YAY! This vegan mushroom adobo is free from gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame, and meat! This recipe contains soy, but please see Notes for a substitution suggestion.
Mushroom adobo is a stunning riff on the classic Filipino adobo usually made with chicken or pork. When the Hubs and I were first dating, he made me chicken adobo, using mainly chicken wings. It was salty, garlicky, slightly sweet but vinegary, and served to me over a heaping pile of steaming white rice. That was my introduction to Filipino cuisine and I was completely hooked. I currently make chicken adobo often. Our home is pretty meat-forward because of the multiple food allergies we have to manage. Our niece, however, is a vegetarian, and she was visiting us over the weekend. We can’t have diary and gluten, and she can’t have meat. Coming up with a meal to accommodate all of us was challenging, but not impossible. I really wanted to make her something amazing too. This is how my version of vegan mushroom adobo was developed. đ
What’s In Mushroom Adobo?
The main ingredients of adobo are vinegar, soy sauce and garlic plus a protein. You brown the protein, and then let it cook and simmer in a soy and vinegar sauce. I’m sure every Filipino family does it their own way. I didn’t even put onions in my chicken adobo until I saw Jo Koy do it on TV, lol. For mushroom adobo, it is basically the same with just a few tweaks to the recipe. The base of the sauce is mainly chicken broth, but obviously substitute with vegetable broth. Use homemade veggie broth if possible (see Notes on how to make it). Black pepper and bay leaves are typical in adobo. I also like to use dark brown sugar instead of plain granulated sugar. I add a large pinch of MSG for that extra oomph that this needs in the absence of meat. You can absolutely omit this if you have a sensitivity to MSG. Otherwise, this is no different than using chicken bouillon, or something like oyster sauce, which also contains MSG. As with everything, use in moderation. You can read more on the safety surrounding MSG here.
For the mushrooms, I like to use a variety for different textures and levels of umami. For this recipe, I used button, cremini, portobello and oyster mushrooms. I left the oyster mushrooms whole, and sliced the button and cremini mushrooms. Cut the portobellos into long thin slices.
How To Make Mushroom Adobo?
When browning the mushrooms, be sure not to crowd them. Mushrooms release a lot of liquid during cooking. Brown them in batches over medium-high heat and place them in a large bowl after each batch. Start with the oyster, since they are the most delicate. Follow with the button and cremini and finally, the portobello mushrooms. I browned two pounds of mushrooms in about 5-6 batches.
Once all the mushrooms have been thoroughly browned, add in the aromatics. I like to use minced shallots and minced garlic. Add back in all the mushrooms, including the juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Follow this with a mixture of the vinegar and a bit of the veggie broth to deglaze the pan.
Then the rest of the broth goes in, followed by the soy sauce. Season with the bay leaves, black pepper, brown sugar, and the MSG, if using. Stir and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Make a cornstarch slurry, and while stirring constantly, add in the cornstarch. Stir and wait until it thickens. Remove from heat, taste and season with more salt and sugar to your liking.
Top with fresh scallions and serve with steaming white rice. And if you have garlic fried rice to eat with this, that would be even better. Savory and tasty, with a tang and a sweetnessâthese mushrooms and its sauce are bursting with flavor. You really don’t miss the meat. My carnivore son started eating meat as a baby even before his teeth came in, lol! He loved this dish and is now obsessed with oyster mushrooms. And happily, it was an absolute hit with my niece. đ€©
Stay-tuned…I developed another vegan dish I made for her that I’ll share soon. In the meantime, also try my Vegan Tofu Fensi, or Chinese Glass Noodle Stir-Fry. It’s pairs perfectly with the adobo especially if you’re feeding a larger group. It’s quick, easy and delicious, so I highly recommend making this as well. đ
Vegan Filipino Mushroom Adobo
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: FilipinoDifficulty: Easy6
servingsClassic Filipino adobo made vegan with umami-packed mushrooms. A dish so full of flavor, you won’t miss the meat. Free from gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish, with a soy-free option.
Ingredients
2 lbs of mushrooms: button, cremini, portobello, and oyster mushrooms
1 shallot, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/4 c gluten-free soy sauce, see Notes
1 1/2 c vegetable broth, see Notes
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp msg, optional
1/2 tsp-1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Water
Avocado oil
Sliced scallions for garnishing
Directions
- Wash and remove dirt from mushrooms. Lay them out on a kitchen towel to dry. Slice and cut the cremini and button mushrooms. Leave the oyster mushrooms whole and slice the portobello mushrooms into long strips.
- Gather and prepare all the ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the rice vinegar and only about 1/4 cup of the broth. Set aside the remaining 1 1/4 cup of broth.
- In a small measuring cup, measure out the soy sauce.
- Mince the shallots and garlic. Place them into two separate bowls.
- Combine the brown sugar, black pepper, and bay leaves in another small bowl.
- Place the cornstarch in a bowl big enough to accommodate some liquid we’ll add in the last step.
- Set a wide, deep sauté pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Brush on some oil, coating the entire surface of the pan. Sauté all the mushrooms in several batches. Do not crowd the pan. Start with the oyster mushrooms, then the cremini and button, and lastly, the portobello mushrooms.
- In every batch, brown each side of the mushrooms well, then remove and place into a large bowl. Be sure to brush oil onto the pan in between batches. Reduce the heat as needed if the pan is getting too hot.
- Once all the mushrooms have been browned and removed, add a bit of oil to the pan. Add the shallots and sauté for about two minutes.
- Next, add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add all the mushrooms back in, including any accumulated juices. Add the rice vinegar/broth mixture to the pan. Deglaze and scrape up the bottom of the pan.
- Increase heat back to medium-high, and add in the soy sauce/broth mixture. Stir and then add in the sugar, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Uncover and taste. If more seasoning is needed, add in 1/4 teaspoon of msg, if using, about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and more sugar a teaspoon at a time, if needed. Taste again, and season some more if necessary.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the adobo to a boil. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to the cornstarch and stir to make a slurry. Add into the adobo while mixing constantly to thicken the sauce. Boil for another minute and then remove from heat.
- Serve with steamed rice or garlic fried rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- If soy is an issue, use an equal amount of coconut aminos instead and reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon. I find coconut aminos to be sweeter than soy sauce. You can taste and add more sugar if preferred at the end of cooking.
- You can definitely use store-bought vegetable broth, but I love to make my own. I collect veggie scraps (onions, mushroom, carrots, celery, herb stems) over a few weeks and keep them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Avoid cruciferous vegetables, like broccoIi. Once the gallon bag is full, I put this in an Instant Pot, fill with water and some salt, cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, and releasing pressure naturally. Strain and freeze.
- As with any adobo, this tastes even better if made a day ahead. đ