Cauliflower Adobo

By Ali Slagle

Published Sept. 25, 2022

Cauliflower Adobo
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(3,061)
Comments
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Chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, is made by braising chicken in a salty, sour and sweet mixture of mostly soy sauce and vinegar. In this vegetarian version, cauliflower, rather than chicken, is caramelized on one side, then simmered in the pungent but not prickly sauce until toothsome yet tender. The simmer mellows the vinegar and soy sauce into a sauce interlaced with pepper, garlic and something herbal but not immediately traceable — that’s the bay leaves. Serve the cauliflower and sauce over rice or another grain with something green on the side.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1large cauliflower (2½ to 3 pounds)
  • Kosher salt
  • 2teaspoons black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 3tablespoons canola oil, plus more as needed
  • ½cup rice wine vinegar
  • 5tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2teaspoons raw or light brown sugar
  • 6garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 3bay leaves
  • 1Thai chile, halved lengthwise, or ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 3scallions, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

160 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 1138 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Trim leaves and woody stalk from the cauliflower, then cut through the root into 8 wedges. Season both sides of each wedge with salt and pepper. Reserve any loose cauliflower pieces.

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place one layer of the wedges in the skillet cut-side down and cook without moving them until well browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and continue until all the cauliflower is seared, adding more oil as needed. Return all the cauliflower to the pan with uncooked side facing down.

  3. Step 3

    Add ¼ cup water, any loose cauliflower pieces, 2 teaspoons black pepper, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, bay leaves and Thai chile. Cover and let simmer over medium heat until the cauliflower is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook, basting the cauliflower occasionally with the sauce, until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced to about ¾ cup, 8 to 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the cauliflower with plenty of sauce and a sprinkle of scallions, if using.

Tip
  • If you plan to eat rice with the adobo, bring 1¾ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan before you start the recipe. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup long-grain rice, cover, and let simmer on the lowest heat possible for 18 minutes. Proceed with the adobo. Let the rice sit, covered and off the heat, until the adobo is ready. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
3,061 user ratings
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Comments

Lisa L.

Tips *Break the cauliflower into larger pieces, lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then broil on a cookie sheet to get some color and flavor. Much easier than browning in batches! *Decrease sugar to 1tsp or less if using rice vinegar, 1tsp if using white vinegar. I made this a vegan version for my family, and it was great! I added carrots, browned mushrooms, and sliced bell peppers, and served with sauteed kale and steamed brown rice. It's definitely something I'll make again.

sugar in your adobo?

Added sugar to any Filipino adobo is a recent development. Traditional adobo has no added sugars.

Deborah

Perhaps "core" would be more descriptive than root. Stand the cauliflower up resting on the core (i.e. with the dome at the top). Cut it in half from the top through the core (the bottom). Rest the halves on the flat sides, cut those in half, now you have quarters, cut those in half. Voilà! 8 pieces which may be wedges or may not but that likely won't matter.

Dan

I did this on the grill. Tossed cauliflower and half a butternut squash with oil and pepper (no salt since the sauce is salty). Grilled over medium-high heat until nicely browned. Meanwhile, simmered sauce ingredients until thickened. Tossed everything together and served over rice. It was awesome.

Montse

It was really delicious. I followed the instructions but did cut the vinegar portion in half in light of the many comments. For me it worked as side with roast chicken and couscous.

James E.

Came out good and it was tasty but we were expecting something similiar to the chicken adobo recipe from the times. While good, it did not come anywhere near that flavor, probably due to the lack of fat. Not something I'd be looking to make again

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