The best dang vegan cheesesteaks of all time!
I have crossed paths with many sandwiches, honestly, I think a good sandwich is my favorite thing in life. Once I tried one of my chipotle vegan cheesesteaks, I realized my life had not been complete until that moment. This messy, incomparable vegan cheesesteak is not only to die for, it is so easy. The part of the “steak” is played by soy curls. So all you have to do it soak them and then brown then in a pan. The bread is slathered in chipotle mayo, and my easiest cheeze sauce ever is given a little heat with some of the adobo sauce from the chipotles!
Once you soak your soy curls, you saute them with red bell pepper, jalapenos, onions and seasonings to make them taste very “steaky.” The chipotle mayo takes 2 seconds to throw together. I like to fill my sandwich roll to the brim to make sure it is even more messy and delicious. Then drizzle the slightly spicy cheeze sauce on top of the whole sandwich and get ready for a spiritual awakening.
So, let’s talk soy curls. Have you had them before? They are dehydrated soy strips, and they are becoming pretty dang popular. You should be able to find them at a lot stores, I like to get these bigger strips at my local Asian market. However, the tiny strips are common and you should be able to easily find them. Any kind will do! Here are some links to soy curls in case you need to order them:
- Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bags (Pack of 3)
- Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), 100% Certified Non-GMO Soybeans, 100% Vegan, Made in USA, Imitation Beef, Gluten Free, MSG Free, Just Like Beef, Unflavored, 16 oz, Makes 3.4 lbs. (1 Pack)
There is not a single person alive that doesn’t need a chipotle vegan cheesesteaks in their lives. I am really into soy curls right now, and if you buy a big bag for these cheesesteaks, you can use them for so many other things. They are great to throw in a stir fry, so yummy in some pho. They can be used for so many different things! However, I don’t think anything is better than these cheesesteaks!
Chipotle Vegan Cheesesteak
Ingredients
"Steak" and Veggies
- 7-8 oz. Soy curls
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 Large Red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 Jalapenos, sliced
- 1/2 a Sweet onion, sliced thin
- 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Chipotle Mayo
- 3/4 Cup Vegan mayo, I used Hellman's
- 1 Chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Adobo sauce from the can
- Pinch of salt
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
- 2 Tablespoons All purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Cups Almond milk or non-dairy milk of choice
- 1/4 Cup Nutritional yeast
- 1 Teaspoon Adobo sauce from the can
- Salt and pepper to taste
For The Sandwiches
- 3-4 Hoagie Rolls, vegan
Instructions
- Start by re-hydrating your soy curls. Check your package for directions, but I usually soak mine in hot water for 10-15 minutes.
- While the soy curls are soaking, make the chipotle mayo. Mix all the mayo ingredients together in a small bowl and put in the fridge until ready to use.
- When the soy curls are ready to be cooked, heat the olive oil on medium high in a large nonstick skillet.
- Add the bell pepper, the jalapenos, the onions and the garlic. Saute, reducing heat as needed until the onions and peppers are beginning to brown. About 5-7 minutes.
- Then add the soy curls into the skillet, and saute for another 5-7 minutes to brown the soy curls as well. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the aminos or soy sauce, the molasses and the tomato paste. Add that to the skillet and toss the soy curls and veggies in the sauce. Continue to saute to for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Soy curls don't taste like anything, so make sure they are seasoned well.
- Remove from the heat.
- Now, make the cheese sauce. You can remove the soy curls from the skillet and use that so you don't dirty more dishes.
- Heat the vegan butter on medium high until melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste(roux). Let it simmer for a minute. Reducing heat as needed.
- Now, whisk in the non-dairy milk, making sure the roux is completely incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Then, whisk in the nutritional yeast, the adobo and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and simmer on low for 3-4 minutes, whisking or until the cheese sauce is nice and thick. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Now, slather a hoagie roll with chipotle mayo, fill with soy curls and veggies and drizzle the vegan cheese sauce on top!
Notes
Nutrition
Do you think portabella mushrooms instead of soy curls would workout ok?
Absolutely! I think that would be delicious!
Hi, would you cook the mushrooms the same way?
Looks awesome. Any suggestions for making the sauce without flour? I’m specifically looking for something GF.
I have used gluten free all purpose flour to make a roux with success. I usually add a bit more gluten free flour than I would regular flour. The Bob’s red mill 1:1 works great. You can try to thicken it with cornstarch or tapioca starch, but I have not tried that with this recipe.
That was the best “philly cheese steak “ I have ever had!! My husband
And I are vegan and both loved it!! And even better- my son who likes meat
Loved it too!! Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Loved this recipe. It really was not hard to make and it is one of our top recipes now. It was so tasty I took some to my son and his wife (vegans) and they loved it too. Thank you.
I am not fully vegan (yet), but trying. OHMYGOD these are literally the best things I’ve ever eaten!!! I never knew vegan “cheese sauce” could taste so good! You are the best, and I have a stack of other sammiches from your blog I’m planning next 🙂
Thank you!!
You’ve done it again! This was really yummy. I buy my soy curls from amazon, so they look pretty different from yours. They didn’t get anywhere near as brown as your pictures but still very good. I’m not a big fan of chipotle in general, but in this recipe I found it very subtle and a nice kick.
Made this tonight it’s one of the best sandwiches I’ve made yet! Will definitely be making it again!But what is the trick to getting the soy curls so brown?
These soy curls just happen to be a brand from my local Asian market that are already that color.
Thanks for the recipe! What is the name of the soy curl brand that you use??
This was dinner last night and lunch today! We needed a recipe yo use up a can of chipotle in adobo from a previous recipe—and, I’ve been wanting to try this! It was also our first time using soy curls—now eager to try something else with them. Thank you for your beautiful work. You’ve fed us well!
This is one of my favorite vegan recipes ever. I finally got soy curls for the first time and I’m SO glad I did. I will definitely be making this as a treat on a regular basis.
How did you get your soy curls to flatten and look like actual meat slices???
These are soy curls that I get sometimes at Asian markets. They are already wide like that. I just know they are a little harder to find, so they recipe just calls for regular soy curls to make it more accessible to everyone.