Adobong kangkong is a simple Filipino dish made with water spinach cooked in garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar. It has the same savory and slightly tangy flavor as classic adobo, but it's lighter and ready in minutes.
If you want an easy way to cook kangkong, this recipe is a good one to keep.
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What is Adobong Kangkong?
Adobong kangkong (also called water spinach adobo) is a simple Filipino vegetable dish where kangkong is cooked adobo-style with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.
In Filipino cooking, "adobo" is more of a method than one exact recipe. While pork and chicken adobo are the most common, you can use the same cooking style with vegetables and seafood too-like sitaw (yardlong beans), talong (eggplant), or pusit (squid).
Some versions even add coconut milk for a creamier sauce.
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Kangkong: A leafy vegetable with a mild flavor, similar to spinach. It has long, hollow stems that stay slightly crisp when cooked. It's also called water spinach, kangkung, or ong choy. If you can't find it, you can use Chinese spinach, Swiss chard, or bok choy instead.
- Pork: You can use pork belly, shoulder, or butt. Shrimp, tofu, chicken, or ground meats are other options. You can also skip the protein and make the dish vegetarian.
- Vinegar: Cane or coconut vinegar are commonly used. If you don't have them, you can use white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead.
How to Make Adobong Kangkong
Step 1: Prepare the sauce
In a small bowl, mix together:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of water
- black pepper (to taste)
Set it aside.
Step 2: Prepare the kangkong
Rinse the kangkong under cold water to wash off any dirt. Trim off the tough ends of the stems.
Cut into about 2-inch pieces, keeping the stems and leaves separate. Rinse again if needed.
Step 3: Cook the pork
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 8 ounces of sliced pork belly and ½ cup of water. Let it cook until the water evaporates, then lower the heat to medium.
As the pork releases its fat, season lightly with salt and keep cooking until it turns golden and lightly crispy (add a little oil if needed). Push the pork to one side of the pan.
Step 4: Sauté the aromatics
Heat some oil over medium heat. Sauté 6 garlic cloves (minced) and ½ onion (chopped) until they soften.
Step 5: Add the stems and chili peppers
Add the kangkong stalks or stems and chili peppers, if using. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until the stems are slightly tender but still crisp.
Step 6: Add the leaves and sauce
Add the kangkong leaves and pour in the sauce. The leaves will fill up the pan but don't worry, they'll wilt down as they cook.
Toss everything gently to coat the leaves evenly. Let the sauce thicken slightly, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
If you like, you can top with fried garlic or shallots before serving. Enjoy your adobong kangkong with steamed white rice or sinangag.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of water if the sauce looks dry.
Cooking Tips
- Add the kangkong stems first, then the leaves-they cook at different speeds.
- Don't overcook the greens. Kangkong cooks fast and should stay slightly crisp.
- Taste before adding more soy sauce. Brands vary, and it's easy to make this too salty.
- Brown the pork first for better flavor.
Recipe FAQs
You can use bok choy, Swiss chard, or Chinese spinach. The texture will be different, but the flavor works.
Kangkong releases water as it cooks. Use high heat and cook quickly so the liquid reduces instead of turning soupy.
Add the stems first, then the leaves, and don't overcook. It should stay slightly crisp.
Adobong kangkong is perfect with steamed rice and goes really well with grilled or fried fish, pork, chicken, or even tofu-pretty much anything you like!
More Kangkong Recipes
- Stir-fried kangkong: Sautéed kangkong with garlic, sometimes with tofu.
- Kangkong with tofu stir-fry: Kangkong and crispy tofu in oyster sauce.
- Sinigang: Sour tamarind soup with vegetables, plus pork, fish, or shrimp.
- Crispy Kangkong: Lightly battered kangkong leaves fried until crunchy.
- Ginataang kangkong: Kangkong cooked in coconut milk, often with chilies and pork or shrimp.
Other Vegetable Recipes You May Like
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📖 Recipe
Adobong Kangkong (Filipino Water Spinach Adobo Recipe)
Equipment
- Wok or wide pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vinegar (see note)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water more as needed
- Ground, cracked, or whole peppercorns to taste
- 1 bunch kangkong or water spinach (about 1 pound) rinsed and cut into 2-inch sections (see note)
- 8 ounces pork belly or shoulder thinly sliced (see note)
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1-2 chili peppers sliced (optional)
- Neutral oil
- Salt to taste
- Fried garlic or shallots optional garnish
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, water, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Wash the kangkong, trim tough ends, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Keep stems and leaves separate.
- Simmer pork with water until dry. Let it brown in its own fat, then push to one side of the pan.
- Sauté garlic and onion until soft.
- Add kangkong stems (and chili, if using). Stir-fry about 2 minutes.
- Add kangkong leaves and prepared sauce. Toss gently until wilted and sauce thickens. Taste and adjust, then turn off the heat.
Notes
- Kangkong: Also called water spinach or ong choy. If unavailable, use Chinese spinach, Swiss chard, or bok choy.
- Pork: Pork belly, shoulder, or butt works well. You can also use shrimp, tofu, chicken, ground meat, or leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.
- Vinegar: Cane or coconut vinegar is traditional, but white, rice, or apple cider vinegar works too.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a pan over medium heat. Add a splash of water if needed.
- Add kangkong stems first, then leaves-they cook at different speeds.
- Don't overcook. Kangkong should stay slightly crisp.
- Taste before adding more soy sauce-it's easy to make this too salty.
- Brown the pork first for better flavor.
Dennis says
Wow! This looks so appetizing - the best adobong kangkong! I have to make this!
Nora Reyes says
Hi Dennis, That's so nice. Thank you so much!