Vegan Philly Cheesesteaks
Vegan Philly Cheesesteaks with delicious seared mushrooms, sauteed onion and bell peppers, and toasted buns. A perfect weekend lunchtime meal.
A Vegan Philly Cheesesteak - what seems antithetical and oxymoronic to the very tenets of plant-based eating is actually one of the best meals made on Pestle and Mortar since the inception of the website. Fifty percent of the name contains ingredients not in the recipe (or in any vegan recipe in the history of veganism), and yet this meatless wonder promises all of the warm, comforting flavours of the original.
Opportunity strikes when you use ingredients in new ways. Mushrooms, when prepared correctly, take on a perfect texture. Sacrificing ingredients doesn’t necessitate sacrificing quality, and I’ll show you how.
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Before We Get Started
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
220g Mushrooms
Your choice - I used white, but Cremini, Oyster, or Portobello work even better
2 Bell Peppers
1 Yellow Onion
Vegan Provolone/White Cheese
Soft buns
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
Recipe
Slice up your mushrooms. Put them to the side.
Finely slice your onion and both bell peppers.
Put two pans over medium-high heat with oil, and allow them to come to temperature. In one pan, add your sliced onion and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper, and stir routinely.
In the second pan, add your mushrooms, and season with salt. Spread the mushrooms out over the pan, flattening as you do. Place a heavy pot directly on top of the mushrooms. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes.
The heavy pot will allow for a hard sear of the mushrooms, giving them a meaty texture.
The mushrooms will give off a large amount of moisture - allow this to cook away.
While your veg is cooking, slice your buns. Take your bell peppers and onions off the heat once they’re cooked.
Once the water in the mushroom pot is mostly evaporated, take the heavy pot off, and stir to release them from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 tsp of Chili Powder, 1 tsp of Garlic Powder, and 1 tsp of Paprika, and stir.
Place your vegan cheese slices on top of the mushrooms, and add a small splash of water to the pan. Put a lid on top of your pan and allow the cheese to melt.
Approx. half of a shot glass of water.
Load up your sandwiches - mushrooms and cheese on first, with your onions and bell peppers on top.
Enjoy.
Spruce it Up
For some spice, add some red chili flakes to your onions and bell peppers while sauteeing.
Toast your buns in the oven for more crunch. Add some olive oil and rub with a clove of garlic to impart a gorgeous, garlic bread flavour.
While not traditional, vegan mayo makes this sandwich even yummier.