This Vegetarian Easy Palabok Recipe is a healthier version of a traditional Filipino noodle dish, known as Pancit Palabok. Made with plant-based using ingredients like tofu, vegan seasonings, cornstarch noodles, and annato powder were used in this dish.
Love Filipino Noodles? Try my easy Pancit recipe, my delicious Sotanghon or Bam.i, and this healthy Albondigas recipe.
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What is Vegetarian Palabok?
Traditionally, people prepare Palabok, a flavorful Filipino food noodle dish, by drizzling thin rice noodles with a creamy shrimp sauce. They then add enjoyable toppings such as hard-boiled eggs, pork cracklings, shrimp, fish flakes, and scallions. Typically, they serve it alongside slices of calamansi citrus.
The term "Palabok" signifies "sauce," while "pancit" originates from a word meaning "something easy to cook" in another language. This noodle dish combines various textures and flavors and is commonly crafted for special celebrations.
This vegetarian Palabok recipe uses plant-based ingredients like tofu, vegan seasonings, cornstarch noodles, and annato powder. Then a garnish of green onion slices, banana chips, and crispy fried garlic, creating a delightful and healthful meal that the entire family can relish.
Health Benefits of Annato:
Annatto has been linked to various benefits including the following:
- natural food additive
- reduces inflammation
- improves eye and heart health
- antioxidant
- antimicrobial
- anticancer properties
Ingredients
- palabok noodles (cornstarch noodles) or spaghetti noodles
- vegetable oil
- sweet onions
- garlic
- annatto powder
- tofu
- vegan chicken seasoning
- vegan fish sauce
- white sugar
- vegetable broth/water
- water
- cornstarch
- salt
- ground black pepper
- crispy garlic cloves
- egg
- scallions (green onions)
- banana chips, optional
- lemon wedges
Follow package instructions to cook the noodles and make sure to strain the noodles.
Place oil in a heated pan or pot and sauté sweet onions for 2 minutes. Add in minced garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.
Then add the annatto powder, crumbled tofu, vegan chicken seasoning, vegan fish sauce, and white sugar. Mix well and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Stir constantly:
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch.
Add the mixture to the simmered sauce, and bring to a boil. Season the sauce with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Allow the sauce simmer for another minute until desired consistency is achieved:
Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the cooked palabok noodles. Mix well and arrange the remaining ingredients:
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Substitutions
- If you don’t want to make your own sauce there are other palabok mix that is available in Asian markets like Mama Sita. Make sure to read the ingredient's because sometimes it's made with chicken or shrimp flavorings.
Storage
- Pancit palabok is best consumed immediately but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and put in the fridge which typically lasts for about five days.
Pro Tip
- Add black salt or Kalanamak to give an "eggy" note to the sauce.
- Topping options: sliced green onions, fried crushed garlic, calamansi citrus slices, crushed vegan chicharon, boiled egg, vegan tinapa flakes, and crushed pop soy or fried bean curd.
- Add a bit more water if sauce gets too thick to mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Popular Filipino Dishes
Easy Palabok Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz palabok noodles (cornstarch noodles)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup sweet onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon annatto powder
- ¼ cup crumbled tofu
- 1 tablespoon vegan chicken seasoning
- 2 teaspoon vegan fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoona cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon fried garlic
- 1 large hard-boiled egg if vegan omit
- ⅛ cup chopped green onions
- ¼ cup banana chips optional
- ½ lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to the package.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add oil and saute onions for 2 minutes.
- Add in minced garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.
- Mix in the annatto powder, crumbled tofu, vegan chicken seasoning, vegan fish sauce, sugar and continue cooking for another 2 minutes whil stirring continously.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- While waiting, in a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to pan and bring to a boil
- Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.
- Allow the sauce simmer for another minute until desired consistency is achieved.
- Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the cooked palabok noodles and mix until combined.
- Garnish with the crispy garlic, egg, green onions, banana chips, and lemon.
Gat says
Where could you buy vegan fish sauce and vegan chicken seasoning?
Lainey says
Hi Gat! Kindly try to find them in Asian markets, healthy food stores, or online retailers like Amazon, Thrive Market, Shopee, or Lazada. I hope you can find them near your local area. I'm sorry for the late response. I appreciate you dropping by. Thank you!
Anna says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I tried looking for palabok recipes with no shrimp because my husband has severe allergies to shrimp. Some recipes that I have found may not have shrimp as the main ingredient or toppings but have shrimp in the sauce which is a big no-no for my husband. Thanks for your recipe, my husband will be able to eat this dish once again.
Lainey says
Hi Anna,
It's my pleasure to share. It's good to know that this recipe fits perfectly for your husband's diet. You can check out more vegan recipes here. Try and enjoy!
Mina Villegas says
Thank you, Lainey. I'm vegetarian and I've tried making this recipe and it turned out so good that even my non-vegetarian family loved it.
Lainey says
You're welcome, Mina. It's good to know that your family loves this recipe. Thank you for trying it. I hope you'll love my other healthy recipes too. I have a lot here on my site. Enjoy browsing, and happy cooking! 🙂