This vegan Filipino Kaldereta is a tomato-based stew perfect served with Filipino Fried Garlic Rice or Sinangag.
This has plant-based soy “meat” cooked down in a rich and hearty tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables.
WHAT IS KALDERETA?
Kaldereta is traditionally cooked with goat meat (to make ‘kalderetang kambing’) and liver spread to get that textured sauce. Kaldereta also come in different versions using beef, pork, and even chicken!
THE PROTEIN
For this vegan version, I used vegan soy chunks, which I purchase dry and just rehydrate in boiling hot water until doubled in size.
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 araffiliate links)
I simply soaked them in boiling hot water until doubled in size. Afterwards, squeezed out the excess liquid.
PEANUT BUTTER AND MISO PASTE FOR THE VEGAN KALDERETA
Instead of liver spread, I use a mix of peanut butter and miso paste for that extra kick of umami! Some versions of kaldereta in other parts of the Philippines also make use of peanut butter to add to richness to the sauce, and trust me, it really gives that nice touch of creaminess to the sauce.
OTHER COMPONENTS FOR THE KALDERETA
The veggies–bell pepper, carrot, peas, and potatoes.
The aromatics and spices–onion, garlic, chili, and bay leaves.
Vegan cheese–for that extra layer of flavour! But also optional.
I also added in some sliced bird’s eye chilies for that extra spice, but you can opt to use more or less depending on your preference!
I usually soak the potatoes in water since they can easily turn brown when exposed to air.
I simply sliced the carrot and bell pepper into similar sized pieces!
The peas are options, but I love the extra pop of colour and texture they give! I used frozen peas.
TOMATO SAUCE AND WATER FOR THE STEW
The heart of this recipe is the tomato sauce and water or vegetable broth! I also used tomato paste (unphotographed) to add to the richness of the sauce.
COOKING THE STEW
I used a dutch oven and simply sauteed the aromatics before adding in the rehydrated soy meat/chunks OR other plant-based meat substitute of your choice!
Added in the tomato sauce to cook everything in!
I left this to simmer with the vegetables until the carrot were cooked through.
Here’s the finished kaldereta:
You’ll need lots of rice or your favourite grain for this dish because it’s so hearty! This is also perfect to serve as a main dish for the upcoming holiday celebrations.
I enjoyed mine with some adlai, which is locally grown Philippine barley. I love its chewiness, that’s similar to the texture of pasta!
You can also enjoy yours with Sinangag or Filipino Fried Garlic Rice!
You can also opt to freeze this since it makes a pretty big batch! To reheat you can just thaw it in room temperature and heat it in a pot/pan ◡̈
Hope you enjoy this recipe and happy holidays!
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
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Find out more about my reforestation initiatives here.
Other Filipino recipes you might enjoy:
- Mushroom Tocino
- Fried Garlic Rice
- Lumpiang Gulay or Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Filipino “Pork” Barbecue
- Crispy Tofu Sisig
- Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao
Filipino Tomato-Based “Meat” Stew (Kaldereta)
Ingredients
Protein (choose one!)
- 150 g dry soy chunks or soy meat makes 550 g rehydrated OR
- 550 g plant-based meat substitute of choice OR
- 550 g extra firm tofu or tempeh
Stew
- 2 medium potatoes 280g
- 1 medium carrots 150g
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 dried bay leaves optional
- 5 bird’s eye chilies deseeded for less spice
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water plus more as needed
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp plain peanut butter or cashew butter
- 1 tbsp miso paste , I used white miso paste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup green peas , I used frozen peas
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- Dash of ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup vegan cheese shreds optional (I used daiya mozarella shreds)
To Serve
- Sinangag Filipino Fried Garlic Rice or plain rice/grain of choice
Instructions
Protein (3 options, but of course you only need to follow 1 depending on which protein you use)
- Soy chunks/meat – place the soy chunks in a heat proof bowl.
- Pour in boiling water water to completely submerge the chunks and then cover.
- Leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until doubled in size. Squeeze out the excess liquid and then wash through running water. Set aside.
- Plant-based meat substitute – if using frozen plant-based meat slices/chunks, thaw them or cook from frozen (depending on package instructions!)
- Tofu/Tempeh – If using tofu, press the tofu. I do this by wrapping the tofu in a towel and placing a weighted flat surface on top. I leave it to press for 10 minutes to squeeze out any excess water.
- For tempeh, simply thaw the tempeh (if using frozen). Slice the tofu/tempeh into 1” thick pieces or your shape of choice. Pan-fry the tofu/tempeh in a non-stick pan with some oil until crisp on all sides. Then set aside the tofu/tempeh to use for the kaldereta.
Stew
- Peel the potatoes and carrots 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 dutch oven or pan over medium high heat. Add in the oil.
- Once hot, add in the potatoes. I like to sauté the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted on the sides. This way the potatoes hold up better in the stew when it cooks down.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside for later.
- Add in the onion, garlic, chopped chilli, and bay leaves. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes on medium high heat.
- Add in the rehydrated soy chunks or protein of choice. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes of medium high heat.
- Add in the tomato sauce, nut butter, miso paste, and water/vegetable broth. Mix everything together until the nut butter and miso paste are diluted.
- Add in the carrots.
- Cover the pot and then leave to cook over medium heat until the mixture boils, around 4 to 5 minutes. Stir every 2 minutes to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pot (especially if using a non-stick).
- Add in the tomato paste, to thicken the sauce. Season the sauce with the soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- When the carrots are half-cooked, add in the potatoes, bell pepper, and peas. Cover and leave everything to cook for 20 to 25 minutes over medium heat, mixing every 3 to 4 minutes, until the carrots are cooked through to your liking.
- Feel free to add more water/broth, if desired, to thin out the sauce. Taste the sauce and then season again with salt, if needed.
- Serve your kaldereta with rice or your favourite grain of choice! Scoop up the hearty sauce and enjoy!
Storage Tips
- You can portion your kaldereta and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also opt to freeze these for up to 3 months and just thaw before reheating in a pan/pot.
- Note that the potatoes and carrots can change texture after freezing so if you’d like you can opt to just add in the carrot and potatoes when reheating the kaldereta in a pot (basically you can make this without the veggies and just add the veggies when ready to eat!)
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFO
This Post Has 4 Comments
I’ve just finished making this dish – the nostalgia I am feeling, could bring me to tears. This tastes SPOT ON, thank you so much for this recipe! I cannot wait to try some of your other recipes. Thank you so much again, for making this dish possible as a vegetarian!
Reading this made me so so happy. Thanks so much for giving it a try Zey, and really glad it brought you back!
Your recipe is spot on! Thank you so much for turning one of my childhood favorites into a vegan one. It’s definitely appreciated in my household.
Yaay, thank you Heidi! Happy to hear this ◡̈