Focused recipe
Sinigang na Sardinas
A light, tamarind-based Filipino soup using canned fish and loaded with vegetables
Filipino Updated 6/1/2025
Ingredients
Measured from the catalog payload.
- 45 oz mackerel
- 75 grams maggi magic sinigang with gabi
- 12 pieces okra
- 15 pieces string bean
- 6 ounces daikon radish
- 3 pieces chinese eggplant
- 4 pieces long green pepper
- 1 water spinach
- 2 pieces onion
- 8 cloves garlic
- 4 ginger crushed
- 5 pieces tomato
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 quarts water
- fish sauce
- ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
16 cooking steps
- Separate the mackerel from the oil using a kitchen strainer. Set both aside.
- Heat cooking oil and then sauté the onions until the layers separate.
- Add ginger and garlic. Continue to sauté until the garlic starts to brown.
- Add the tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Pour the oil from the canned mackerel into the cooking pot. Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir.
- Add miso paste and pour 1 ½ quarts of water. Let it boil.
- Add the daikon radish. Continue cooking in medium heat setting for 5 minutes.
- Add Maggi Magic Sinigang with Gabi. Stir.
- Add the eggplant. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Add the okra, long green peppers, and string beans.
- Pour the remaining water, cover the pot, and let it re-boil. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Put the mackerel into the pot. Gently stir.
- Add the water spinach (kangkong). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season with more fish sauce and ground black pepper as needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot.
- Share and enjoy!
Catalog details
Useful for browsing and sync.
Main Dish, Fish easy sardines recipe, mackerel recipe, sinigang Public recipe Revision 1
Recipe notes
- Do not throw away the mackerel oil . This oil is more than just a byproduct, it helps carry the fish’s flavor across the broth. But it can also be gritty, so I suggest straining it through a fine mesh. This makes the soup cleaner while keeping the taste full. Use it right after sautéing the aromatics for better blending.
- Pick the right brand of miso . Some miso pastes are salty, others are sweeter. Choose white miso if you want mildness, or yellow for a fuller profile. I usually stick with white or yellow for a more balanced broth.
- Don’t chop your vegetables too early . If you’re prepping ahead, store sliced radish and eggplant in water to keep them from browning. But keep kangkong leaves whole and unwashed until the last minute. This keeps everything fresh and prevents limp, soggy greens.
- Add more water only if needed . The 2 quarts in the recipe are split for a reason. Start with 1.5 quarts and only add the rest after the vegetables soften. This helps control the flavor strength and keeps the soup from tasting watered down.