Shrimp sinigang is a Filipino comfort meal packed with tender shrimp, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind broth. Served warm over rice, this meal is perfect for the rainy or chilly seasons!

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My mom would always cook up a pot of shrimp sinigang during rainy or chilly weathers. It was quick, cheap, and simple to prepare.

She’d throw everything into one pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Shrimp cooks incredibly fast, so it was a convenient fix in getting the entire family’s bellies full!

What is Shrimp Sinigang?

Shrimp Sinigang is a classic Filipino dish that’s loved by many for its tangy and savory flavors.

It’s a hearty soup made with fresh shrimp, a variety of vegetables such as okra, radish, eggplant, and tamarind which gives the soup its distinct sour taste.

One thing that sets Shrimp Sinigang apart from other soups is that it’s a complete meal in itself. It’s a perfect dish for those who want to eat healthy but still want something filling and satisfying.

The soup is packed with fibre from the vegetables, protein from the shrimp, and carbs from the rice that’s usually served alongside it!

As a child, I always remembered my mom making Shrimp Sinigang for our family during rainy or snow days. It was always a crowd-pleaser, and the whole family would gather around the dining table, enjoying the soup with a bowl of steamed rice.

I was always the type to make my sinigang extra sour because it would cut through the richness and sweetness of the shrimp!

When it comes to cooking Shrimp Sinigang, there are many variations to the recipe. Some people prefer to use other souring agents such as calamansi or guava, while others prefer to add other ingredients such as taro or tomato.

Regardless of the recipe, the key to making a delicious Shrimp Sinigang is to make sure that the broth is flavorful and balanced -so always be sure to adjust the sourness to your liking.

Ingredients

Shell-on, cleaned, deveined shrimp: For this recipe you’ll need whole shrimps with their shells and heads still on to add that extra boost of shrimp flavor.

Make sure to reserve some time to clean these shrimps properly (e.g., removing the horns, legs, whiskers, and digestive tract) for a cleaner, less-gritty soup.

Tomatoes, onion, white radish, eggplant, bokchoy, string beans, okra, chili peppers: These will be the main vegetables going into our soup. Feel free to omit or add more veggies into the mix, but this is most commonly the standard combination you’ll see in most sinigang recipes.

Tamarind concentrate: This recipe uses tamarind concentrate that you can typically purchase from a container or as a block of tamarind pulp that you can simply hydrate with hot water to form a paste.

It is the KEY ingredient to a good sinigang since tamarind lends the soup its distinct sourness and mild sweetness.

Fish sauce, salt: The saltiness and umami notes of the fish sauce and salt help to bring out the flavors of the soup and hi light the taste of the shrimp.

Instructions

In a moderately large pot, bring the five cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the tomatoes, onions, and white radish. Turn the heat down to medium and let the vegetables simmer and infuse their flavors for 10 minutes until softened.

Simmering the tomatoes, onion, and white radish

Pour in the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Add in the cleaned shrimp, eggplant, bokchoy, string beans, okra, and chili peppers. Close the pot with a lid and simmer for an additional 5 minutes just until the shrimp is cooked and the vegetables have softened.

Taste the soup, and season with more salt, fish sauce, and/or tamarind paste to preference. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Avoid overcooking your shrimp: Whole, shell-on shrimp should only take around 2-5 minutes to cook, hence why we add it in the last stage of the sinigang. Overcooked shrimp makes the proteins tougher and causes the shell to stick onto the meat, making it more difficult to peel.

A quick visual cue I always use for shrimp is seeing how much they curl up. If they’re curled up to form the letter “C”, it’s ready to eat. If you see the shrimp curl completely into the letter “O”, it’s either overcooked or getting very near to being so.

Adjust the soup to preference: Use this recipe as a guide, but you don’t need to follow it completely. Taste and adjust the sinigang as you go, adding more tamarind concentrate if you’d like it to be more sour and/or adding more fish sauce for a more salty and savory flavor.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

To properly store the sinigang, let it come to room temperature (no longer than 3 hours), then refrigerate immediately in airtight containers. Sinigang should last for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

Some tell-tale signs your sinigang is no longer good include a more sour/funky smell and formation of bubbles, which could indicate fermentation. If the vegetables and soup also start to have a slimy texture, this may be indicative of spoilage.

Can I use different kinds of protein?

You definitely can. Some other variants of sinigang include using chicken (sinigang na manok), beef (sinigang na baka), or pork (sinigang na baboy).

Personally, I love pork belly sinigang! You can find the recipe here.

Can I use sinigang/tamarind soup mixes instead?

For more conveniency, you can also use the tamarind soup mixes that are widely accessible in most Asian and Filipino groceries. The most popular sinigang powder mix brands include Knorr and Mama Sita’s.

Do note that these mixes already come pre-seasoned with salt, MSG, and other ingredients. I’d still recommend seasoning your sinigang further with more salt and/or patis if needed.

Looking for more classic Filipino recipes? Here’s a couple more to give a try:

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)
Bistek (Filipino Beef Steak)
Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)
Tofu Sisig (Crispy Tofu Stirfry)