Plant-Based Philly Cheesesteak
Okay, we are genuinely obsessed with this one. A proper Philly Cheesesteak has always been one of those sandwiches we thought we'd have to leave behind going plant-based, but this recipe totally changed that. The seitan steak is chewy, savoury, and packed with flavour, and when it's piled into a soft roll with melty vegan cheese and sweet peppers and onions, it is absolutely unreal. We keep coming back to this whenever we want something that feels indulgent and a bit nostalgic. Make it tonight, seriously.
Before You Start
- Food processor
- Rolling pin
- Large pan for boiling
- Deep frying pan with lid
- Seitan strips marinated for 20 minutes
- Microplane or fine grater
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 180g vital wheat gluten
- 75g puy lentils - precooked
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp smoked salt
- 90ml water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g plant-based cheese grated
- 2 green peppers
- 1 white onion
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 white subs
- 4 servings of oven fries
Method
Make the seitan steak
- Add all the ingredients, apart from the water and oil, to the food processor and pulse to combined
- Add the water and blitz, scraping down the sides as needed
- Tip the mixture on to a clean work surface, knead for a minute or two then bring it together into a tight ball
- Boil your salted water in a pan
Shaping the steak
- Roll the mixture into a rough oblong shape and cut into 4 even slices
- Flatten each slice with your hand so they’re roughly 1cm thick and steak-shaped (you can also use a rolling pin here)
- Lower the steaks into the pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 25 minutes
- Take the steaks out of the pan, drain and leave to cool for 5 minutes
- Cut the steaks into thin strips
For the marinade
- Add the marinade ingredients and stir to combine
- Put the strips of steak in the bowl and roll them around in the marinade. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes
- Grate the garlic
- Halve, trim, peel and slice the onion
- Halve, trim, core and slice the peppers
- Grate the cheese
- Cut the bread rolls in half and toast the cut sides
Time to make your cheesesteak!
- Warm the olive oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat
- Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes
- Add the peppers to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes
- Add the steak and all the marinade to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes
- Turn the heat right down to a gentle simmer, grate the cheese over the top of steak, onions and peppers
- Put the lid on the pan and leave for 2 minutes
Time to build your sandwiches
- Take the lid off the pan and use tongs to fill the bread rolls with the cheesesteak mixture
- Close the sandwich and eat immediately with fries
Tips & Variations
- Get a good sear: Make sure your pan is really hot before the seitan goes in. You want those slices to caramelise and catch a little at the edges, not just steam. That colour is where all the flavour is.
- Cheese matters: Go for a vegan cheese that actually melts well. We find a good vegan mozzarella or American-style sliced vegan cheese works best here. Pop a lid on the pan for the last minute to help it get all gooey.
- Make it your own: Henry always throws in a few sliced mushrooms with the peppers and onions for extra depth. It bulks it out and adds a really nice umami hit that works so well with the seitan.
Why This Works
The trick here is the seitan. Making it from scratch sounds like a faff but it only takes a few minutes and the texture you get is so much better than anything from a packet. Kneading it properly and shaping it into thin slices means it cooks fast and picks up all those gorgeous caramelised edges in the pan. That's what really makes it taste like the real deal.