Vegan Okonomiyaki with Cabbage, Shiitake and Quick Tonkatsu-Style Sauce

Vegan okonomiyaki made with a silken tofu batter, lots of cabbage and seared shiitake, then topped with a quick sweet-savory sauce and sesame seeds.

VeganUnder 400 kcalIron-RichContains Gluten
Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
4
Vegan Okonomiyaki with Cabbage, Shiitake and Quick Tonkatsu-Style Sauce — Vegan okonomiyaki made with a silken tofu batter, lots of cabbage and seared shiitake, then topped with a
Illustration generated by AI · SDXL

Vegan Okonomiyaki with Cabbage, Shiitake and Quick Tonkatsu-Style Sauce is a vegan lunch recipe made with silken tofu, cold water, soy sauce. It takes 50 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 333 calories, 10 g of protein and 6 g of fiber.

Blended silken tofu does the job eggs usually do in okonomiyaki. It binds the shredded cabbage and keeps the inside soft and custardy. Searing the shiitake before they go into the batter cooks off their moisture and browns them, so the pancakes set instead of steaming. Cook them covered over medium heat so the middle cooks through before the outside burns, then brush on a fast sauce made from ketchup, vegan Worcestershire, soy sauce and maple syrup.

Ingredients

4 servings

Batter

Pancakes

Sauce

Toppings

Kit: blender or immersion blender, 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet with lid, wide spatula, large mixing bowl

Cook mode · Vegan Okonomiyaki with Cabbage, Shiitake and Quick Tonkatsu-Style Sauce

Tips

  • Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, with a sharp knife or a mandoline. Thin shreds bind better and cook through in the time given.
  • Keep the heat at medium. Thick vegetable pancakes burn on the outside before the inside sets if the pan is too hot.
  • If a pancake breaks when you flip it, slide it onto a plate, put the skillet upside down over it and turn both over together.
  • Keep finished pancakes warm on a rack in a 200°F oven while the second batch cooks.

Swap ideas

Use store-bought vegan okonomiyaki or tonkatsu sauce instead of the quick sauce
Tastes more like the restaurant version, with a fruitier, more complex sauce. Check the label because some brands contain fish or meat extracts.
Use oyster or king oyster mushrooms instead of shiitake
Milder flavor and a meatier, chewier bite.
Use tamari instead of soy sauce and a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of the flour
Makes the pancakes gluten-free, provided your Worcestershire is gluten-free too. They'll be a little more fragile to flip.
Stir 2 tbsp panko or crushed tenkasu (tempura bits) into the batter
Gives a lighter, crispier texture inside.

The numbers

333kcal per serving

Protein10.4 g
21% DV
Fiber5.7 g
20% DV
Carbs44.5 g
16% DV
Fat14.2 g
18% DV
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
Saturated fat
1.3 g 7%
Sugars
11.9 g
Sodium
957 mg 42%
Potassium
597 mg 13%
Calcium
220 mg 17%
Iron
3.7 mg 21%
Vitamin C
41 mg 45%
Vitamin B12
0 µg 0%

% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.

Sources: Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari), Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached, Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate, Salt, table, Cabbage, raw, Carrots, raw, Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, Mushrooms, shiitake, raw, Oil, canola, Catsup (USDA SR Legacy, Vegetables and Vegetable Products), Sauce, worcestershire (USDA SR Legacy 171610, per-cup values converted to per 100 g). Used as a proxy because USDA has no vegan entry. Vegan label cross-check: 365 Everyday Value / Annie's Vegan Worcestershire, 5 kcal and 65 mg sodium per 5 g tsp, so about 100 kcal and 1300 mg sodium per 100 g., Syrups, maple, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried

Method

  1. Stir the ketchup, vegan Worcestershire, 1 tsp soy sauce and maple syrup together in a small bowl until smooth. Set the sauce aside.

  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced shiitake and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until they shrink and brown at the edges and the pan looks dry, 5–6 minutes. Move them to a plate and wipe out the skillet.

  3. Blend the silken tofu, water and 1 tbsp soy sauce until completely smooth and pourable, about 30 seconds.

  4. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the tofu mixture and stir just until no dry flour is left. The batter should be thick, like a heavy pancake batter. If it is too stiff to stir, add water 1 tbsp at a time.

  5. Fold in the cabbage, carrot, green onions and cooled shiitake until every shred is lightly coated. The mixture will look like mostly vegetables held together by a little batter, which is how it should look.

  6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium heat. Scoop in a quarter of the mixture to make each of two pancakes. Press each one into a round about 6 inches across and ¾ inch thick, and tidy the edges with a spatula.

  7. Cover and cook until the bottoms are deep golden and the edges look set, 5–6 minutes. Flip carefully with a wide spatula, cover again and cook until the second side is browned and the center feels springy rather than wet when you press it, 4–5 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and mixture.

  8. Brush the sauce over the hot pancakes. Drizzle with vegan mayo if you're using it, then top with sesame seeds, sliced green onion, pickled ginger and aonori. Cut into wedges and serve right away.

Storage: Let the pancakes cool, then refrigerate them unsauced in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store the sauce separately. Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until hot and crisp again, then add the sauce and toppings.

Questions

How much protein is in vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce?
Each of the 4 servings has 10 g of protein, 6 g of fiber and 333 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
Is vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce vegan?
Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
How long does vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce take to make?
20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, so 50 minutes of hands-on time.
Can you make vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce ahead?
Let the pancakes cool, then refrigerate them unsauced in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store the sauce separately. Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until hot and crisp again, then add the sauce and toppings.
What can I substitute in vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce?
Use store-bought vegan okonomiyaki or tonkatsu sauce instead of the quick sauce — tastes more like the restaurant version, with a fruitier, more complex sauce. check the label because some brands contain fish or meat extracts.. Use oyster or king oyster mushrooms instead of shiitake — milder flavor and a meatier, chewier bite.. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of the flour — makes the pancakes gluten-free, provided your worcestershire is gluten-free too. they'll be a little more fragile to flip.. Stir 2 tbsp panko or crushed tenkasu (tempura bits) into the batter — gives a lighter, crispier texture inside..
Does vegan okonomiyaki with cabbage, shiitake and quick tonkatsu-style sauce contain gluten?
Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.

Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.

Published October 22, 2026 ·Japanese