I’ve been perfecting my vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe for years, and I finally got it to the point that I am ready to share it.
But first…
What is the best vegan cheesesteak in Philly?
Vegan Philly cheesesteaks are my favorite guilty pleasure and, living in Philly I have tried a lot.
Blackbird Pizzeria
I personally best love the vegan cheesesteak pizza at the popular vegan spot Blackbird Pizzeria. It’s made with their homemade rosemary garlic seitan, grilled onion, green peppers, garlic “butter,” vegan “cheese whiz” and vegan Violife mozzarella cheese. This one is heavy on creamy cheeses and lighter on the “meat,” which is really just a stopping. This pizza makes my mouth water and it makes for the most delicious comfort food.
Questlove’s Cheesesteak
And if you are at a Phillies game, make sure you check out Questlove’s vegetarian cheesesteak (beware that it is not fully vegan!) It’s made with Impossible meat, sunflower oil, a melted cheese blend, onions and peppers, served on an Amoroso roll. Stadium food has come so far!
Onto my personal vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe…
About My Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
As mentioned, I have spent years perfecting this recipe. I consider this version, which has been non-vegan husband-approved, to be a great, no-fail base recipe. The mushrooms are hearty, the seitan is meaty, the cheese is gooey, the green peppers are mildly sweet and the seasonings add smokiness and depth. I’m already hungry!
That being said, my recipes are generally customizable, and the home chef can play with less (or different) mushrooms, more paprika, a chopped onion as opposed to onion powder, vegetable broth or soy sauce as a substitute for tamari, the omission of liquid smoke and so forth.
One last thing the home chef can decide is exactly how much to chop the mushrooms and seitan.
I do recommend not straying from the full tablespoon of Italian seasoning, as it really rounds out the flavor profile.
Best Ingredient Recommendations
- I strongly recommend Violife’s smoked provolone after tasting tons of vegan cheese. It’s the closest taste to “real” cheese and melts well. The smoked flavor in this specific cheese works perfectly for this recipe as well.
- And when I am feeling extra “Philly” I also like to use these specific Pretzilla pretzel rolls as opposed to traditional rolls.
- Lastly, I usually use Sweet Earth traditional seitan.
Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Recipe with Seitan and Mushrooms
15 Minute Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Recipe (with Seitan & Mushrooms)
In this vegan Philly cheesesteak, the mushrooms are hearty, the seitan is meaty, the cheese is gooey, the green peppers are mildly sweet and the seasonings add smokiness and depth.
4-6
servings5
minutes10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1 box (8 oz.) of unflavored seitan
1 green bell pepper
1 box (8 oz.) of sliced baby bella mushrooms
4-6 slices of your favorite vegan cheese
4-6 of your favorite long vegan rolls (Check the ingredients to ensure there is no dairy.)
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
3 tablespoons tamari (low sodium soy sauce)
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Chop the green bell paper into long and thin strips.
- Chop the mushrooms in a food processor (approximately 5-6 pulses; chop in batches).
- Chop the seitan in a food processor (approximately 8-10 pulses; chop in batches).
- Add a few splashes of water, vegetable broth or olive oil to a pan with the garlic and heat over low medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms, seitan and green bell pepper to the pan.
- Add the onion powder, tamari, liquid smoke. paprika and Italian seasoning to the pan.
- Stir and increase the heat to medium to medium high heat.
- Stir frequently for 5-7 minutes, until everything is soft, juicy and golden brown.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add one slice of cheese to each roll. (I like to add one-half a slice to each side).
- Scoop the cheesesteak mixture from the pan into the rolls.
- Heat each roll in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to melt the cheese.
- Eat and enjoy your vegan Philly cheesesteak!
Notes
- I strongly prefer Violife’s Smoked Provolone, or any other cheese by Violife. It’s the closest taste to “real” cheese and melts well. The smoked flavor in this specific cheese works perfectly for this recipe as well.
- I usually use this specific Sweet Earth traditional seitan.
- Try using pretzel rolls as opposed to traditional rolls!
This vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe is one of my favorite hand-crafted, tried and tested recipes. I hope you are pleasantly surprised by how tasty it is.
Shop the Recipe
Philly Themed Book Pairing
Since this is a blog where books meet lifestyle, I recommend that you pair this recipe with the Good Morning America book club pick Long Bright River by Liz Moore. This popular, page-turning novel takes place in Philadelphia and tackles drug addiction in a heartfelt way.
For more, read my full review of Long Bright River.
Related Vegan Recipe Posts
If you enjoy vegan food, check out more of my simple vegan recipes:
- Spring pasta
- spicy penne alla vodka sauce pasta
- blueberry banana oatmeal bars
- broccoli cheese soup
- 15 minute chocolate chip cookies
- apple cranberry crisp with oatmeal topping
- “shrimp” and grits
- creamy tortellini soup
- quick one pot red beans and rice
- 12+ quick vegan meals for dinner or lunch
- Roasted cauliflower & leek soup
- Vegetable casserole with baked veggies
- Pasta primavera with red sauce
And lastly, pin this post to Pinterest because you can refer back to it later.
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