Prep veggies
Saut in a soup pan the onions, then garlic and ginger (non-traditional but it helps remove the fishy-slimy taste) until fragrant.
Saut in the tomatoes until soft.
Add in the water and tamarind powder mix. I like it sour so I use the whole pack for 3-4 c of water (small, 22g. There is a bigger pack available) and I even add calamansi in the end (local lime version). Bring to a boil.
You can buy the Knorr brand from a Filipino store ('Sampaloc' means tamarind) or use any Asian tamarind mix without a lot of sugar in it (not the one used for desserts).
The veggies and the fish cook fairly quickly. Especially with the salmon, I don't want to overcook it so I place it in last. In a quick succession, add the veggies- hard stalks, beans, finger pepprs and radish first. Then the leafy veggies after a couple minutes.
Salt the salmon before putting it in (right after dropping in the Kang Kong). Ensure it's submerged, especially if cooking the head. Cover and bring to a light boil.
Lower heat when it boils. Taste and add 1 Tbsp fish sauce first...If you dont have this, use salt. Add more tamarind mix if it's not sour enough or use calamansi juice. Add more fish sauce according to your liking. Cook until the salmon meat changes color (not very long, depends on thickness, 5-6 mins).
Serve hot and spoon soup over rice. Enjoy!
