Vegan Mushroom Cheesesteaks

The best vegan cheesesteak in my hometown of Philadelphia is made by chef Ari Miller at his pop-up, Frizwit. He calls it the shroomwit and uses mushrooms instead of beef and a way-better-than-Cheez-Whiz sauce made with tofu and nutritional yeast. With a little coaching from the chef, I created this home-cook-friendly version and I think he would approve.

Registered dietitian Grace Derocha, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, definitely does. “This sandwich is a great example of how you can still have something familiar and delicious, but make it healthier,” she says. She also notes that smaller shifts are still helpful if you’re looking to make cholesterol-friendly adjustments to what you eat—even if you’re not ready to commit to a 100% plant-based diet. For example, even if you use dairy cheese on a mushroom sandwich, you’ll still reap the health benefits of replacing beef with mushrooms.

Miller says he didn’t offer a vegan version of his signature sandwich at Frizwit until he was sure he could offer something just as good. While this take doesn’t exactly match his, I do think it gives the beef cheesesteak a run for its money.

If you’ve been advised by your doctor to watch sodium levels, you can decrease the salt to ¼ teaspoon or less.

Note: Getting the right hoagie roll is very important for success with any cheesesteak recipe. If it’s too crusty, the filling may fall out when you bite into it. You can help soften your hoagie roll by microwaving it in a lidded container for 30 seconds just before serving.

This recipe is a part of our Vegan Comfort Food Meal Plan for 2023.