Vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwich packed with thinly sliced tofu steak, caramelised veggies & a homemade vegan cheese sauce!

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time30 mins

CourseMain Course

CuisineAmerican

Servings2 sandwiches

Calories700 kcal

Equipment
  • grill/broiler
  • Mandolin
  • 1 x baking tray
  • 1 x measuring jug
  • 2 x large frying pans
  • Blender

Ingredients

For the Tofu Steak

  • ▢280 g extra firm tofu (drained)
  • ▢100 ml boiling water
  • ▢1 x vegan stock cube (I use Oxo vegan beef flavour)
  • ▢2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • ▢1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • ▢2 teaspoon marmite (aka yeast extract)
  • ▢1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ▢1 clove garlic (finely minced)
  • ▢1 teaspoon mustard powder (or English mustard)
  • ▢2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ▢1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Henderson’s Relish)
  • ▢1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ▢1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

For the Veggies

  • ▢1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ▢1 large onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • ▢2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely minced)
  • ▢200 g chestnut mushrooms (roughly chopped)
  • ▢1 green pepper (aka bell pepper, de-stemmed, de-seeded and roughly chopped)
  • ▢½ teaspoon sugar
  • ▢pinch flaky sea salt
  • ▢½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Vegan Cheese Sauce

  • ▢120 ml soy milk (or any plant milk, unflavoured and unsweetened)
  • ▢1 tablespoon tapioca starch
  • ▢1 tablespoon white miso paste
  • ▢2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ▢1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ▢pinch ground turmeric
  • ▢pinch paprika
  • ▢½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ▢½ teaspoon onion salt
  • ▢1 tablespoon vegan butter (chopped into cubes)
  • ▢2 tablespoon water
  • ▢50 g vegan cheese (optional – shredded, make sure it’s a melting variety with a strong flavour)

For the Sandwiches

  • ▢2 hoagie rolls (or small soft baguettes)
  • ▢2 tablespoon vegan butter (at room temperature)
Instructions 

To Make the Tofu Steak

  • Pre-heat the grill/broiler to its highest temperature.
  • Wrap the extra firm tofu in a few sheets of kitchen roll and carefully squeeze out any excess moisture. Use a mandolin to slice the tofu thinly, ideally around 3mm thick. Arrange the sliced tofu in an even layer on a baking or roasting tray.280 g extra firm tofu
  • In a measuring jug, mix together the remaining tofu steak ingredients. Pour over the sliced tofu and gently stir to make sure all the tofu is coated in the sauce.100 ml boiling water,1 x vegan stock cube,2 tablespoon dark soy sauce,1 tablespoon dark brown sugar,2 teaspoon marmite,1 tablespoon nutritional yeast,1 clove garlic,1 teaspoon mustard powder,2 tablespoon vegetable oil,1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce,1 teaspoon ground black pepper,1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • Place the tray of tofu under the grill/broiler for 20 minutes, stirring half-way through. When cooked, the tofu should have darkened considerably and should be crispy in places. Set aside.

To Make the Veggies

  • Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes or until turning soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.1 tablespoon vegetable oil,1 large onion,2 cloves garlic
  • Add the mushrooms and green pepper to the pan and fry, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and fry for a further 2-3 minutes or until all the veggies are softened and the onions are starting to brown. Season with the salt and pepper then reduce the heat to low.200 g chestnut mushrooms,1 green pepper,½ teaspoon sugar,pinch flaky sea salt,½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Add the tofu steak to the veggies, stir together then cover with a lid to keep warm while you make the vegan cheese sauce.

To Make the Vegan Cheese Sauce

  • Put all the vegan cheese sauce ingredients except for the vegan butter and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan. Whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a low simmer – it will thicken dramatically so make sure you don’t leave unattended.120 ml soy milk,1 tablespoon tapioca starch,1 tablespoon white miso paste,2 tablespoon nutritional yeast,1 tablespoon white wine vinegar,pinch ground turmeric,pinch paprika,½ teaspoon garlic powder,½ teaspoon onion salt
  • Once hot, thick and simmering, add the vegan butter and water (and vegan cheese if using) then whisk until smooth and the butter has melted. Reduce heat to very low while you prepare the sandwiches.1 tablespoon vegan butter,2 tablespoon water,50 g vegan cheese

To Make the Sandwiches

  • Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Slice the hoagie rolls/baguettes down the middle and spread both sides with the vegan butter. Place the rolls butter-side-down in the hot pan and fry until lightly golden.2 hoagie rolls,2 tablespoon vegan butter
  • Add a tablespoon of water to the pan then quickly cover with a lid to allow the buns to steam and soften for around 20-30 seconds. Remove the rolls from the pan.
  • Divide the tofu steak and veggies mixture between the two rolls then top each sandwich with a good drizzle of the vegan cheese sauce. Serve with french fries, ketchup and pickles.

Nutrition

Calories: 700kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 33gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 3221mgPotassium: 1489mgFiber: 10gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 1276IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 324mgIron: 7mg