Longganisa Sinigang

Longganisa Sinigang

Recipes with Longganisa

Sinigang is the Philippine sour soup, tamarind its traditional souring agent, vegetables its body, and usually pork or shrimp its protein. Longganisa in sinigang is a less common version, specific to Pampanga, where cooks add the sweet cured sausage to the sour broth for a deliberate tension between the fat-sweetness of the longganisa and the sharp tamarind. The fat from the sausage enriches the broth in a way that fresh pork cuts do not, and the sugar in the longganisa softens the tartness at the edges. The result is a soup richer and more complex than standard sinigang, with the sausage links bobbing in the broth alongside kangkong (water spinach) and long green chilli.

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

30 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

  • 8–10 links longganisa
  • 1.5 litres water or pork stock
  • 1 packet (40g) tamarind sinigang mix, or 200g fresh tamarind pulp
  • 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 2 long green chillies (siling haba)
  • 200g kangkong (water spinach) or spinach
  • 150g radish, sliced into rounds
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • Salt to taste

Steps

1

In a pot, bring the water or stock to a boil. Add the onion, tomatoes, and fish sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2

Add the longganisa links whole. Simmer for 10 minutes. The fat renders into the broth and the sausages firm up. Prick each link once with a fork to allow some fat to escape into the broth.

3

Add the tamarind mix or pulp and stir to dissolve. The broth should taste distinctly sour. Adjust by adding more tamarind or a little sugar if the balance needs correcting.

4

Add the radish and green chillies. Cook for 8 minutes until the radish is tender.

5

Add the kangkong or spinach last. Cook for 1–2 minutes until just wilted. Check salt and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Tips

Sinigang should be eaten the moment it is done; the greens turn grey and mushy if the soup sits on the heat. Add the kangkong only when everyone is ready to eat. The longganisa brings sweetness to the broth, so hold back on any extra sugar until you taste the finished soup.