Serve up a healthy & comforting bowl of Sinigang na Salmon Belly that feeds the soul 30 minutes or less! This classic Filipino soup is full of fresh veggies, tender salmon, & cooks up in one pot for easy cleanup. Let’s get cooking!
Salmon Sinigang
Sinigang na Salmon Belly, or Salmon Sinigang, is a favorite Filipino meal growing up! My mom used to make it for my sister & I as a comforting bowl during cold weather or rainy days, served with hot steamy rice… yumm!
This Filipino sour soup is packed with tons of fresh veggies & healthy protein, so it’s comforting meal you can enjoy pretty much guilt-free. And it’s SUPER easy to adjust too!
Add extra umami with miso paste to the sour broth in this Miso Salmon Sinigang version. Or, swap out salmon for juicy Chicken Sinigang or Sinigang na Baboy (Pork Sinigang).
Serve it up as an easy weeknight, Christmas, or Thanksgiving meal done in 30 minutes or less!
❤️ Highlights
🥘Ingredients
- Salmon: Sinigang salmon belly is my FAVE, preferably bone-in because it creates an even more flavorful soup! Choose fresh salmon by looking for pieces that are vibrant, firm, with little to no odor. Yep, fresh salmon shouldn’t smell “fishy”, have bruising, or dryness. If you could only get you hands on salmon steaks/fillets, make sure to keep the skin on because it’ll help keep the salmon in one piece, instead of flaking apart.
- Tamarind Seasoning: Nowadays, sinigang seasoning packets are super convenient and readily available at most Asian markets and definitely at Seafood City. I usually use the Mamacita’s or Knorr brands (labeled “sinigang sa sampaloc mix”) but make sure to refer to “Key Tips” below about adjusting the seasoning! Alternatively, you can use homemade Tamarind Paste. Tamarind is the most common souring agent & using the paste gives you more WAY control over the sour & salty flavors in this Sinigang na Salmon recipe.
- Fish Sauce: Fish sauce adds extra saltiness (if needed) and umami. Squid fish sauce is my fave because it only have 3 simple ingredients – no mystery preservatives or add-ins!
- Vegetables: To create a classic salmon sinigang recipe, the basics you’ll need are onions, tomatoes, and some type of leafy greens. I like to throw in taro and string beans for some extra heartiness. Stay tuned for more veggie variations below!
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
The best part of making this at home is that you can customize it and this Salmon Belly Sinigang is SO flexible! Swap out or add in your fave protein & veggies to create your favorite version. Here are a few ideas:
Protein:
- Chicken Sinigang (Sinigang na Manok)
- Pork Sinigang (sinigang na baboy)
- Miso Salmon Sinigang
- Shrimp Sinigang (sinigang na hipon)
- Milkfish Sinigang (sinigang na bangus)
Vegetables:
- Eggplant
- Okra
- Spinach
- Kangkong (water spinach)
- Chilies (finger, jalapeno, or other hot chilies)
- White radish
🔪 How to Cook Sinigang na Salmon
Step 1: Lightly season salmon bellies with salt & pepper, then sear salmon in a large pot on medium-high heat with a little of oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes – it shouldn’t be cooked through at this point, you just want browning. Remove & set aside.
Step 2: Now, we’ll make the soup base! Add a little more oil if needed, then toss in diced onions & tomatoes. Saute for a few seconds, or until they just begin to become tender.
Step 3: Pour water or low-sodium chicken broth, then cover & bring to rolling boil.
Step 4: Add taro, string beans, & chilies (if using) then cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they start to become tender but not soggy.
Step 5: Carefully add the salmon, sinigang seasoning, & fish sauce. Stir the sinigang VERY gently so the salmon doesn’t flake apart. Cover & cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Cooking time may vary depending on whether you’re using bone-in salmon & the size of salmon pieces.
Step 6: Taste the tamarind broth. If you’d like it to have more of a sour taste, add more sinigang seasoning. Add more fish sauce if it needs more saltiness.
Toss in bok choy and cook for a couple more minutes, or until they’re wilted. Turn off heat, transfer to a serving bow, then serve with steamy hot rice. Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Every Seasoning Brand is Different: I usually use the Mamacita’s or Knorr brands, but there are a ton of options! Keep in mind that the flavor & saltiness varies by each brand, so before adding any fish sauce, make sure to take & adjust as needed.
- Keep the Salmon from Flaking Apart: It’s super important to use skin-on salmon (bone-in or fillets) pieces because it helps keep the salmon from flaking apart. It also adds extra flavor!
- Creating Extra Layer of Flavor: Searing the salmon before starting the rest of the soup is technically an optional step, but I don’t recommend skipping it! The extra couple of minutes is SO worth it to create deeper flavor & beautiful browning. Make sure your salmon is pat dry well so it sears instead of boils.
💭 Recipe FAQs
🥗 More Easy Filipino Recipes You’ll Love!
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Sinigang na Salmon Belly
Ingredients
- ½ medium onion diced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 1 cup taro cut into 2-inch pieces
- ¾ cup string beans cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 pound salmon belly* pat dry
- 1 sinigang seasoning packet*
- 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce or to taste
- 4 large bundles bok choy* leaves separated
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add about 1 tablespoon of oil then sear salmon for about 1 minute per side, or until golden – not cooked through (it’ll finish cooking in broth). Remove & set aside.
- Add onions and tomatoes, then saute for about a minute, or until they begin to soften. Pour in broth or water, cover, & bring to a boil.
- Add taro and string beans then cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they start to become tender but not soggy.
- Gently add the fish to the soup, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Be very gentle while stirring because you don’t want the fish to flake apart in the soup.
- Add enough sinigang seasoning to your desired sourness, then add fish sauce. Sinigang seasoning brands vary slightly in saltiness and flavor. If you get to a level of sourness you like, but the soup is lacking saltiness, add more fish sauce.
- Toss in bok choy and cook for a couple more minutes, or until they’re wilted. Turn off heat and serve with steamy hot rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Salmon: Salmon belly is ideal, but fillets work too. Salmon head or cuts with bones enhance broth flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Using chicken or vegetable broth adds extra flavor but water works as well.
- Sinigang Seasoning Packet: You can find it at local Asian markets like Seafood City or use tamarind paste/concentrate. Keep in mind that brands vary in saltiness & sourness, so adjust the seasoning to your liking!
- Bok Choy: Mustard greens are typically used for sinigang but if unavailable, you can use bok choy, spinach, or kang kong (water spinach).
- Key Cooking & Storage Tips: Scroll to the blog post above for step-by-step photos & storage/reheating tips!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
In step 5 you say to add more patis but you never mentioned where you add patis initially.
Thank you for pointing this out! I’ve corrected the recipe. Hope you enjoy 🙂