Sinigang na Baboy
Filipino Sour Pork Soup with Tamarind Broth and Fresh Vegetables
About This Recipe
Sinigang na Baboy is arguably the most iconic Filipino soup — a clear, sour broth loaded with tender pork, crunchy vegetables, and the unmistakable puckering tang of tamarind. Unlike neighboring Southeast Asian sour soups that balance heat and sweetness, Philippine sinigang is unapologetically sour. That forward sourness is the entire point. Sampalok, kangkong, kamias, and labanos are all explained in our Filipino ingredients glossary.
The dish works with almost any protein: pork (baboy), beef (baka), shrimp (hipon), or fish (isda). Pork remains the most beloved because the fat melts into the broth during the long simmer, giving the soup body and richness that balance the tart tamarind. For the difference between sinigang and its cousin nilaga, read our sinigang vs nilaga comparison. If you want to experiment without tamarind, see our sinigang without tamarind guide.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork belly or pork ribs, cut into chunks
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2 large tomatoes, quartered
- 10 cups water
- 1 pack tamarind soup mix (40g)
- 1 large radish (labanos), sliced
- 1 bunch string beans (sitaw)
- 2 medium eggplants, sliced
- 1 bunch kangkong (water spinach)
- 2-3 green finger chilies
- 2 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
Instructions
- 1
Boil the Pork
Place pork in a large pot with 10 cups water, onion, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum that rises. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 50-60 minutes until pork is fork-tender.
- 2
Add Souring Agent
Stir in tamarind soup mix (or strained fresh tamarind pulp). Taste the broth — it should be pleasantly sour. Adjust with more mix or water to balance.
- 3
Add Root Vegetables First
Add radish slices and simmer 5 minutes until they start to soften. Harder vegetables need the longest cooking time.
- 4
Add Beans and Eggplant
Add string beans and eggplant slices. Simmer 5-7 more minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Do not overcook or they turn mushy.
- 5
Finish with Greens
Add kangkong and green chilies. Season with patis, salt, and pepper. Simmer just 1-2 minutes until kangkong wilts. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Tips & Variations
Add Ingredients by Cook Time
Add vegetables in order of cooking time: radish first (slowest), then beans and eggplant, finally kangkong (fastest). Each vegetable hits its ideal texture this way.
Do Not Overcook Kangkong
Kangkong wilts in under 2 minutes. Any longer and the leaves turn black and lose their vibrant green color and crunch.
Fresh vs Packet Tamarind
Fresh sampalok gives superior depth of sourness. Packet soup mix is faster and works well for weeknight cooking. Either is authentic.
History & Origins
Sinigang is one of the few major Filipino dishes with no clear colonial origin. The technique — boiling protein in water with native souring fruits — is purely pre-colonial. Food historian Doreen Fernandez, in her foundational work on Philippine cuisine, identified sinigang as possibly the oldest continuous cooking tradition in the archipelago. Unlike adobo, which adopted Chinese soy sauce as a central ingredient during the 17th century, sinigang's sour-forward character comes entirely from native Philippine fruits that grew abundantly in every region. There was nothing the colonizers brought that improved it, so it remained unchanged at its core.
The Knorr Sinigang Mix, introduced in the 1970s, fundamentally changed how the dish is cooked at home. The convenience of powdered tamarind dramatically reduced cooking time but narrowed the flavor spectrum — fresh sampalok produces a more complex, slightly fruity sourness that the powder cannot fully replicate. The packet mix is now so ubiquitous that many younger Filipino cooks have never made sinigang from scratch tamarind, and regional variation between provinces has reduced as the single powdered product homogenized the flavor.
Regional Variations
Sinigang's defining characteristic varies by province based on which souring fruit grows locally:
- Tagalog (Luzon standard): Sampalok (tamarind) — the definitive sourness that most people mean when they say sinigang. Strong, clean, tart without fruitiness.
- Ilocos: Kamias (bilimbi fruit) or guava (bayabas). Kamias gives a grassy, vegetable sourness; guava gives a rounder, slightly sweet-sour broth.
- Batangas: Some traditional versions use batwan fruit (Garcinia binucao), which gives a distinctive mellow sourness unavailable outside the Visayas. Often uses beef rather than pork.
- Pampanga / Central Luzon: Sometimes uses green mango (manggang hilaw) — the sourness is more fragrant, with a distinct mango fruitiness in the broth.
- Western Visayas: Pineapple (pinya) as souring agent creates sinigang sa pinya — sweeter, less aggressively sour, with a tropical aroma.
- Mindanao: Banana blossom (puso ng saging) variant uses the blossom itself both as souring agent and as vegetable. Very localized tradition.
Ingredient Substitutions for Overseas Cooking
The hardest sinigang ingredients to find outside the Philippines are the native vegetables. Here are reliable substitutes that maintain the dish's character:
- Kangkong (water spinach): Baby spinach wilts similarly and is mild enough to work. Swiss chard (stems removed) or morning glory (where available) are closer. Do not use mature spinach — texture becomes too soft.
- Labanos (white radish): Daikon radish is identical — same variety, just a different name. Western supermarket turnips work but have a slightly more bitter taste.
- Sitaw (yard-long beans): Regular green beans or haricots verts are direct substitutes, cut to 2-inch pieces. Texture and cook time are nearly identical.
- Siling haba (finger chili): Serrano pepper or mild banana pepper for heat without overwhelming the broth. Omit entirely for a non-spicy version — it doesn't compromise the dish fundamentally.
- Fresh sampalok (tamarind): Tamarind paste (sold in blocks at Indian and Asian stores) dissolved in hot water is superior to powder. 1 inch of block paste per serving of water.
- Patis (fish sauce): Thai fish sauce brands (Tiparos, Megachef, Squid brand) are nearly identical in flavor and are widely available. Season carefully — Thai brands tend to be saltier than Filipino patis.