Filipino Tomato-Based “Meat” Stew (Kaldereta)

5 from 6 votes

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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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Filipino

Servings people

Calories 224 kcal

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

SOY CHUNKS/PLANT-BASED MEAT SUB

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)

Soy curls

Soy chunks

Vegan meat substitute

NUTRITIONAL INFO

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