Vegan Filipino Adobong Sitaw Recipe with Jackfruit “Pork”

When I was in the Philippines representing the USA at the World Street Food Congress, cooking for thousands of people each day, I was blown away by how prevalent pork is in local cooking and how absolutely crazy people get about it. So in veganizing some of the most popular dishes in Filipino cuisine, I wanted to replace the pork with something that had similar textures without harming any pigs. I'm here to guide you through how to cook this dish right the first time and make your first attempt an absolute triumph.

This is a side dish, which is a particular style of adobong sitaw (sauteed string beans) that rocks a little protein and some nice meaty textures, although it's completely vegan and gluten-free! It makes a fantastic accompaniment to Filipino classics like smokey ensaladang talong, crispy tofu sisig, and banana leaf grilled tupig.

Whether you're a seasoned chef or sorta timid in the kitchen, this perfect sitaw recipe will become a cherished addition to your repertoire. So get your apron on, gather your ingredients, because you and the pig you aren't gonna eat are BOTH in for a treat!

If you're tired of sad, soggy vegan interpretations of classic dishes, this one's going to restore your faith. It's bold, it's practical, and it's absolutely delicious!!!

Tee Hansen

🤷‍♀️ What is adobong sitaw?

Sitaw is the Filipino word for long beans, but you can make this great dish with green beans, runner beans or French string beans. "Adobo" is a cooking method that's been passed down through generations in the Philippines, marinating or cooking ingredients in a balanced blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and aromatics.

🧅 Important ingredients for adobong sitaw

Young Green Jackfruit (Langka)

Young green jackfruit adds a delightful meaty texture to your Adobong Sitaw, often referred to as "pork" due to its resemblance. It soaks up the savory sauce, making it a hearty substitute, and that's the reason why I also make my vegan tamales, the Indian curry Kathal ki Sabji, and vegan drumsticks with it!

If you can't find jackfruit, you can use pulled oyster mushrooms, seitan, soy curls, or hand torn pieces of this awesome vegan ham recipe.

Sitaw 

Adobong Sitaw is traditionally made with long beans (also sometimes called snake beans). I use them in dishes like sambal goreng, and sayur lodeh. Don't freak out if you can't find them at your local Asian grocery store. Green beans (the regular ol' ones like you would use for making urap sayur), or runner beans (like you would use for making Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye) or even French-style haricots verts will work just fine in place of them.

Tamari 

Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce. If gluten is an issue for you, but you don't have tamari, you can use coconut aminos or liquid aminos. Otherwise, any ol' soy sauce you like will work fine in its place, but of course it won't be gluten-free.

Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

This sauce isn't just for adding rich umami flavor to your favey noodle dishes like bihun goreng, and pad woon sen. It is typically made from mushrooms. If you're unable to find vegetarian oyster sauce, hoisin sauce or mushroom soy sauce can replicate the depth it provides.

📖 How to cook adobong sitaw with tofu without pork

This adobong sitaw with tofu is simple, satisfying, and designed to deliver bold flavor without the meat. Nail these long beans on your first shot by following these step-by-step instructions with important tips. Or you can follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.

Step One

Sear Tofu and Jackfruit: 

In a pan, warm canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil over high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil reaches the desired temperature, stir-fry the tofu and jackfruit for approximately 7 minutes until they attain a golden-brown, slightly crispy exterior. Using a slotted spoon, remove the contents from the pan and set them aside.

Step Two

Sauté Aromatics: 

Lower the heat under the same pan to medium, add a little extra oil, finely minced onion and minced garlic. Sauté these aromatic elements for a couple of minutes until they exude a fragrant, translucent quality.

Step Three

Prepare Sauce: 

Blend tamari (or soy sauce), white vinegar, black pepper, and vegetarian oyster sauce in a separate bowl.

Step Four

Mad Juice: 

Add this flavorful sauce mixture to the sautéed aromatics and stir.

Step Five

Combine Ingredients: 

Reintroduce the seared tofu and jackfruit to the pan, along with the sitaw (or green beans) cut into 2 inch/5cm sections. Stir-fry for a few minutes, ensuring the sitaw reaches a delightful, slightly tender state, without overcooking.

Step Six

Thiccccc:

Create a thin milky slurry by mixing cornstarch and water. Carefully pour this cornstarch mixture into the pan, allowing the sauce to simmer and thicken.

Step Seven

Ladies, preeeesent:

Have you ever seen Adobong Sitaw without pork look so gosh-darned gorgeous?!?Transfer the cooked sitaw to an attractive serving dish, and garnish with finely minced red onion and either scallions or garlic chives. Serve with some achara on the side!