This vegan Filipino Vegetarian Chicken Adobo is easy to make and is packed with a blend of flavors of vinegar, black peppercorns, and bay leaves!  It takes as little as 30 minutes to make and is a meatless version of the traditional Filipino Chicken Adobo that will leave you wanting more!

I grew up eating Chicken Adobo and it was one of my favorite Filipino meat dishes my Grandma made.  She used to make it every other week and just thinking of it makes me salivate. (It’s the flavor that makes me salivate. 😉)

I remember the last time I ate Chicken Adobo was when I was 18 years old. I wasn’t vegetarian yet but I had spent the summer being vegetarian because I was in a summer program that only served vegetarian/vegan meals.

Anyways, I came home for the weekend and my dad had made Chicken Adobo and I ate 2 platefuls and I kind of felt guilty- so that was the last time I ate chicken adobo.

It’s been years since I had a flavorful vegan chicken adobo.  Until earlier this year (May 2019), I visited a restaurant in the Philippines that served vegan chicken adobo and it was AMAZING! The flavor was just right and the vegetarian meat melted in your mouth!  I didn’t want to tell my husband it tasted like the real thing because I know it would freak him out. (He’s been vegetarian most of his life and never liked the idea of eating real meat.)

Since then, I’ve been working on a recipe to replicate it and I think this may come close! I hope you enjoy it!

What is Chicken Adobo?

Chicken Adobo is a popular Filipino dish and it can be considered as a kind of stew. The term Adobo was not known as a kind of dish but rather, a procedure of preserving meat because way back in the early times, Filipino houses do not have refrigerators to keep their meat. So, early Filipinos cook their meats in big batches and used vinegar to preserve, thus calling the process Adobo. As years and many great cooks have passed, the Adobo term is used a name of the dish. From different kinds of meat, Filipinos made Chicken Adobo and it became popular especially to kids. Moms love to prepare Chicken Adobo because of the delicious taste which kids love and also because of the ease of preparing it. Chicken meat is tender and will take less than an hour to make into the popular and delicious Chicken Adobo.

Tips and Tricks for Making This Filipino Vegetarian Chicken Adobo Recipe: 

• If you want your vegetarian Filipino Chicken Adobo to be a bit spicy, pound the peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a grinder. Cracking the peppercorns bring out a delicious spice to the Adobo.
• Simmering the adobo longer, like 30 minutes or more do great to the flavor. Simmering causes the flavors to incorporate well.
• If you want your vege meat to be more flavorful, you can marinate it beforehand. Just mix soy sauce, a bit of brown sugar, and pepper and pour into vege meat and marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking it.

How to Make this Filipino Vegetarian Chicken Adobo Recipe:

Gather the ingredients for this Filipino Vegetarian Chicken Adobo and once the ingredients are all ready, let’s begin!

• vegetable oil
• red shallot
• garlic
• ginger
• shitake mushroom
• magic meat
• small potato
• water
• soy sauce
• vinegar
• peppercorn
• dried bay leaves
• eggplant
• dark brown sugar
• mushroom seasoning
• salt
• pinch of pepper
• onion green leaves
• bell peppers

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add oil.  Add the onions, garlic and saute for 1 minute or until it becomes translucent:

Add ginger:

Then add the shitake mushroom and stir fry for about 2 minutes:

Add the meat protein and mix:

Then add the potatoes and cover for about 3 minutes or until it softens:

Add 1 cup of water and cover until it simmers:

Add soy sauce:

Next, add the vinegar:

Then the peppercorn:

And finally the bay leaves and mix:

Then add the eggplant and cover until it softens or for about 5 minutes:

Add dark brown sugar:

Then season with salt and pepper:

You can also add mushroom seasoning to enhance the taste:

Add bell pepper mix and finish it off by garnishing it with green onion leaves:

Vegetarian Adobo is one of the Filipino favorites and I understand why –  this dish smells so good!

Frequently Asked Questions for the Filipino Vegetarian Chicken Adobo Recipe:

Q: Where can I find Vege Meat?

A: Vege meat is available in Asian grocery stores and also in regular grocery stores. Also, there are vegan vegetarian specialty stores that sell everything vegan and vegetarian.

Q: What is the best Vege Meat to use in Chicken Adobo?

A: I like to use Soy Curls, Just Like Beef, or Vegan Beef Slice.

Q: What is Mushroom Seasoning and where can I buy it?

A: It is basically a powdered form of mushroom flavor that helps you get that umami flavor to any dish. It is available in Asian grocery stores and Trader Joes has a delicious version of it.

Q: Can I use Coconut Vinegar?

A: Yes, you can use coconut vinegar. In the Philippines, that is what is usually used when cooking Adobo.

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More Delicious Filipino Recipes:

• Tofu Sisig
• Ensaladang Talong
• Pinakbet
• Fried Rice
• Pancit Bihon

My Favorite Filipino Desserts:

• Buko Pandan
• Cassava Cake
• Shakoy

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