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VEGAN TOFU ADOBO
If you’re at all familiar with Filipino cooking, you know that adobo is by far the Philippines’ most beloved dish. Usually, it’s made with marinated meat (most often pork), but this being a Chef Jade recipe, we’ll be making some substitutions. Not that we’ll be skimping on savoriness: most of adobo’s flavor comes from its tangy soy sauce and vinegar-based marinade and the tofu soaks it up like a sponge. Another advantage to using tofu: pork adobo typically marinates for hours, then cooks for another hour or so. Since tofu is so much easier to work with, this delicious meal will be on your plate (resting on a bed of rice, traditionally) in under 40 minutes. Which is good because if you’re like me, you can’t wait to dig in.
Equipment
- Large
skillet or wok - Tofu press or heavy objects for pressing tofu
- Wooden spoon
- Knife and
Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 block 14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Press the tofu to remove excess water, then cut it into bite-sized cubes.
- In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, white vinegar, water, and sugar (if using). Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu cubes and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove tofu from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed. Sauté the sliced onions and minced garlic until softened.
- Add the bay leaf, black peppercorns, and the prepared marinade to the skillet. Stir well.
- Return the sautéed tofu to the skillet. Allow the tofu to absorb the flavors of the marinade.
- Add the green beans to the skillet. Stir and let them cook until they are tender-crisp.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the tofu to absorb the adobo sauce.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more soy sauce or vinegar according to your preference.
- Serve the vegan tofu adobo over cooked rice. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
Notes
NUTRITIONAL FACTS
Calories: 230 | Total Fat: 14g | Total Carbohydrates: 17g | Dietary Fiber: 4g | Protein: 15g
For your kitchen tools, check Sur La Table.
If you enjoyed this recipe or have suggestions on how we can improve it, please leave us a comment below. Also, make sure to check out other dishes I’ve created or stories I’ve written about food culture – here.
