Celebrate Filipino-American History Month by making our Vegan Filipino Pancit Bihon (pronounced pun-sit bee-hon)! This quintessential Filipino noodle stir fry has got crave-able carbs and umami-packed tofu and vegetables. Plus, did we mention it comes together in around 30 minutes?
I am so excited to share our veganized version of my mom’s recipe with you! Pancit bihon was one of the first Filipino dishes I learned to cook and with good reason: it is incredibly easy make. Even if you are a beginner in the kitchen, rest assured this dish is pretty hard to screw up. To veganize my mom’s recipe, we simply swapped extra firm tofu for the meat (traditionally pork or chicken). And spoiler alert: our version is sooo good, y’all!
Pancit bihon might be a mainstay at Filipino celebrations, but the good news is you can also whip this dish up on a busy weeknight. There is something so comforting about about sitting down to a piping hot bowl of noodles after a long workday. Carrots, celery, green beans, and cabbage are the typical vegetables of choice in pancit bihon. However, my mom often made this dish as a way to use up leftover produce in our fridge. She threw in bell peppers, snap peas, and even mushrooms sometimes. Feel free to do the same!
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🇵🇭 WHAT IS PANCIT BIHON?
Pancit is always a star at Filipino gatherings. Growing up, I could always count on a steaming hot platter of these noodles at birthdays and other special occasions. “Pancit” (or noodles) is an umbrella term for Filipino-style stir-fried noodles. There are many different types of pancit, depending on type of noodle used (rice, wheat or mung bean) and the region of the Philippines. But pancit bihon is by far one of the most popular, and it is my family’s favorite! This iconic noodle dish consists of thin vermicelli rice noodles stir fried with meat (usually chicken or pork) and vegetables. Our vegan version of my mom’s recipe substitutes extra firm tofu for the meat—and man, is it delicious!
Chinese immigrants brought noodles to the Philippine archipelago maybe as far back as the 16th century. In fact, the word pancit comes from the Hokkien word pian i sit, which means “something conveniently cooked.” During the Spanish Colonial Period (1521 to 1898), pancit became the island nation’s first takeout dish. Chinese food hawkers—called panciteros—set up shop on the street to sell noodles to factory workers and busy folks needing a quick bite. The mish-mash term panciteros is thus a fitting reflection of the cultural influences on Philippine cuisine: pancit is derived from the Chinese, while the Spanish suffix eros refers to a person engaged in a professional activity.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- It is quick and easy to make!
- It is nutritious and loaded with delicious whole-food ingredients.
- Who doesn’t love noodles?
📝 INGREDIENTS
(To prepare the noodles)
- Boiling water: to soak and soften the noodles.
- Bihon noodles: you can’t make a noodle dish without noodles! These super thin rice noodles are also called rice stick or rice vermicelli noodles. You can find them at an Asian market or in the international section of your grocery store.
(For the sauce)
- Low sodium soy sauce: for an umami punch. We prefer low sodium to better control the salt content in this dish.
- Water: to thin out the sauce.
- Vegan bouillon base: for an extra layer of savory flavor. Our favorite brand is Better Than Bouillon.
- Organic granulated sugar: to balance the salty ingredients in the sauce.
(For the tofu and vegetables)
- Low sodium soy sauce: to season the tofu.
- Extra firm tofu: the protein substitute in this dish. Extra firm tofu stands up well in stir fry recipes. Make sure to press the tofu prior to frying, which will help make it extra crispy.
- Neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable, canola, or grape seed): to cook our tofu and vegetables.
- Onion and garlic: fragrant aromatics.
- Green beans, cabbage, carrots, and celery: classic vegetables additions to this noodle dish. They are sliced very thinly to ensure quick cooking. Feel free to substitute other veggies of your choosing. My mom often threw in random leftover veggies we had sitting in the fridge.
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper: to season our pancit.
- Green onions: a garnish.
- Calamansi (Filipino lemon) or lemon wedges: a squeeze of calamansi adds a dash of brightness to our pancit. You can find calamansi at an Asian market, but regular lemons will also do in a pinch.
🔪 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
***Check out our recipe video below!***
- Prepare the noodles: Boil 4 cups of water. Place noodles in a pan, then pour over the boiling water, continuously stirring the noodles for 2 minutes. Rinse and drain the noodles a couple of times in cool water to remove to the excess starch. Set aside.
2. Make the pancit sauce: Whisk together ¾ cup of water, 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, vegetable bouillon and sugar and set aside.
3. Cook the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and pour over 2 tablespoon soy sauce. Pan-fry until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Cook the vegetables: Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Cook onion 1 minute, add green beans and cook an additional 7 minutes, or until onions begin to brown. Add garlic, cabbage, carrots and celery, and cook 2 minutes. Add pancit sauce to wok and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until green beans are tender, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add noodles and quickly stir until coated in sauce. Then stir in tofu and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Garnish with green onions and serve with calamansi or lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Love,
Val
💕 MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
DID YOU MAKE OUR VEGAN FILIPINO PANCIT BIHON?
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👩🏽🍳 RECIPE
VEGAN FILIPINO PANCIT BIHON
Ingredients
- 4 ¾ cups water divided
- 1 8-oz bag of bihon or rice stick noodles
- 5 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce divided
- 1 teaspoon vegan bouillon paste or substitute 1 cube vegan bouillon
- ½ teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil divided
- 1 14-oz package of extra firm tofu pressed and diced
- 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 small onion chopped
- ¾ cup green beans sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup green cabbage cored and very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup carrots julienned
- ¾ cup celery sliced on a bias
- Salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
To serve:
- Green onions sliced
- Calamansi (aka Filipino lemon) or substitute lemon wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles: Boil 4 cups of water in a large pot. Place noodles in a large mixing bowl, then pour over the boiling water, continuously stirring the noodles for 2 minutes. Rinse and drain the noodles a couple of times in cool water to remove to the excess starch. Set aside.
- Make the pancit sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of water, 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, vegetable bouillon and sugar and set aside.
- Cook the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and pour over 2 tablespoon soy sauce. Pan-fry until golden brown. Set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Cook onion 1 minute, add green beans and cook an additional 7 minutes, or until onions begin to brown. Add garlic, cabbage, carrots and celery, and cook 2 minutes. Add pancit sauce to wok and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until green beans are tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add noodles and quickly stir until coated in sauce. Then stir in tofu and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Garnish with green onions and serve with calamansi or lemon wedges. Enjoy!
I’m Filipino and have been eating more plant-based lately. This recipe totally hit the spot. Thank you!
I made this for a holiday potluck with friends. It was a huge hit. I would love to try more Filipino recipes.