25 Simple Filipino Vegetable Recipes to Elevate Your Table

Want to incorporate more veggies into your diet? Try these Filipino vegetable recipes. Like most Asian fare, Filipino cuisine is full of excellent vegetable recipes. 

You can try a dozen Filipino vegetable recipes and still have plenty more to make. The possibilities are endless!

All of these recipes are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. There are soups, fritters, spring rolls, and more!

Whatever you’re craving, these Filipino veggie recipes have you covered. As long as what you’re craving is vegetables, of course! 

1. Mixed Vegetable Okoy (Filipino Fritters)

These Filipino fritters are absolutely incredible. They’re ultra-thin and delightfully crispy, not to mention flavorful! 

Try these once, and you’ll crave them forever! You can actually feel the crunch they make when you bite into them. It’s heavenly. 

Serve them as a stand-alone snack or a side dish to any meal. People will love them either way. 

2. Pinakbet (Classic Filipino Vegetable Stew)

Don’t let the name of this recipe fool you. It’s unlike any stew you’ve ever tried. For one thing, there’s not much broth or “soupiness” to it. 

Instead, it’s a flavorful, colorful mixture of stewed veggies. It tastes phenomenal over a bed of fluffy rice. The “vegetable” part of the name is also misleading. 

Don’t get me wrong, this stew has plenty of veggies. However, it’s not vegetarian-friendly. It also contains thinly sliced pork belly and shrimp paste. 

3. Filipino Veggies in Coconut Sauce

This dish features a mix of local Filipino vegetables covered in coconut sauce. It’s full of flavor and is so comforting!

It’s a creamy, sweet-n-savory concoction. It tastes great on rice or wrapped up in flatbread a la gyro-style.

4. Vegetable Filipino Pancit

Looking for a vegetarian meal sure to please a crowd? Try vegetable Filipino pancit. It’s a noodle-based dish smothered in garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and veggies.

It’s filling but light, flavorful but not too over the top, and perfect for any occasion. 

5. Sopas (Vegan Filipino-Style Macaroni Soup)

Is there anything better on cool nights than rich, flavorful, aromatic soups? Something about hot soups on chilly days can’t be matched. 

That’s certainly true of this recipe. As written, it’s 100% vegan-friendly. However, you can easily swap out the vegan ingredients for meat-based products. 

Either way, the soup is filling, comforting, and rich in vitamin K and other nutrients.

6. Law Uy

Also known as utan bisaya, law uy is another type of Filipino vegetable soup. It’s a thin broth soup with loads of chunky veggies, including eggplant, spinach, okra, and more.

It has a mild, earthy flavor with notes of lemongrass, onions, and ginger. It’s gently spiced but not overly hot. It’s also easily customizable. 

7. Laing

Laing looks like a bowl of your Southern grandma’s greens, only with a few extra ingredients.

The “greens” are gabi leaves and lemongrass stalks. (Instead of the more American spinach or turnip greens.) Still, the taste is similar. The dish is earthy, savory, and slightly bitter. 

It has some spice and a hint of sweetness from the coconut cream. Serve it over steamed rice with some Filipino side dishes for a complete, healthy meal.

8. Ginisang Munggo (Filipino Mung Bean Soup)

Ginisang munggo is a thick, hearty vegan soup of mung beans, ginger, garlic, and more. It’s insanely flavorful and contains MSG. (I know! I know! But it tastes so GOOD.)

Every bite is like a mini flavor explosion, and it comes together quickly. The cooking time is a little long. But the prep work takes less than 10 minutes. 

It’s creamy, chunky, and full of nutritious ingredients.

9. Ginataang Lanka

Looking for a quick and easy one-pot meal? Ginataang lanka is just the thing. It comes together in about 35 minutes in a single pan or wok.

It combines unripe jackfruit with anchovies, onions, and other flavorful ingredients. Mix it all in coconut cream to create a sweet and savory broth.  

10. Gising Gising

Gising-gising is made with string beans, ground pork, and spicy chili peppers. It’s all cooked in coconut milk. 

It’s known for its creamy and spicy flavor. It’s popular in the Philippines for its rich taste and fiery kick. The name roughly translates to “wake up, wake up” due to its spiciness.

So, try it if you like dishes with some heat.

11. Filipino Chop Suey

Chop suey is a delicious dish with tons of different varieties. This one is a yummy stir-fry with quail eggs and chicken. It also has oyster sauce and soy sauce. Of course, there are also loads and loads of veggies.

It’s sweet, savory, earthy, and full of umami goodness. It’s also low carb (less than 9 net carbs per serving) and high protein (21.3 grams per serving). 

12. Ginisang Sayote

Want a Filipino dish that’s budget-friendly and easy to make? Ginisang sayote requires fewer than 10 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes. 

It contains meat and veggies for a complete meal. Serve it for lunch or as a light dinner. Then, check out these Filipino desserts for the finishing touch! 

13. Pinakbet Ilocano

In the mood for seafood? Try pinakbet ilocano. It’s a wonderfully veggie-heavy dish that also features fried mackerel steaks. 

The fish has perfectly crisp skin and is light and flaky inside. The veggies are flavorful, and the fermented anchovies are briny and bold. 

If you’re a seafood lover, this will become a new favorite. 

14. Kangkong and Tofu with Oyster Sauce

This recipe is even a hit with people who aren’t fans of fish. It’s a lean, low-calorie meal featuring tofu as the primary source of protein. 

The seafood flavor comes mainly from the oyster sauce. It’s a sweet, savory, spicy meal with plenty of greens and few ingredients. Plus, like most stir-fries, it’s super easy to prepare. 

15. Ginisang Ampalaya at Hipon

Here’s another quick and easy stir-fry ready in about 30 minutes. It features a bed of ampalaya (bitter gourd) and several other ingredients.

It also includes fresh shrimp and fish sauce for a wallop of umami flavor. 

16. Ginisang Repolyo

This flavorful, vegetarian meal comes together in just 15 minutes. It looks like a cabbage stew, but there’s more to it than that.

It’s spicy, savory, and packed with robust spices, sweet onions, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. It delivers big flavors with only a few ingredients. 

17. Ginisang Petchay

This simple mixture of greens and shrimp is like a warm salad.

Only the “dressing” for this one is a mixture of oyster and fish sauces. It’s a quick and budget-friendly way to savor the taste of seafood. 

18. Ginisang Togue

Ginisang togue is a Filipino stir-fried dish made with mung bean sprouts. People typically cook them with garlic, onions, shrimp, and sometimes pork or tofu. This recipe leaves out the shrimp, pork, and tofu in favor of chicken. 

You’ll love the dish because of its crisp, crunchy texture and versatility. You can serve it as a side dish or the main course! 

19. Lumpia (Filipino Vegetarian Spring Rolls)

It doesn’t matter if they’re Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, or something else. Spring rolls are always a hit. Their thin, crispy shells and full-to-the-brim filling can’t be topped.

You can find spring rolls in the grocery store’s frozen section. But why do that when you can make them from scratch? They taste so much better.

20. Ensaladang Talong (Filipino Roasted Eggplant Salad)

If you’re a fan of stuffed peppers, just wait until you try stuffed eggplant! It’s to die for.

For this recipe, you roast and then hollow out your eggplant. Then, you fill itwith a mix of colorful fruits and veggies. 

It’s a healthy, nutrient-packed vegetarian meal your whole family will love.

21. Lumpiang Sariwa

Nope, those aren’t enchiladas or flautas on your screen. Instead, it’s a Filipino dish called lumpiang sariwa. Though honestly, all three recipes are pretty similar. 

Lumpiang sariwa has a slightly crisper shell than its Mexican counterparts. And the filling has a lot more going on. But still, it’s very reminiscent of enchiladas or flautas.

22. Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelet)

If you haven’t figured it out, eggplant is vital to Filipino cuisine. Filipino chefs often work them into every meal of the day, including breakfast or brunch! 

Take this five-ingredient eggplant omelet, for example. It has all the delicious flavor of regular omelets, plus a little extra. 

It’s a new take on an old classic, and you’ll be surprised by how good it is. Pair it with one of these 20 Filipino drinks if you’re having it for brunch.

23. Ampalaya Salad

Ampalaya salad is a simple mix of onions, bitter gourd, and tomatoes tossed in dressing. It has a bright, tangy taste perfect for warm days.

Serve it alongside burgers or BBQ at your next summer get-together. 

24. Sum Na Mais

Looking for an easy-to-make soup with a mild but delicious flavor? Sum na mais checks all the boxes! It requires only eight ingredients (plus S&P) and tastes fantastic. 

The base of the soup is white corn and a broth of water and shrimp paste. You add shrimp, onions, garlic, and spinach leaves to the broth. Season it with salt and pepper, and voila!

You have a mild yet flavorful soup ready to eat in about 45 minutes. 

25. Kilawang Puso Ng Saging

Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. This isn’t a picture of pasta! It’s actually sliced banana hearts. (Also called “banana blossoms.”)

They look similar to egg noodles but have more crunch. They’re also more flavorful than noodles, which are usually bland and soak up other tastes.

Still, the dish is insanely tasty and very filling, especially when served over steamed rice.