Portobello Philly Cheesesteak | The Nut-Free Vegan (2024)

allergens: dependent upon the bread, “cheese,” “mayonnaise” and Worcestershire sauce used

Get all the taste of Philly’s South street staple without any of the meat!

2018 was a terrific year. It saw more people adopting a vegan diet than ever before, and if predictions are correct that will continue. Places like Whole Foods and Uber Eats are anticipating a rise in not only veganism on the whole, but in specific areas like plant-based meat snacks and pea milk (I guess oat milk is already so ubiquitous that it’s not a trend anymore). Last year I tried to get healthy by changing to a primarily whole foods plant-based diet about mid-way through (I also started running very seriously) and I wanted this site to reflect that. So you might have noticed the dishes on here moving in that direction for the most part. I still like to have an indulgence every now and then, though.

To kick off 2019 I’m sharing a recipe that lies somewhere in the middle between healthy and indulgent. It’s a variation on a sandwich that was near and dear to me when I was growing up not too far from Philadelphia. Any guesses? Of course it’s the iconic Philly cheesesteak.

This classic sandwich is a favorite all over the world, even though most pale on comparison to those you can get around South Street and the Italian Market in the city of brotherly love. But I haven’t had one of those in decades, so it seemed like a good time to try to veganize the recipe. (I also created a mac and cheese variation of it here.)

I’ve had seitan cheesesteaks (in Philly, in fact, at Blackbird Pizzeria), but I wanted to make one that aligned with the healthy path I’ve been on recently. So foregoing some kind of manmade meat substitute, I fancied up the meat of the fungi world, the portobello. This mushroom is perfect for the Philly cheesesteak because of its thickness and texture. And unlike seitan and other meat substitutes, it’s really low in calories and has a ton of health benefits like cancer-fighting nutrients and thyroid regulation to name a few. Plus, this recipe is only about 500 calories per sandwich!

This Portobello Philly Cheesesteak will be your new go-to sandwich for a quick dinner or a hearty lunch. It has all the flavor and way more nutrients than anything you’ll find at Pat’s or Geno’s. So give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. I think you’re really going to love this one.

Tell Me What You Think

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Portobello Philly Cheesesteak if you make it. So drop me a comment below, and be sure to tag @nutfreevegan on social media if you’re posting photos. Plus, it’s always super fun to see these dishes out in the wild!