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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
I don’t know what I did wrong, but all I tasted was soy sauce. I’ll try again using less soy sauce and more coconut milk.
Hi Joanna,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. xTieghan
This looks delicious. What could I use as a soy sauce substitute?
Hey Catherine,
You could use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xT
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe- an all time fav!!! If you’re contemplating trying this, let this comment be your sign 🙂 Love you Tieghan!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xxTieghan
Very tasty! Mine wasn’t nearly as lusciously dark in color, perhaps because I used maple syrup instead of honey, but it certainly had great flavor. We’ll definitely be making this again
Hey! Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xxTieghan
I’ve made this twice now. The first time I followed as instructed and it was amazing. The second time, however, I was 1/4 cup low on soy sauce so I omitted the water and added some more coconut milk. I also didn’t have enough cauliflower so I charred some red bell pepper and green beans as well. Topped it off with a fried egg and was still amazing! Both times I’ve made it my boyfriend has audibly stated how it’s one of his favorite meals I’ve made. SO good. This will definitely be in my recipe rotation. It’s so easy.
Hey Kate! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Very tasty! But rich. I cut the low sodium soy sauce by half and the family still found the sauce salty. And as others mentioned, the sauce took longer to reduce (twice as long). If I were to make it again, I might reduce the sauce for 15 minutes first and then add the cauliflower so it didn’t simmer for 30 minutes. While this is not my favourite HGH recipe, it’s as interesting as always!
Hey Valerie,
Awesome! It is so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xTieghan
Wonderful recipe full of complementary flavors. It took me a longer than 30 minutes to cook, but I can see how that could be cut down in the future. I’ll definitely be cooking this again.
Hey Ellen,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
I love all of the recipes I have tried from Half Baked Harvest but this one just missed the mark for me and my husband. I will say that I ran out of low sodium soy and had to use regular and should have adjusted accordingly. Other than that, I made it exactly as directed.
Hey Anne,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Is 3/4 cup of soy sauce correct? I made this for dinner tonight and it was sooo salty but everything else was good!
Hey Allison,
Yes, that is correct. Did you use low sodium soy sauce? xTieghan
The first time I made this, I used full sodium soy sauce and didn’t adjust. As expected, it was too salty. This time, I replaced a third of the soy sauce with water and didn’t reduce as much, and wow this dish was delicious! For everyone who says it’s too salty, adjust with water. It’s worth it!
Hey Alexis,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is delicious! I made it last night to family raves and will make it again soon. So yummy! Thank you!
Hey Sue,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I’ve made this twice and love how easily it comes together. I did sub coconut aminos for the soy sauce which is already naturally a bit sweeter (therefore left out the honey) I made with coconut white rice and the flavors compliment well. Thank you for a simple veggie recipe that I will surely make again!
Hey Paige,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
I’m a big fan of your recipes! Tried this one last night but was disappointed ?. I found the vinegar and coconut milk are not a harmonious blend. The vinegar taste and smell was so overpowering and somewhat off putting and it completely overtook the luscious coconut flavor I was expecting. Is vinegar traditional in Filipino recipes? But I am not deterred from trying your other fantastic and inspirational recipes.
Hey Denise,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, what kind of vinegar did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Gave this 5 stars even though my sauce did not thicken, even after an additional 10 mins simmering. I solved this by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and that worked!
Hey Lynn,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
Do you think it’d be relatively easy to add eggplant to this recipe? Would you recommend any adjustments for that?
Hey Jinie,
Sure, I would just add it right in:) I hope you love the recipe. Let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Do I need to use dry bay leaves? I only have fresh ones on hand.
Hey Kim,
Fresh bay leaves would also be great. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan