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Sayur Asem (Indonesian Tamarind Vegetable Soup), serve in a white bowl, close-up top view.
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Sayur Asem (Indonesian Tamarind Vegetable Soup)

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Sayur Asem is a tangy Indonesian vegetable soup made with tamarind, corn, long beans, cabbage, carrots, and tomato. Serve this light, sour-sweet soup with steamed rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Indonesian
Calories: 61
Ingredients Equipment Cooking Instructions Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste or to taste
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic lightly crushed
  • 1 cup cabbage chopped
  • 1 cup long beans or green beans cut into pieces
  • 1 cup corn kernels or 1 ear corn cut into chunks
  • 1 small carrot sliced
  • 1 tomato quartered
  • 1 tsp sugar palm sugar or brown sugar preferred
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

5 Quart Pot
5 Quart Pot
$39.99 $29.49
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10/26/2026 08:26 pm GMT
small soup pot
Soup Bowls
Soup Bowls
$39.99 $28.88
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09/24/2026 03:25 am GMT
soup bowl

Cooking Instructions
 

  1. Bring water to a boil in a pot.
  2. Add onion and garlic; simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in tamarind paste, sugar, and salt.
  4. Add corn and carrot; simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Add green beans and cabbage; cook 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  6. Add tomato and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  7. Taste and adjust sourness, salt, or sweetness.
  8. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gTrans Fat: 0.002gSodium: 29mgPotassium: 269mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2054IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Notes

• Tamarind paste varies in strength and acidity, so start with less and add more after tasting the broth.
• The finished soup should have a noticeable sour flavor balanced by a small amount of sweetness and salt.
• Add the firmer vegetables, such as corn and carrots, before the cabbage and green beans so the vegetables finish cooking at roughly the same time.
• Long beans are a good choice when available, but regular green beans can be used as a substitute.
• Chayote, peanuts, or galangal can be added for additional texture and flavor.
• Serve the soup fresh and hot with steamed rice.

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