Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

A vegan and European take on an American classic. This Philly cheesesteak sandwich contains no animal products and uses tofu as a substitute for the meat. And, since I live in Norway and do not have access to hoagie rolls, I used the most European bread I could possibly find: a baguette. I also decided to go with a cheese sauce instead of melted American cheese as is traditionally used, simply because vegan cheese doesn't melt as well and I wanted that gooey cheesyness to really up the texture and flavour of this sandwich. It may not be the most traditionally accurate, but either way it is gosh darn delicious and I hope you give it a try! I've split the recipe up into sections with ingredients and method for each component and finished it up with instruction as to how to assemble the sandwich. I recommend making each component in the order they're written for the easiest workflow.

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 hoagie rolls or 1 long baguette sliced into two smaller halves.

Cheesesteak filling:

270g firm tofu

2 tbsp olive oil

a good crack of pepper

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4tsp smoked paprika

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

Pat the block of tofu dry and slice thinly with a mandoline or knife. Mix oil, soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Carefully toss the tofu in the marinade until coated. Spread out onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 180C until the slices are golden but not so crispy they’re hard, approximately 20-25 minutes

Veggie mix:

1 yellow onion

1 small red bell pepper

a pinch of salt

1tbsp olive oil

Method:

Thinly slice and cook the onion in oil and a pinch of salt over medium heat until golden and browned on the edges. Slice a bell pepper into strips. Add the bell pepper strips and cook until softened. Add the tofu to the pan once it’s done baking and cook for a few more minutes while seasoning with salt to taste.

Cheese sauce:

2 tbsp vegan butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

250ml unsweetened soy milk

50g shredded vegan cheese

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

salt to taste

Method:

Add butter to a pot and melt it. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux/a smooth "batter". Gradually, and over low heat, add the soy milk while whisking to prevent any lumps from forming. Once the sauce has started to simmer and thicken, add apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika and cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese has completely melted. Finally, season with salt to taste. You can add more milk as you go if you find the sauce is too thick.

Assembly:

Heat up your bread of choice in the oven for a few minutes and slice it lengthways. Stuff each roll or baguette with the tofu and veg mixture and drizzle over a generous serving of the cheese sauce. Enjoy!