heat inside the pot. Do this for 3 to 5 minutes. It should be enough for you to prepare the rice and side

Souring Agents for Pork Sinigang

The souring agent is what defines every pot of Pork Sinigang. It is the single ingredient that decides how sharp, mellow, or bright the broth will taste. The same pork, the same vegetables, and the same method can produce very different results depending on what you use to sour the soup.

• Young tamarind (sampaloc) is the most common souring agent and the one I grew up with. The unripe green pods have a higher concentration of tartaric acid, which gives them the clean, sharp sour most Filipinos associate with sinigang.

• Kamias (bilimbi) gives a brighter and sharper sour than tamarind. I have a separate recipe for pork sinigang sa kamias.

• Guava (bayabas) gives the mildest sour. Ripe guavas lean sweet with a tangy undertone, so the broth comes out softer and a little fruity.

• Green mango gives a tart, almost citrus-like sour. Use 1 medium unripe mango, peeled and sliced, added with the pork.

• Calamansi works for a lighter, citrusy version. Use the juice of 8 to 10 calamansi, added at the end of cooking.

• Santol (cotton fruit) is a regional choice when in season. Both the rind and pulp contribute sour notes.
• Sinigang mix (powdered) is the shortcut my mom started using as the years passed. One 40g packet of Knorr Sinigang sa Sampaloc replaces fresh tamarind. I keep this in the pantry for busy days.

What to Serve with Pork Sinigang

• Steamed white rice – the standard pairing. Pork Sinigang needs rice to round out the meal.
• Fish sauce with crushed siling labuyo – the classic dipping sauce. You dip the pork into it before each bite.
• Fried tuyo – what I grew up having alongside sinigang. My mom always served salty fried tuyo with it and we got used to the pairing.
• Sinangag works well, especially with leftover sinigang the next day.
• Crispy fried fish – like tilapia or bangus contrasts the soup.

Storage

Pork Sinigang keeps well for a few days if you store it right. The broth deepens overnight, so leftovers often taste better than the first pot.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add fresh kangkong when reheating because the original leaves get slimy on day two.
• Freezer: Sinigang freezes for up to 2 months. Strain out the kangkong and soft vegetables before freezing.
• Reheating: Warm on the stove over medium heat. Do not microwave the kangkong because it gets slimy.

More Filipino Soup Recipes

• Sinigang na Baboy with Gabi adds taro that thickens the broth.
• Killer Pork Sinigang uses the sautéed method with sinigang mix for a faster, richer version.
• Sinigang na Pata with Gabi uses pork hocks. The collagen makes the broth thick when cool.
• Tinolang Manok is a ginger-based Filipino chicken soup.
• Nilagang Baboy is a simple Filipino pork soup with cabbage and corn, without the sour element.

• Pork belly can be swapped for pork shoulder, spare ribs, or pork neck bones. Bone-in cuts give a deeper broth.
• Fresh young tamarind can be replaced with one 40g packet of sinigang mix or 2 to 3 tablespoons of tamarind paste. See the Souring Agents section for full alternatives.
• Kangkong can be replaced with spinach, bok choy, or pechay. All wilt quickly and go in at the end.
• Daikon radish can be substituted with white turnip or skipped. It is an optional ingredient.
• Long green pepper can be replaced with jalapeño or Serrano if siling pansigang is unavailable.

Pork Sinigang is the soup I come back to. I hope you give this recipe a try and serve it hot with rice and a saucer of fish sauce on the side.