This Vegan Filipino Adobo or Adobong Tokwa at Kabute made using tofu, tofu skin, and mushrooms and another version made using soy chunks with potatoes is a vegan take on the classic Filipino dish, that’s commonly cooked using chicken or pork.
Tokwa is tofu in Filipino while kabute means mushroom.
Important to note for this vegan adobo recipe (and a lot of recipes, in general!)
This is how adobo is cooked in our home. I really believe there’s really no one-size-fits all recipe to an adobo since there are many different ways adobo is cooked in the Philippines.
Each family probably has their own take on it based on their preferences. So when cooking this, feel free to adjust the seasonings to your desired taste and see what you like from there! 🙂
I also made two versions of this vegan Filipino adobo recipe:
(1) using soy chunks and with potatoes
(2) using a mix of extra firm tofu, mushrooms, and dried bean curd/tofu skin
WHAT IS ADOBO?
Adobo probably one of the most popular Filipino dishes.
Adobo is actually a way of cooking and there are various adobo dishes depending on the main protein/ingredients. Growing up, the most common type of adobo we’d have at home was a classic Pork Adobo or a Chicken Adobo.
These are usually made with pork liempo or pork belly with generous amount of fats in the cut that are cooked with whole peppercorns, bay leaves, lots of onions & garlic in a savoury and sour sauce with a little sweetness from sugar.
We also can never (emphasis on never!) enjoy adobo with lots of rice or our favourite Sinangag recipe, which is Filipino Fried Garlic Rice. A classic pairing.
OTHER FILIPINO ADOBO DISHES
There are also a lot of types of adobo throughout the Philippines ranging from Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo), Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo), Adobong Kang Kong (Morning Glory Adobo), and one of the most common—Adobong Baboy (Adobong Baboy).
There are really so many ways adobo is cooked. Some like to add carrots and potatoes (the latter, we love to add to ours at home) since potatoes absorb flavours really well. We also sometimes like to add fried tokwa or extra firm tofu, that act as sponges and absorb the sauce really well too.
WHAT DOES ADOBO TASTE LIKE?
Adobo is predominantly savoury with a kick of acidity from the vinegar and can have a sweet note from the sugar.
It’s really a personal preference how you want your adobo to taste like but a traditional Filipino adobo usually has acidity from the use of vinegar. At home we have a few versions of adobo.
One version is a classic Filipino adobo with more or less equal portions of soy sauce and vinegar for a good savoury and sour kick.
Another versions is more of a Chinese-style adobo, that’s on the sweeter side. Chinese-style adobo we cook at home uses soy sauce with lots of sugar so it’s a lot sweeter. A sweet Chinese-style adobo is my sister’s favourite and she prefers this over a classic Filipino adobo.
There’s really no one-size-fits all recipe to an adobo since there are many different ways adobo is cooking in the Philippines and each family has their own take on it based on their preferences. So when cooking this, feel free to adjust the seasonings to your desired taste and see what you like from there! 🙂
THE SOY SAUCE & VINEGAR COMBO FOR ADOBO
Adobo won’t be adobo without the classic soy sauce and vinegar combo. These are essential ingredients in Filipino cuisine and we buy these by the gallons since we use soy sauce and vinegar (toyo at suka) in almost everything.
My mom also likes to add some sugar in adobo, to balance out the acidity. Photographed above is some coconut sugar but brown sugar works great too.
THE SPICES
Whole black pepper corns add a little kick of spice (especially when you get to bite into these!) and bay leaves (laurel leaves as we call them in the Philippines) that add that somewhat minty-like layer of texture, perfect for hearty dishes such as adobo.
I always keep a jar of dried bay leaves on hand since they’re used in a lot of other dishes too.
Oh and, lots go onions and garlic too!
THE PROTEIN
I’ve made various versions of Filipino adobo ever since I went vegan over 6 years ago. I’ve used tofu, mushrooms, bean curb skin, and even setain. They all hit the spot and give this dish that nice hearty bite and texture.
I’ve made two versions of this recipe.
Version 1– soy chunks
Version 2– extra firm tofu, dried bean curd/tofu skin, shiitake mushrooms
WHAT’S BETTER?
It’s a personal preference! And depends what you have access to. They all absorb flavour really well but I personally love tofu and soy chunks for adobo the most.
Option 1: Soy chunks
I used 150g of dry soy chunks makes around 500g rehydrated pieces.
Here’s the exact soy meat I used! PS. Link is not an affiliate link. I purchased these from Shopee and can be shipped in the Philippines.
For my US-based friends, here are similar meat substitutes that you can find on Amazon:
(these are affiliate links)
Getting rid of the soy after taste: I find that some soy chunks have a strong soy-like after taste and flavour. This is why I personally prefer to rehydrate the soy chunks to be able to squeeze out the liquid and get rid of some of the soy smell and taste.
Option 2: Extra firm tofu mixed with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and tofu skin
You can opt to substitute soy chunks with 400g extra firm tofu or tokwa. If using extra tofu, you can use a 400g block.
Dried shiitake mushrooms and dried bean curd/tofu skin
I used 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and 50g dried tofu/beancurd skin.
For the exact dried bean curd I’ve used, this option is the one shown in the image above. This one is a thinner bean curd skin variety, that I find a lot smoother with a good bite.
For the mushrooms and tofu skin, I simply soaked these dried pieces in hot water until doubled in size and rehydrated before slicing into thin pieces. For the mushrooms, I quartered these.
EXTRA FIRM TOFU OR TOKWA
FREEZING TOFU
You can opt to freeze your tofu. This creates a meatier texture. No need to press the tofu before freezing.
You can also freeze the tofu in its original packaging.
To freeze tofu before cooking: No need to press your tofu. I froze a whole block overnight on a tray because I slice the large blocks into slabs and then left this to completely thaw in room temperature before slicing into 1.5-inch cubes. Make sure to press your tofu well to get rid of excess liquid.
To prepare the tofu for this adobo: pan-fry or deep fry the tofu cubes in neutral oil until golden brown and crisp throughout. Then you can simply cook these the same way as the steps below.
ANOTHER OPTION FOR THE PROTEIN: MIX IT UP!
You can use a mix of all these! Tofu, tofu skin, soy chunks, and mushrooms! Together they create lots of different textures and you can see which ones you like.
POTATOES
Potatoes are optional for this recipe but since these absorb a lot of liquid as it cooks, you can start with 1/2 cup water/vegetable broth for the chunks/tofu/mushrooms first and just add more, if needed.
Potatoes absorb flavours really well and the longer they soak in the adobo sauce, the better they get!
Some versions of adobo also have carrots, so you can also try them with some potatoes if you’d like 🙂
COOKING THE ADOBO
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the oil. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic.
- Add in the whole black peppercorns.
- Afterwards, add in the prepare protein that you’re using.
- Pour in 1/2 cup vegetable broth/water, 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 tbsp vinegar first. Leave to simmer to a boil over medium high heat. The protein will absorb the sauce. You can easily adjust to your desired taste as you go.
- Once it boils, add in the potatoes, if using. Taste the sauce and add another 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 tbsp vinegar if needed. If the potatoes have absorbed the liquid, you can add 1/2 cup more water.Taste the sauce and mix well. Potatoes absorb a lot of liquid and will absorb the seasoning too so you will need to taste and season more later on once the potatoes cook.
- You can cover your pan and leave the protein to cook. These will soak up the sauce and seasonings too, and leave to cook the potatoes until tender to your liking, around 10 minutes or longer.
- Season more, if needed.
- Add an additional 1-2 to 1 cup water, if needed, to cook down the potatoes.
- Season with more soy sauce and vinegar, if needed. Do note that adobo tastes better a days (even days) after cooking so leftovers taste better than when freshly cooked since the protein and potatoes continue to sit in the sauce and soak in the flavours.
- You can add in some sugar, if desired, to counter the acidity. Add in the dark soy sauce (if using) for colour. Mix well.
- Serve and enjoy your adobo with some Sinangag (Fried Garlic Rice) –homemade recipe here or plain rice. Enjoy!
STORING ADOBO
FREEZING ADOBO
Adobo is one of our favourite dishes to cook in big batches at home because it stores so well and can even be frozen!
Though for freezing adobo, I would suggest to freeze adobo WITHOUT potatoes since potatoes change in texture when frozen and thawed.
The thing with vinegar is that it helps preserve everything so an adobo can least 1-2 weeks in our fridge (or possibly even longer, we just end up eating it all).
In the early days when refrigerators weren’t a common household appliance, adobo would be stored in room temperature and despite the Philippine heat, adobo holds up well with little to no worry of it going back because of the vinegar used!
So don’t worry about cooking up this big batch because you can store the leftovers for upcoming meals. It’s also perfect for meal prep!
MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- Filipino Kaldereta or ‘Meat’ Stew
- Mushroom Tocino
- Filipino Fried Garlic Rice
- Filipino Lumpiang Gulay or Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Filipino “Pork” Barbecue
- Crispy Tofu Sisig
- Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao
Vegan Filipino Tofu and Mushroom Adobo (Adobong Tokwa at Kabute)
Ingredients
Protein – pick 1 option or use a mix of all! (see notes for more detailed substitutions)
- 150 g dry soy chunks OR
- 450 g extra firm tofu or tokwa plus tofu skin and mushrooms (see notes)
Adobo
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed, optional (see notes)
- 4 tbsp neutral oil (see notes)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 8 cloves garlic crushed and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1-3 cups vegetable broth or water, plus more if needed (adjust depending on liquid needed to cook the potatoes, see notes)
- 3-5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (if gluten-free), adjust and add more or less to taste
- 4-6 tbsp cane vinegar or distilled white vinegar, adjust according to desired acidity (i love a sour adobo!)
- 1/2-1 tbsp sugar adjust according to desired sweetness (optional to level out the acidity)
- 1-2 tsp dark soy sauce for colour (optional)
To Serve
- Sinangag (Filipino Fried Garlic Rice)
Instructions
- You can see the step-by-step photos above.
Protein
- Place the soy chunks/mushrooms/tofu skin in a heat proof bowl.
- Pour in boiling water water to completely submerge the pieces and then cover these.
- Leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until doubled in size. Squeeze out the excess liquid and then wash through running water. You can opt to slice the tofu skin and mushrooms into smaller pieces.
- See notes below on prepartion for other protein options.
Adobo
- If using potatoes: Peel the potatoes then slice into 1” cubes. For the potatoes, I usually soak these in water while I prepare the other ingredients to prevent them from turning brown from exposure to air.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the oil. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic.
- Add in the whole black peppercorns.
- Afterwards, add in the protein that you're using. Pour in 1/2 cup vegetable broth/water, 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 tbsp vinegar first. Leave to simmer to a boil over medium high heat. The protein will absorb the sauce. You can easily adjust to your desired taste as you go.
- Once it boils, add in the potatoes, if using. Taste the sauce and add another 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 tbsp vinegar if needed. If the potatoes have absorbed the liquid, you can add 1/2 cup more water.Taste the sauce and mix well. Potatoes absorb a lot of liquid and will absorb the seasoning too so you will need to taste and season more later on once the potatoes cook.
- You can cover your pan and leave the protein to cook. These will soak up the sauce and seasonings too, and leave to cook the potatoes until tender to your liking, around 10 minutes or longer. Add an additional 1-2 to 1 cup water, if needed, to cook down the potatoes.
- Season with more soy sauce and vinegar, if needed. Do note that adobo tastes better a days (even days) after cooking so leftovers taste better than when freshly cooked since the protein and potatoes continue to sit in the sauce and soak in the flavours.
- You can add in some sugar, if desired, to counter the acidity. Add in the dark soy sauce (if using) for colour. Mix well.
- Serve and enjoy your adobo with some Sinangag (Fried Garlic Rice) –homemade recipe here or plain rice. Enjoy!
LEFTOVERS
- Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or even longer.
- For freezing adobo, I would suggest to freeze adobo WITHOUT potatoes since potatoes change in texture when frozen and thawed.
Notes
PROTEIN
Which of these protein options do I prefer? It’s a personal preference! And depends what you have access to. They all absorb flavour really well but I personally love tofu and soy chunks for adobo the most.-
Option 1: Soy chunks
- 150g of dry soy chunks makes around 500g rehydrated pieces
- Getting rid of the soy after taste: I find that some soy chunks have a strong soy-like after taste and flavour. This is why I personally prefer to rehydrate the soy chunks to be able to squeeze out the liquid and get rid of some of the soy smell and taste.
- Here’s the exact soy meat I used! PS. Link is not an affiliate link. I purchased these from Shopee and can be shipped in the Philippines.
- For my US-based friends, here are similar meat substitutes that you can find on Amazon: (these are affiliate links) Soy curls, Soy chunks,Vegan meat substitute
-
Option 2: Extra firm tofu mixed with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and tofu skin
- You can opt to substitute soy chunks with 400g extra firm tofu or tokwa. If using extra tofu, you can use a 450g block.
- For the mushrooms and tofu skin,
- I used 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and 50g dried tofu/beancurd skin
- I simply soaked these dried pieces in hot water until doubled in size and rehydrated before slicing into square pieces. For the mushrooms, I quartered these.
- For the exact dried bean curd I’ve used, this option is the one shown in the image above. This one is a thinner bean curd skin variety, that I find a lot smoother with a good bite.
- FREEZING TOFU/TOKWA
- You can opt to freeze your extra firm tofu or tokwa.
- This creates a much meatier texture because the water in the tofu expands as it freezers, creating these layers inside the tofu.
- To freeze your tofu: No need to press the tofu before freezing. You can freeze the tofu in its original packaging. I froze a whole block overnight and then left this to completely thaw in room temperature before slicing into 1.5-inch cubes. Make sure to press your tofu well to get rid of excess liquid.
- To prepare the tofu for this adobo: pan-fry or deep fry the tofu in neutral oil until golden brown and crisp throughout then set aside. Then you can simply cook these the same way as the steps above.
ANOTHER OPTION FOR THE PROTEIN:
- You can use a mix of all these! Tofu, tofu skin, soy chunks, and mushrooms! Together they create lots of different textures and you can see which ones you like.
Potatoes
- Potatoes are optional for this recipe but since these absorb a lot of liquid as it cooks, you can start with 1/2 cup water/vegetable broth for the chunks/tofu/mushrooms first and just add more, if needed.
- Some versions of adobo may also have carrots.
Oil
- I used vegetable oil for this recipe.
- 4 tbsp may seem like a lot but do note that this is for a serving of 6. And this also helps mimic the fattiness from traditional adobo that usually uses pork and chicken, that naturally release oils form the fats when cooked down.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
You can pin these images:
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This is my new favourite dish! I have already made this twice in one week with the combination of vegan chicken chunks and tofu. Highly recommend ❤️
Delicious, works well with seitan too
Ah yes really great with seitan too! ◡̈