Lemon Miso Shrimp Soup (Sinigang)

Sinigang is the Filipino answer to the Chinese hot and sour soup or the Thai Tom Tum Yum. We resort to using tamarind or even guava or both as the souring agent.  Filipinos have lately resorted to packaged Tamarind Soup Mix from the Asian Store to prepare the dish. Easy peasy. But there is a catch, it has MSG. 

i usually do not react to this flavoring agent, MSG, but I noticed I have had headaches lately when eating dishes cooked with it. But I love my Sinigang and so does my husband who is American. So one day in desperation I decided to use lemon as the souring source. It actually worked to satisfy my craving. 

I used shrimp as my protein but other meat or seafood can be used. So forget about making that extra trip to the Asian store, good old lemon will satisfy that craving for this iconic Filipino dish.

Lemon Miso Shrimp Soup (Sinigang)

See this blogpost and references therein for other ways to cook Sinigang

• Juice of two lemons
• 1/4 cup miso
• 2 cups water 
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 1 large, tomato, sliced
• 1 whole Banana pepper 
• 2 bunches of baby bok choy
• 4 napa leaves, sliced
• 8 shrimps 

Place all the ingredients except the bok choy, napa leaves and the shrimp in a soup pot. Allow the mixture to boil. 

Once it is boiling, add the bok choy, napa cabbage and shrimp. Continue boiling till the shrimp is pink. Do no boil too long or the sbrimp and vegetables will be overcooked.

Enjoy with a bowl of rice and fish sauce if you like. You can squeeze open the whole banana pepper for more heat if you dare to.