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Sinigang na Hipon - Tamarind Soup with Shrimps and Vegetables

Sinigang na Hipon - Tamarind Soup with Shrimps and Vegetables is a classic Filipino soup dish flavored with souring agents. Start with a clear broth flavored with tamarind. In the Philippines, we boiled unripe green tamarinds from our yard, then mashed the softened pulp to add to the broth. Since I can’t find green tamarinds in the States, I  use the solid blocks of tamarind concentrate from Asian markets. Once added to the savory sour broth, toss in the shrimps, vegetables, patis (fish sauce). This is an AsianinAmericamag recipe and serves 2 to 4. Serve with boiled rice.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time48 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Sinigang na Hipon Tamarind Soup Shrimps Vegetables
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1kcal
Author: Asian in America -Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

  • Large Stock pot or Dutch Oven: 10 to 12 quarts

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large-sized fresh shrimps about 2 cups; peeled, heads and tails removed
  • 1/2 cup calamansi juice (or use lemon) divided use 1/4 to marinate shrimps, the rest for broth; Calamansi, the Filipino lime from Asian markets
  • 8 to 10 cups water or rice wash
  • 1 whole large onion chopped
  • 2 whole large tomatoes chopped
  • 1 inch piece solid tamarind (from the block) diluted in 1/4 cup warm water
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach or use kangkong (water spinach)
  • 2 Tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • for serving: steamed rice

Instructions

  • Prepare and marinate shrimps: Peel and wash shrimps. Marinate with calamansi juice (or use lemon). Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes till ready to add to broth.
  • To cook the sinigang broth: In a large stockpot, pour rice wash or ‘hugas bigas’ (or water). Add the calamansi juice, onions, tomatoes and tamarind diluted in 1/4 cup warm water. Bring this to a boil then lower heat to medium for a slow simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes for tart tamarind flavor to set.
  • Add the shrimps and patis (fish sauce). The shrimps will turn from grey to a light orange color which means it is cooked. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes more till the leaves wilt. Season with salt and black pepper powder.
    Serve with steamed rice and a dipping sauce of patis (fish sauce) on the side.
  • Cook’s comments: Other vegetables may be added to this Sinigang like sitaw (long green beans), radish, gabi (taro), kangkong (water spinach). Feel free to use a regular fillet of fish for this one, too. Add more soup stock or water if needed. And if you want a zing to the dish, add 1 or 2 long finger chilies or what Filipinos call ‘siling mahaba' and boil it with the sinigang broth.

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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 581mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg