This Vegetarian Palabok is a healthier version of a traditional Filipino noodle dish, known as Pancit Palabok. Plant-based ingredients like tofu, vegan seasonings, cornstarch noodles, and annato powder were used in this dish.
It is a quick and easy noodle recipe that is great for birthdays, potlucks and celebrations!
Love Filipino Noodles? Try my Easy Pancit recipe, my delicious Sotanghon or Bam.i.
What is Vegetarian Palabok?
Traditionally, people prepare Palabok, a flavorful Filipino 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.
Check out this super easy Filipino noodle recipe and recreate the dish at the comfort of your own home!
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
Tips and Procedures:
- Feel free to add a bit more water if sauce gets too thick to mix.
- Add black salt or Kalanamak to give an “eggy” note to the sauce.
- If you opt to use a different kind of noodles, please follow the package directions.
- If you don’t want to make your own sauce there are available ready mix sauces that is available in Asian markets like Mama Sitas.
- Topping options: sliced green onions, fried crushed garlic, calamansi citrus slices, crushed vegan chicharon, boiled egg and crushed pop soy or fried bean curd.
- Just omit the egg to make this recipe a vegan pancit palabok.
- 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.
How to Make Vegetarian Palabok:
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- 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
Cook noodles in pot of water and then drain using colander. Follow package instructions.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Palabok sauce is traditionally made with shrimp stock, pork broth, ground pork, and brightly hued from annatto seeds. In this vegetarian recipe, I used annatto powder, crumbled tofu, vegan chicken seasoning, vegan fish sauce, white sugar and vegetable broth.
Pancit Palabok uses thin rice noodles, has shrimp broth in the sauce, and is served with the sauce on top while Pancit Malabon uses thicker rice noodle, its sauce contains crab fat and the sauce is mixed with the noodles before it is brought to the table. On the other hand, Pancit Luglug is the Kapampangan version of Pancit Palabok.
You may just use the main ingredients for sauce such as the vegetable broth or water, protein of your choice, annato powder, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, spices and seasonings available in your pantry.
Vegetarian Palabok
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.
Where could you buy vegan fish sauce and vegan chicken seasoning?
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!
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.
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!