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Sharing my vegan twist on a traditional Filipino dish with this Filipino Coconut Cauliflower Adobo. I’ve swapped the chicken for nutrient-packed cauliflower and slow-braised it in soy sauce, vinegar, and bay leaves. Coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess to this sweet and tangy adobo sauce making it especially delicious. This is best served over steamed rice with fresh avocado and a side of beans. The perfect healthy, 30-minute dinner, any night of the week.
It’s officially the deep, deep, deep winter around here. We had a cold, but beautiful, snow-filled weekend. At this point, I’m not yet sick of the snow and still very much embracing the cozy weather. Hoping you all are too, because it’s only mid-January and we still have a ways to go before spring!
As I mentioned Sunday, I decided to cancel a quick NYC trip to be able to spend some time with my mom for her birthday on Saturday. It was good I did because all the snow would have caused some travel issues, which I’m not so into. I was thankful to have a nice cozy weekend home and this coconut cauliflower adobo ended up being the perfect Sunday night dinner. It’s warming and hearty, yet light and healthy at the same time.
I first made this dish back before Christmas and I’ve been excited to share the recipe with you all for weeks. So happy the day has come!!
The inspiration.
Over the holidays my brother Red had his girlfriend, Hailey, here. We all LOVE Hailey so much, she is such a nice addition to our family’s Christmas celebrations. Hailey is part Filipino and every time she’s in town I’m excited to create a few Filipino inspired recipes.
Enter this easiest Filipino Coconut Cauliflower Adobo. No, it is not your traditional adobo, but it is my vegan take, and it sure is GOOD. It’s slightly inspired by last year’s Indian coconut butter cauliflower, but yet a completely different recipe with completely different flavors. This cauliflower is tangy, salty, and a touch spicy. It’s delicious served over rice.
The Details.
If you love a quick and simple recipe, this is for you. You need one sheet pan, one skillet, and only about thirty minutes from start to finish.
Start with the cauliflower. I like to charr it under the broiler to give it a bit of texture before tossing it with the adobo sauce. This will start the cooking process and ensure the cauliflower is crisp and not mushy or soggy.
While the cauliflower is charring in the oven, mix the sauce together using a few pantry staple ingredients, soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, and honey. It’s a slightly sweet and tangy sauce, but made a little creamy with the coconut milk.
Next, cook some garlic and shallots in a skillet, then toss in the sauce and the cauliflower. Simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the cauliflower. And that is it. Yes, that’s it. So super simple, but yet you’re left with the most flavorful, vegetable-packed dinner…that everyone will love.
Serving suggestions?
This is best served with steamed rice, topped with thinly sliced green onions, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Trust me, the rice is a MUST. If you want to be on the super healthy side, use brown rice, but either way, don’t skip the rice. The extra sauce soaks into the rice creating a delicious bite every single time.
If you wanted to make this meal heartier, I would recommend serving this with a side of black beans and maybe some fresh pineapple chunks for a nice tropical touch. Oh! And fried plantain chips would be a really fun and delicious addition as well. A very Filipino inspired (keyword being inspired) meal that’s perfect for these cold wintry days.
And lastly, I just have to say that this is truly a recipe that everyone really loves…even if they don’t enjoy cauliflower. I was shocked when my picky eating brothers gave this a try on New Year’s Eve. Everyone all agreed, this was the best dish of the night.
So, that should tell you right there…this is a recipe worth trying. When the brothers choose a vegetable-based dish over chicken, something about that dish must be REALLY GOOD.
Looking for a more classic Filipino style adobo? Try my one skillet adobo chicken or my pork adobo with pineapple from the Half Baked Harvest Super Simple cookbook.
If you make this easiest Filipino coconut cauliflower adobo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easiest Coconut Cauliflower Adobo.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 274 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (use more to your taste)
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup honey (if vegan, use maple syrup or 2 tbs sugar)
- 2 small shallots, halved or quarter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- steamed white or brown rice, for serving
- green onions and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the broiler to high. On a large baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of pepper. Spread the cauliflower in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to char.2. Meanwhile, in a large glass measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, honey, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of water.3. In a large skillet with sides, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the soy sauce mixture. Stir in the charred cauliflower. Add the bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thickening slightly. If the sauce thickens too fast, add ¼ cup of additional water. If the sauce is not thickening, simmer an additional 10 minutes. It's better to have more sauce than less sauce.4. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve the coconut cauliflower adobo over rice and top with green onions and a squeeze of lime juice, if desired
What makes the sauce thicken? I made your pork Filipino adobo and it did not thicken
Hey Deb,
You can always add a little corn starch to help thicken the sauce! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So good! We are doing a Daniel Fast and so it’s a bit tricky to make meals, not just serve a plate of veggies. I used coconut aminos, chopped dates for the sugar, added it just like if it were sugar. Made it over coconut brown jasmine rice.
Hey Jill,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
This was delicious and totally different from anything Ive made before!
I added broccoli and spinach which was great!
Hey Maclean,
I am thrilled you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
This one was a big dissapointment to me. It was very one note in terms of flavor and texture. It pretty much tasted like soy sauce. The cauliflower loses any crispness it got from the broiler by the time it’s done simmering in the sauce. Definitely would not recommend this one.
Hey Emily,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Sauce never thickened and cauliflower over cooked 🙁
Hey Mas,
So sorry to hear this about! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This was so good! We’ve made quite a few yummy HBH recipes and I think this might be our fav (so far). My bf is vegan so we used maple syrup instead of honey. I would like to try it with honey sometime just to compare, but really, really good. Thank you for this recipe!
Hey Athena,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This arrived in my inbox and I made it that night. It’s lovely. An odd description for adobo, I suppose, but that’s what immediately came to mind. Warm, deep flavor, loved by my toddlers…just, lovely.
Hey Caroline,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! I hope you have an awesome weekend:) xTieghan
So good! So easy! I really appreciate your take on all of the amazing vegan recipes you make for us! The sauce is perfectly sweet and spicy. The charred cauliflower is such a nice touch. Yum!!!!!
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Hey there, I really want to make this but as I’m making my list for the store, I’m noticing there isn’t any actual adobo pepper in the ingredient list of the recipe? I of course may be mistaken that it actually needs it! Just confused by the name of the dish and wondering where the reddish color for the sauce comes from? Thanks!!
Hey Jessica,
Yes, that is correct, the ingredients listed will make the reddish color in the sauce. I hope you love the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
As much as I love all things Half Baked Harvest- we were so disappointed in this recipe. WAY too salty ( I even added 1/2 cup soy sauce rather than the 3/4 cup it called for). The sauce never thickened either. We had to throw it out as it was too salty to eat.
Hey Mary,
I am so sorry you found this to be salty, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy New Year! xTieghan
So good! Made w 1/3 Cup low sodium soy after reading comments & only had light coconut milk. Added a bit of cornstarch to help thicken & it was delish!!! (Also added broccoli and stir fried tofu for picky fam just in case but it was all great together)!!
Will definitely make again !!
Hi Ellie! I am so happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and it’s so delicious! The combination of salty soy sauce, tangy vinegar, and a little bit of heat from the red pepper flakes is just soooo good and unique
The sauce never thickened but I just reduced for a while until it wasn’t so much liquid.
The extra sauce was great with the rice though!
I paired it with the Coconut Rice with Lime and Bok Choy recipe from America’s Test Kitchen and it was the perfect pairing. Highly recommend! The first time I made just plain rice and it was good too.
My modifications:
-Reduced the soy sauce to 1/2 c. and it was a good amount of seasoning in my opinion
-Roasted the cauliflower a bit longer in the oven, maybe 10 minutes
Amazing! I am really glad you have been loving this recipe, Tiffany! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
So good! I made this for lunch today for my family. It gets two emphatic thumbs up from everyone. My Filipino parents are now trying to save the sauce for a fish dinner tonight and quail eggs tomorrow. I threw in some cilantro with a squeeze of lime at the end – yum!
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Cristina! Thank you! xTieghan
This is the absolute BEST recipe. We also always save the extra sauce for the next day and make a vegetable and tofu noodle stir fry with thick juicy udon noodles!!!! 10/10
HAha you are too kind! I am so glad you like this one Carly!! xTieghan
This recipe is super simple, yet insanely delicious. Had a head of cauliflower in the fridge I was looking to use. The sauce took a bit longer to thicken up but it was worth the extra five minutes or so.
Thank you so much Kristen! xTieghan