Vegan Cheesesteak

A closeup of a vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwich sitting next to French fries on a plate.

This vegan cheesesteak is made with marinated, braised seitan, caramelized onions, and dairy-free cheese. It's so good, you'll want to make it again and again!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 5

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 353kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Ingredients

Marinade

2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce (see notes for gluten-free)
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Sandwich Fillings

8 oz package seitan (see notes)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup red and/or orange sweet bell peppers sliced
1 cup yellow onion, halved and cut into long strips
1 cup mushrooms washed and dried

Sandwich Assembly

½ cup vegan mayo
4 hoagie rolls
1 cup vegan cheese (8 slices)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a shallow pan.
Add the seitan to the marinade and stir to make sure all the seitan is coated. Cover and set aside for the seitan to marinade while you prepare the rest of the fillings.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the oil is shimmering. Add sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Cook until tender and caramelized along the edges. Remove from the skillet to a plate lined with paper towels.
Pour the seitan and marinade into the skillet. Cook until browned on one side, then turn them and brown them on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Turn up the oven heat to 350°F/175°C and tear off four slices of aluminum foil large enough to fit the sandwiches in.
Place one bun on each strip of foil. Spread both sides of each bun with vegan mayo. Add several pieces of the braised seitan slices to each hoagie bun and top with sautéed veggies, and vegan cheese.
Wrap the sandwiches in the foil, place them in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. For a toasted bun, remove them from the foil, place them on a pan, and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
Once the sandwiches are done. remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Store leftover sandwiches in the fridge in the foil. To reheat, put them directly in the oven and bake at 300°F/150° for 10 to 15 minutes until the sandwiches are heated through.

Notes

Vegan Meat Options

Here are some options when it comes to vegan meat for this sandwich:

Seitan — You can use plain or seasoned seitan (wheat meat). I oftentimes use Sweet Earth Chipotle Seitan which is found near the tofu in many health food stores.
Tofu — You can substitute a tub of extra-firm tofu. Press the tofu and then cut it into thin slices.
Tempeh — Cut the tempeh into thin strips.
Veggie Crumbles — Many of these are precooked (such as Gardein Crumbles). Add them to marinade and follow the recipe as described.
Plant-based Grounds — Most plant-based grounds (such as Impossible Grounds) require precooking. Follow the package instructions to cook it first and drain excess fat. Then add the marinade and cook it until the sauce thickens.

Gluten-free Options

Here are tips if you'd like your sandwiches to be gluten-free:

Use gluten-free bread or buns
Use Tofu, Tempeh, gluten-free Veggie Crumbles, or gluten-free Plant-based Grounds.
Substitute tamari for soy sauce
Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.

Nutrition