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 word ‘here’ for the direct recipes!
ADOBONG TOKWA (TOFU ADOBO)
Adobong Tokwa (Tofu Adobo)
Tofu Adobo or Adobong Tokwa – 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 like sponges and absorbing all the flavour. You can’t pass off on rice with this dish.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
TOFU SISIG
Tofu Sisig
Crispy Tofu Sisig cooked with a blend of onions, garlic, peppers, and chiles 🌶 This is a hearty vegan take on the Filipino classic 🇵🇭—it’s deliciously savoury and spicy with a bit of sourness and hint of sweetness.This version is of course free from any animals and uses a mix of tofu and mushrooms.Sisig is also commonly served on a sizzling dish with some butter or margarine, so if you’d like that whole experience, you can of course heat up a sizzling plate or a small cast iron pan and add in some vegan butter or margarine before adding in your cooked tofu sisig!
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
FILIPINO STYLE SPAGHETTI
Filipino Style 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.The sauce is enjoyed with cooked spaghetti and finished off with grated cheddar cheese to add some saltiness and cheesiness. Filipino spaghetti is also a staple in children’s parties along with fried chicken. I loved this combo growing up, and still do—but vegan versions of course!
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
ARROZ VALENCIANA
Arroz Valenciana
Arroz Valenciana is a very festive Filipino rice dish that’s great for sharing and it’s one of the many Filipino dishes that’s heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine. This is what I like to consider a Filipino-style paella but what makes this unique is the use of glutinous or sticky rice that’s cooked with turmeric to give 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.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
LUMPIANG SHANGHAI
Lumpiang Shanghai
Here in the Philippines we have a famous dish called Lumpiang Shanghai that's basically fried spring rolls (lumpia) in a 'Shanghai' style as we call it because of Chinese influence in the past. Lumping Shanghai is commonly filled with meat and some vegetables but for these spring rolls, I made some tofu mince to go with mixed veggies.
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Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
SOPAS (FILIPINO MACARONI SOUP)
Sopas (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.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
PANCIT CANTON (STIR-FRIED NOODLES)
Pancit Canton (Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles)
Pancit Canton (pancit = noodles in Filipino) is very similar to Chinese Lo Mein since noodles were first introduced by Chinese merchants in the country. Growing up in a Filipino-Chinese household, this was one of our staple noodle dishes at home and we’d always have the combo of cabbage and carrots in our noodles because of the crunch and texture they give to the dish. For this vegan version, I used some soy chunks instead of the usual meat, but you can really add in whatever vegetables of your choice.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
KALDERETA (‘MEAT’ STEW)
Kaldereta (Filipino ‘Meat’ Stew)
A really hearty Filipino Kaldereta—basically a tomato-based “meat” stew. For this vegan version I used plant-based “meat” chunks and cooked it down in a rich tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. You’ll need lots of rice or your favourite grain for this dish to soak up all that sauce hehe. I had mine with some adlai (locally grown Philippine barley!). This is also perfect to serve as a main dish for the upcoming holiday celebrations.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
BOLA-BOLA (FILIPINO STYLE MEATBALLS)
Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)
Filipino meatballs or bola-bola are deep fried until golden brown and I loved having bola-bola with some Mang Tomas liver spread, ketchup (tomato or banana!), or sweet chili sauce growing up.And whenever we’d have leftover bola-bola, we’d usually make it into a sweet & sour bola-bola dish at home so I shared a recipe for that on my blog as well! These are also pretty much plain meatballs so you can cook them down in other sauces of your choice, add them to soups, stews, etc. Really versatile if you ask me!!These are of course vegan and made with a mix of tofu and plant-based ground meat/mince.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
GARLICKY MUSHROOM TAPA
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 (ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD)
Ensaladang Talong (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!Roasting the eggplants until the skin is charred and blistered cooks the eggplant down until its silky on the inside. Paired with a Filipino-style vinaigrette and fresh tomatoes, onions and some mangoes (which are optional), you have yourself a deliciously refreshing and hearty salad at the same time.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
TOKWA’T BABOY (TOFU AND “PORK”)
Tokwa’t Baboy (Tofu and “Pork”)
This Vegan Tokwa’t Baboy is a pork-free take on one of my favourite Filipino dishes. Fried tofu (or tokwa) is a staple you’ll find in Filipino cuisine—whether it be in small street-side kiosks and vendors or restaurants because tokwa or tofu is easily accessible and very inexpensive in the Philippines. One of the most common ways tokwa or tofu is enjoyed here is deep fried and then dipped in a sauce, that’s usually a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, chiles, and onions.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
MUSHROOM TAPA
Mushroom Tocino (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.
GET THE RECIPE
Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
BURGER STEAKS AND MUSHROOM GRAVY
Burger Steaks and Mushroom Gravy (Jollibee-Style!)
This vegan Burger Steaks and Mushroom gravy recipe doesn’t use any mock meats—just a mix of tofu and mushrooms, so in terms of texture it’s of course not like vegan plant-based burgers you can get that have a very meaty bite to it, very similar to actual meat. The mushrooms give these patties a very nice bite and umami though, and the tofu adds to the texture of the patties, and also helps bind everything together.
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Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
LUMPIANG GULAY (VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS)
Lumpiang Gulay (Vegetable Spring Rolls)
“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 the sweet note it gives to the filling. These are delicious as a snack or even enjoyed with some rice!
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Find the recipe here or click on the photo below.
FOR MORE RECIPES
And that’s a wrap! For more vegan recipes, you can check out my blog posts here!
This Post Has 3 Comments
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! ◡̈