Sinigang na Salmon is the perfect pick for days when you're after something quick, yet full of flavor. In just 30 minutes, you get a hearty soup that hits the spot every time.
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What is Sinigang?
Sinigang, meaning "to stew" in Filipino, is a hearty soup with a distinctive sour flavor. The flavor is achieved using souring agents like tamarind, green mango, kamias (bilimbi), bayabas (guava), or miso paste. This soup contains a protein-pork, beef, shrimp, or fish-cooked with a variety of aromatics and vegetables.
This Salmon Sinigang recipe uses salmon steaks, containing both meaty and fatty parts of the fish. Some may use salmon belly or the head, particularly popular for its rich flavor, especially in the cheeks, and its soft, gelatinous texture.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Salmon: I've used salmon steaks cut into large pieces, with the middle bone removed. You can also use the salmon head or just the belly, or go for other fish like bangus (milkfish) or pompano as substitutes.
- Sinigang Mix: For convenience, I've used a store-bought mix to create the broth, which is available in various flavors. You can use other souring agents like tamarind pulp or paste, fresh sour fruits, or even calamansi or lemons combined with tomatoes for a more homemade approach.
- Vegetables: I've used daikon radish, gabi (taro), eggplant, sitaw (yardlong beans), and kangkong (water spinach). You can also include okra, ampalaya (bitter melon), napa cabbage, or other leafy greens like bok choy or spinach. Consider adding lemongrass for a citrusy, herbal note.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare salmon
Cut the salmon steak into desired pieces, removing the large central bone and any large bones for easier eating. You can also choose to keep the steak whole if preferred.
Step 2: Sauté aromatics
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the ginger until aromatic, then add garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Cook until the softened and slightly caramelized.
Step 3: Prepare broth
Empty the contents of the sinigang mix into the pot, then add 6 cups of water, slightly less than the packet's usual recommendation for a more concentrated broth. Cover and let it come to a boil.
Step 4: Add radish and taro
Add the radish and taro, then simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes
Step 5: Add salmon and vegetables
Add the salmon, chili pepper, and eggplant, then continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Ste 6: Season and add more vegetables
Season with fish sauce or salt, if necessary. Add the sitaw and kangkong, then let it cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to finish cooking them.
Serve your Sinigang na Salmon with a side of steamed white rice and a sawsawan (dipping sauce) of fish sauce and calamansi.
Recipe FAQs
In Sinigang na Isda, if you're looking to replace salmon, you have several great options.Bangus (milkfish), tilapia, and pompano are populaar choices, each bringing a distinct flavor and texture to the dish.
Like most fish, salmon cooks fast, typically taking about 5 minutes. You'll know it's done when the color changes from a raw, pinkish-translucent to a lighter, opaque pink. To keep it tender and juicy, add the salmon towards the end of cooking, when the vegetables have softened so it doesn't overcook and become dry or flaky.
Absolutely! You can make it from scratch without a store-bought mix. Just use whatever souring agents you have on hand, like tamarind pulp, kamias (bilimbi), calamansi, lemon, or even miso paste. Feel free to adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
Explore Filipino dishes with salmon
- Baked salmon: Salmon fillets are topped with mayonnaise, garlic, and cheese, then baked until golden.
- Inihaw na salmon: Grilled salmon fillets or steaks marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi, and garlic.
- Sinuglaw with salmon: Sinuglaw is a dish combining grilled (sinugba) and raw (kinilaw) elements. In this version, grilled salmon is mixed with raw salmon that's been 'cooked' or cured in vinegar or calamansi juice, along with onions, ginger, and chili peppers.
- Salmon kilawin: Similar to ceviche, kilawin involves "cooking" raw salmon in vinegar and calamansi juice, then mixed with onions, ginger, and chili peppers.
- Sarciadong Isda: Pan-fried or seared salmon with a thick tomato-based sauce with scrambled eggs.
Other seafood recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Sinigang na Salmon
Equipment
- Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds salmon steaks cut into pieces, large bone removed; see note
- 1 small piece ginger peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2-3 ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
- 1 packet sinigang mix see note
- 6 cups water
- 1-2 taro (gabi) peeled and cut into large chunks; see note
- 1 small radish cut into large chunks; see note
- 1-2 chili peppers
- 1 eggplant cut into large chunks; see note
- 1 bunch yardlong beans cut into 2-inch sections; see note
- 1 bunch kang kong (water spinach) cut into 2-inch sections; see note
- Fish sauce to taste
- Salt to taste
- Neutral oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Cut the salmon steak into desired pieces, removing the large central bone and any large bones for easier eating. You can also choose to keep the steak whole if preferred.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the ginger until aromatic, then add garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Cook until the softened and slightly caramelized.
- Empty the contents of the sinigang mix into the pot, then add 6 cups of water, slightly less than the packet's usual recommendation for a more concentrated broth. Cover and let it come to a boil.
- Add the radish and taro, then simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes
- Add the salmon, chili pepper, and eggplant, then continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Season with fish sauce or salt, if necessary. Add the sitaw and kangkong, then let it cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to finish cooking them.
- Serve your Sinigang na Salmon with a side of steamed white rice and a sawsawan (dipping sauce) of fish sauce and calamansi.
Notes
- Salmon: I've used salmon steaks cut into large pieces, with the middle bone removed. You can also use the salmon head or just the belly, or go for other fish like bangus (milkfish) or pompano as substitutes.
- Sinigang mix: For convenience, I've used a store-bought mix to create the broth, which is available in various flavors. You can use other souring agents like tamarind pulp or paste, fresh sour fruits, or even calamansi or lemons combined with tomatoes for a more homemade approach.
- Vegetables: I've used daikon radish, gabi (taro), eggplant, sitaw (yardlong beans), and kangkong (water spinach). You can also include okra, ampalaya (bitter melon), napa cabbage, or other leafy greens like bok choy or spinach. Consider adding lemongrass for a citrusy, herbal note.
Uri says
Thanks for the recipe! I
Nora Reyes says
Hi Uri! It's always my pleasure. =)