Must-try Sari Sari Recipe: Whip Up Filipino Delight

Sari Sari soup is a popular Filipino dish that features a variety of ingredients simmered together in a flavorful broth. This soup is a delicious and comforting meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day. The name "Sari-Sari" translates to "assorted" or "mixed" in English, which perfectly describes the diverse range of ingredients used in the soup. From vegetables to meat and seafood, Sari-Sari soup can be customized to suit individual tastes and preferences. In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide to making this tasty and nutritious dish

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Sari Sari Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Crispy roast pork — 1 lb., cut into 1 ½-inch chunks.
• Shrimp — ¼ lb. 
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp.
• Onion — 1 pc.
• Garlic cloves — 4 pcs.
• Fresh ginger — 2 tbsp.
• Fish sauce — 2 tbsp.
• White vinegar — 2 tbsp.
• Tomato paste — 2 tbsp.
• Salt — 1 tsp.
• Chicken broth — 6 cups.
• Tomatoes — 2 pcs.
• Eggplants — 2 pcs.
• Beans — ½ lb.
• Bitter melon — 1 pc., medium size.

Instructions

1. Heat a sizable saucepan over medium heat and add the oil.

2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in the oil until fragrant.

3. Add the salt, broth, tomato paste, vinegar, and fish sauce to the saucepan, stirring well to combine.

4. Once the broth is blended, lower the heat, and add the long beans, eggplant, and tomatoes. Cover the pot and allow the vegetables to boil until they are almost cooked, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the shrimp and bitter melon, and simmer until the shrimp turns pink.

6. Taste and add more salt or fish sauce as needed.

7. Stir in the roast pork and cook thoroughly. To keep the pork crispy, shake the pot instead of stirring.

Substitutions

• Crispy roast pork — Crispy roast pork is the authentic ingredient for this dish. Crispy roast chicken, crispy roast vegetables, and crispy roast tofu can all be used in place of the crispy roast pork. But stick with the crispy roast pork to get the real Sari Sari soup flavor.

• Shrimp — What can you do if you adore shrimp but are unable to consume them or locate them? You can use lobster tails, mushrooms, or tofu to substitute.

• Fish sauce — If you do not have fish sauce, soy sauce, Tamari, or oyster sauce can be used as a substitute. These sauces provide a similar umami flavor to fish sauce and can be used in equal proportions.

• White vinegar — In case you don't have white vinegar, malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used as substitutes. Lime or lemon juice are also viable options to use instead of vinegar.

• Chicken broth — Chicken broth provides a mild savory flavor to the soup and also works as a base of the soup. But if you don’t have it, use vegetable broth, water, or chicken bouillon granules.

• Eggplants — The following foods are excellent substitutes for eggplant that have a flavor and texture that are similar: zucchini, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, and beets.

• Bitter melon — Use cucumber, grapefruit, or winter melon.

Variations

• Make it vegan — For the vegetarian version, just remove the shrimp, chicken broth, crispy roast pork and use okra and vegetable broth.

• To add flavor — To add more flavors to the soup, you can use 1 tbsp. of freshly chopped cilantro.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons.

• Saucepan.

• Ladle.

Storage

• Store leftover soup in an airtight container for 4 days in the refrigerator.

• If correctly preserved, the soup can comfortably be kept in the freezer for up to three months.

Pro Tips

• For the finest flavor, make sure your dry spices are fresh and have not gone past their expiration date.

• It is worthwhile to purchase a heavy pot with a thick bottom to make soups. It will distribute heat evenly and prevent scorching, which could give your soup a burnt flavor.

• Sauté aromatic vegetables like onions and garlic. In addition to softening their texture to prevent an unwanted crunch in the soup, sautéing also softens any astringent qualities and generates more complex flavors. Generally speaking, medium heat is ideal for sautéing.