Sayur Asem (Tamarind Vegetable Soup)

Sayur asem is the tart, tamarind-soured vegetable soup of Java, served alongside fried fish and sambal in nearly every home. It is the taste of simple, honest cooking — a pot of whatever is in the market that morning, brightened with tamarind and palm sugar. Nothing fancy, and somehow always right, it is the soup that makes a plain rice meal feel complete. Every Javanese home has its own vegetable mix, and the soup changes with the season.

Bright, tangy broth with a garden of vegetables

Corn, chayote, long beans, and tomatoes swim in a clear broth that is at once sour, sweet, and savory, with a gentle warmth from galangal and bay leaves. The tamarind keeps it refreshing rather than heavy, and a little palm sugar rounds out the sharp edges. It is light enough for any day and bright enough to wake up the whole table. Serve it the way the warungs do, with a scoop of rice and a piece of fried fish.

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This dish leans on the condiments covered in Beginner’s Guide to Asian Sauces & Seasonings.

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