No matter if you use mushrooms or jackfruit, these Vegan Char Siu Bowls are packed with incredible flavor! If you enjoy Asian-fusion, you will no doubt enjoy this dish! I know both mushrooms and jackfruit are “love it or hate it” kind of foods, so I included both as options. I love it either way!
Traditionally, Char Siu is a Cantonese barbecue pork dish. In Hawaii, many types of meats are cooked char siu-style, meaning the cooking method (fork roasted), as well as as the seasonings. My first way of recreating it was by slow-cooking jackfruit, which has a meat-like texture, that with the char siu sauce make a delicious mix, but it is in no way cooked using the char siu method. The mushrooms I make aren’t cooked in the traditional “fork-roasted” way either, but both make a deliciously flavored vegan alternative that I really enjoy! I like to use whole cremini mushrooms, but you could also shred king oyster mushrooms to get a meat-like texture, similar to the jackfruit.
It took me a few tries to get the rice right, but I finally found the correct mixture of ingredients to bring it to perfection! My first couple of batches, I used jasmine rice, as it is my go-to white rice, but in the end, I decided calrose rice was be a better pick. I also needed to find the right amount of cilantro and pineapple to use to make it just tasty enough, but also not overpowering, as the rice isn’t supposed to be the star of the show (though def did turn out delish!).
The next tasty portion of these bowls is my Ginger-Pickled Cabbage! I use this cabbage when making Char Siu Jackfruit Tacos as well, but have yet to share the recipe with you. To make it I use a quick-pickle method so it’s ready the same day and you don’t have worry about making it too far ahead of time.
You have the “meat,” the rice, and the cabbage. Those three things are the main components to this dish. All that’s left is some shredded carrot, a little green onion, cilantro, and another drizzle of sauce. The result, amazing VEGAN Asian-fusion deliciousness!
If you make and enjoy these Vegan Char Siu Bowls, please let me know! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tell me if you went with the jackfruit or mushrooms. You can also share a pic of yours and tag me on Instagram. @veggiesattiffanis.
Rice Cooker Pineapple-Cilantro Rice
Equipment
- rice cooker — I have (and recommend) a Zojirushi rice cooker.
Ingredients
- 2 rice cooker cups calrose rice, rinsed or other white medium grain rice
- 1/2 cup (packed) diced fresh pineapple
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped whites and greens separated
- 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
- pineapple juice (fresh or canned) Enough to fill the rice cooker to the 2 cup sushi (or white rice) line, once the above ingredients are added.
Instructions
- Add the rinsed rice to the rice cooker. On top of the rice add the pineapple, cilantro, the whites of the green onions (keep the greens for garnish), salt, and ginger.
- Fill the rice cooker to the 2 cup sushi rice line (or the white rice line if yours doesn’t have a sushi rice line) with the pineapple juice.
- Push the button for the sushi/white rice setting and let the rice cooker do its magic.
Ginger-Pickled Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 Tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 8 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
Instructions
- Add the vinegar, water, agave, salt, and ginger to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the cabbage. Let sit for an hour (or more is fine). *Chill before serving.
Notes
Vegan Char Siu Bowls Over Pineapple-Cilantro Rice
Ingredients
If using Jackfruit…
- 1 batch Char Siu Jackfruit This will most likely produce more than four servings. Leftovers are delicious as tacos or for making onigiri.
If using mushrooms…
- 1/2 cup ”chicken”-flavored vegetable broth or sub regular vegetable broth
- 2 Lbs Crimini (Baby Bella) Mushrooms *or sub shredded King Oyster Mushrooms for a meat-like texture
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce ensure gluten-free
- 1/2 cup agave syrup
- 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 4 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tsp tapioca starch
Everything else…
- 1 batch Rice Cooker Pineapple-Cilantro Rice
- 1 batch Ginger-Pickled Cabbage
- 2 small carrots, shredded
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- 1 Tbsp toast sesame seeds (optional) for garnish
Extra char siu sauce for drizzling (optional)…
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce ensure gluten-free
- 2 Tbsp agave syrup
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice
Instructions
If extra sauce is desired for drizzling:
- Whisk together sauce ingredients and add to a condiment squeeze bottle for distribution.
Pick mushrooms or jackfruit. If using mushrooms, follow the below instructions. For jackfruit, prepare and proceed to assembly:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the vegetable broth and mushrooms. Cover the skillet with a lid, turn down the heat, and sweat mushrooms for five minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the sauce.
- After five minutes, remove the lid and stir the sauce into the skillet. Turn heat back to medium and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and the sauce has thickened.
Bowl assembly:
- Add a portion of Rice Cooker Pineapple-Cilantro Rice to the bottom of four bowls.
- Top rice with prepared mushrooms or jackfruit, Ginger-Pickled Cabbage, shredded carrots, cilantro, and the saved green onion greens (from making the rice). If desired, drizzle with extra char siu sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.