I wanted to put together a recipe round-up for some of my favourite Filipino dishes and to also show that vegan Filipino recipes are definitely possible, and doable! So here are 15 Vegan Filipino Recipes I’ve made over the years.
I often get asked how to go about the Philippines as a vegan or vegetarian because let’s be real, Filipino cuisine is very meat-heavy! Being Filipino, I’ve been on a quest to create vegan versions of Filipino dishes I grew up enjoying and love while of course retaining the flavours we all know and love.
If there’s one thing about Filipino cuisine that I’ve realised over the years, it’s that a lot of Filipino dishes are distinct for their flavours that come from different sauces, aromatics, and elements that are often plant-based and used to season a dish. So a simple substitute for the protein (like beef, chicken, pork), that’s used can easily create a plant-based version of a certain dish. And in this day and age, there are more and more vegan meat or plant-based alternatives with amazing meat-like textures and even flavours, that can easily replicate meat in a dish.
In a lot of these recipes, I like to use tofu as my meat substitute since it’s the most accessible and also most affordable where I live. I also use other plant-based meat alternatives or mock meats like TVP or texturised vegetable protein in other recipes.
15 VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES: AN OVERVIEW
- Adobong Tokwa (Tofu Adobo)
- Tofu Sisig
- Filipino Spaghetti
- Arroz Valenciana
- Lumpiang Shanghai
- Sopas (Filipino Macaroni Soup)
- Pancit Canton (Stir-Fried Noodles)
- Kaldereta
- Bola-bola (Filipino Meatballs)
- Garlicky Mushroom Tapa
- Ensaladang Talong (Roasted Eggplant Salad)
- Tokwa’t Baboy (Tofu & "Pork")
- Mushroom Tocino
- Burger Steaks and Gravy
- Lumpiang Gulay
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THESE FILIPINO VEGAN RECIPES
- Filipino food is very comforting and satisfying - we have almost every meal with rice!
- They're super flavourful and umami-packed
- Each one requires a few key ingredients that you may already have in your pantry (if not, a quick visit to your local Asian store will do the trick!)
- These recipes make big batches so they're great for meal-prep! A lot store well in the refrigerator or freezer too
Keep scrolling to see each recipe and tap on the photo or the 'GET THE RECIPE' button for the direct recipes!
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Filipino Tofu Adobo (Adobong Tokwa)
This Vegan Tofu Adobo or Adobong Tokwa is a vegan take on the classic Filipino dish, that’s commonly cooked using chicken or pork. This version uses tokwa, which is tofu in Filipino that I sliced into cubes and pan-fried to crisp before cooking down adobo-style. It’s packed full of flavour with the tofu acting like sponges and absorbing all the flavour. You can’t pass off on rice with this dish!
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Filipino Crispy Tofu Sisig (Vegan)
Filipino Crispy Tofu Sisig cooked with an aromatic blend of onions, garlic, peppers, and chiles. This is a hearty vegan take on the Filipino Kapampangan classic! It’s delicious savoury and spicy with a bit of sourness and hint of sweetness.Perfect with rice or sinangag (Filipino Fried Garlic Rice)!
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Filipino Style Sweet Spaghetti (Vegan)
This is a veganised version of my all-time favourite Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti.
This Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti is our adaptation of Italian Bolognese or spaghetti with meat sauce. It has sweet meat sauce packed with ground meat and sliced hot dogs, that’s sweetened with brown sugar and ketchup.
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Vegan Arroz Valenciana
Arroz Valenciana is a very festive Filipino rice dish that’s heavily influenced by Spanish Paella. This dish uses glutinous or sticky rice and is cooked with turmeric that gives it that distinct yellow colour. It has bell peppers, raisins, peas, and richness from coconut cream. I also cooked this down with some vegan sausage/chorizo and some vegan “chicken” for a delicious meaty bite.This is a one-pan (or pot) dish, that's perfect for sharing and celebrations!
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Vegan Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
Crispy on the outside with a meaty filling, these Vegan Lumpiang Shanghai is my vegan take on Filipino spring rolls! These are delicious finger food or snack, that’s perfect for sharing. These are best enjoyed with a sweet chili sauce.
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Sopas (Vegan Filipino Style Macaroni Soup)
This Vegan Sopas is my take on a Filipino Style Macaroni Soup. My mom would always make a big comforting batch of Sopas for all of us to share and what I really loved about it was the silky broth, crunch and sweetness from the cabbage, and the slices of hotdog or sausages. This vegan version uses plant-based sausages and diced ham instead of the chicken. I also added some carrot and bell pepper along with the cabbage for this Sopas.
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Pancit Canton (Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles)
Filipino Pancit Canton or stir-fried noodles are flour stick noodles cooked in a broth with lots of veggies, meat, and other ingredients. It’s very similar to Chinese Lo Mein (‘mein’ meaning noodles) since noodles were first introduced by Chinese merchants in the country. This vegan pancit recipe is packed with vegetables and soy chunks.
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Filipino Tomato-Based “Meat” Stew (Kaldereta)
Plant-based soy “meat” cooked down in a rich and hearty tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. Kaldereta is traditionally cooked with goat meat (to make ‘kalderetang kambing’) and liver spread to get that textured sauce. Kaldereta but also come in different versions using beef, pork, and even chicken.This version is of course 100% vegan and instead of liver spread, I use a mix of peanut butter and miso paste for that extra kick of umami.
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Vegan Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)
Bola-Bola are Filipino Meatballs that are traditionally deep-fried for that crisp exterior. This vegan recipe only needs 8 simple ingredients and uses a mix of tofu and plant-based ground/mince to recreate that meaty texture of meatballs. These are also gluten-free!You can enjoy these by making Sweet and Sour Bola-Bola or Meatballs (recipe here)
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Garlicky Mushroom Tapa
This Garlicky Mushroom Tapa is my vegan take on Filipino beef tapa. Filipino Tapa is traditionally made by curing beef with salt and letting it dry and cooking it until crisp. It’s usually paired with seasoned vinegar and a side of fried garlic rice and a fried egg for what we like to call Tapsilog. For this mushroom version, I simply pan fried mine until the marinate reduces and the mushroom is coated in the sauce and absorbs all the flavours before serving it with chili oil fried garlic rice, sliced tomatoes, and seasoned vinegar with red onions and chiles.
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Ensaladang Talong (Filipino-Style Roasted Eggplant Salad)
Roasted smokey eggplants with tomatoes, onions, some mangoes, and fresh cilantro. Ensaladang Talong or Roasted Eggplant Salad is a classic Filipino starter or side dish, that’s best enjoyed with fried food. It’s something I loved to eat growing up with some fried fish to balance out the fried food but it really goes well with anything!
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Vegan Tokwa’t Baboy (Filipino Fried Tofu and Pork)
This Vegan Tokwa’t Baboy is a pork-free take on one of my favourite Filipino dishes. It’s packed with really bold flavours with pieces of tofu and soy chunks (for this vegan version) soaked in a savoury, soy, slightly sweet, and spicy sauce
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Oyster Mushroom Tocino (Vegan Filipino Cured "Meat")
This Mushroom Tocino are my vegan take on the iconic Filipino Tocino, which is a cured meat (usually pork) dish distinct for its sweetness and bright red colour. I served this Vegan Mushroom Tocino with some sinangag (garlic fried rice), suka’t sili (vinegar with some chiles and onions), and kamatis (tomatoes) for the perfect hearty Filipino breakfast that can also be enjoyed any time of the day.
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Vegan Jollibee Style Burger Steaks and Mushroom Gravy
I was that kid who loved Burgers Steaks and Mushroom Gravy, especially the one from the local fast food chain, Jollibee! So this Vegan Jollibee Style Burger Steaks and Mushroom Gravy is inspired by my favourite growing up. The patties are made of a mix of mushrooms and tofu and can be made gluten-free too!
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Lumpiang Gulay (Filipino Vegetable Spring Rolls) with Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar
“Lumpia” or spring roll is a staple in Filipino cuisine. There are different variations like Lumpiang Ubod (Heart of Palm Spring Rolls) and Lumpiang Togue (Beansprout Spring Rolls) but they’re all cooked in the same way by being wrapped in flour wrappers before being fried to a crisp and dipped in a vinegar-based dipping sauce. These Lumpiang Gulay are filled with a mix of cabbage and a few other vegetables. I love using cabbage or repolyo in Filipino, because of its crunch and sweet note. These are delicious as a snack or even enjoyed with some rice!
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This recipe for vegans is really valuable. Thanks.
Here in LA we have this restaurant called Sari-Sari Store that serves a vegetarian dish (their ONLY vegetarian dish btw) called Tortang Talong. It’s charred eggplant with rice, veggies, and this crazy good vinegar. I am always on the lookout for a similar recipe on your blog! The Ensalada Talong looks close. But if you ever find it in your heart to make a vegan Filipino style rice bowl I will be forever grateful!
I LOVE tortang talong! Realised I’ve never actually been able to share a vegan recipe but will be sure to do so when I do try it out! ◡̈
Hi! Greetings from Texas! I love your recipes! The kaldereta and kare kare are amazing! Do you have a book of mostly Filipino recipes (like the ones above)?
Hi Nikki! Thanks so much! I have a cookbook called Vegan Asian with a mix of different recipes. There are Filipino recipes there as well. You can check it out here – https://thefoodietakesflight.com/vegan-asian-cookbook 🙂