When the boys crave french dip sandwiches, I make vegan roast beef for vegan french dip sandwiches. My family always marked a day, not eh calendar during the week for 'sandwich night.' And the tradition continued with my kids growing up. So, when the boys asked if I could veganize a french dip sandwich, I couldn't disappoint.
First, I made my Seitan recipe and concocted a vegan marinade for my vegan roast beef. Seitan, a vegan meat replacement, is often confused with tofu. Unlike tofu or tempeh, seitan is made from vital wheat gluten.
Actually, wheat gluten, derived from gluten, is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed. Once marinated and cooked, Seitan becomes surprisingly similar to meat. Since we no longer eat meat, seitan replaces the meat in french dip sandwiches.
How to transform seitan into vegan roast beef
Whenever I make Seitan, II divide up the 2 pounds of 'meat,' slice it thin, and marinade it for various recipes. One recipe of seitan, for instance, creates four different meals if separated and marinated differently.
So, I made vegan roast beef for this french dip sandwich recipe by marinating the seitan for 1-2 days.
Once marinated, bake the seitan in the remaining marinade for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
What's in the marinade?
- Vegetable Broth
- Better Than Boullion (oil-free) Organic Vegetable Base
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
Don't forget the sauteed onions and mushrooms
To make french dip sandwiches complete, sauteed mushrooms and onions enhance the vegan roast beef and sauces' flavors. Add a little garlic and saute in the vegetable broth for oil-free cooking. Then, smother the vegan roast beef before topping with vegan 'horsey sauce.'
Cooking the onions and garlic together before adding her mushrooms, heightening the flavors of the vegetables. Then, wait until the onions become translucent before adding the mushrooms. When the onions start to brown and the pan appears to burn, add a little vegetable broth for caramelization.
Making the french dip sandwiches
First, toast the vegan whole-grain ciabatta buns or favorite vegan oil-free bun. A great trick to reduces the amount of bread in eat roll is to remove the excess bread in the bottom and top of the bread before toasting. Not only doe sit provide an extra well to place the seitan and other toppings, but it also makes the bread crunchier and less doughy.
Next, stack the seitan, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and top with the creamy 'horsey sauce.' If you don't like horseradish sauce, skip it and dip in the au jus as is. Or, pick your favorite vegan roast beef condiment.
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup
- Dijon Mustard
- Vegan Cashew Mayo
- Secret Sauce
- Chimichurri Sauce
The magical vegan 'horsey sauce' brings the vegan french dip together
When I was a kid, we loved Arby's horsey sauce, so I decided to veganize it for these french dip sandwiches. Not only is homemade 'horsey sauce' much healthier than Arby's version, but it also tastes much better.
Vegan Horsey Sauce ingredients
When shopping for pure horseradish, look at the label. Prepared horseradish sauce contains cream and is not vegan. Pure horseradish, however, is made with horseradish, vinegar, and salt.
The french dip sandwiches are complete when topped with a crunchy bun
But, a vegan french dip sandwich isn't complete unless dipped in vegan au jus!
Making vegan au jus' is easy and the perfect dipping sauce
The vegan au jus sauce, which is also easy to make, is 100% vegan! Au jus, the dipping sauce, is what a french dip sandwich is all about. Since I'm all about the dip, au jus is a must!
Ingredients in vegan Au Jus sauce
- Shallot
- Onion
- Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Worcestershire
- Dijon Mustard
- Red wine (optional)
The next time you crave a french dip sandwich, make it vegan loaded with mushrooms, onions, horsey sauce, and dip it in vegan au jus!
Do you love sandwiches? Make it a sandwich night at your house!
- Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
- Italian Sandwiches
- Vegetable Sandwich
- Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Sandwich
- Greek Wrap
- Barbecue Seitan
- Vegan Chicken Salad
- Vegan Meatball Sub
- Veggie BLT
- BBQ Jackfruit Recipe
French Dip Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegan Roast Beef/Marinade
- ¼ recipe seitan
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon Better Than Boullion oil-free Organic Vegetable Base
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 white or yellow onion sliced into slivers
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced thin
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
Vegan Horsey Sauce
- ½ cup vegan cashew mayo
- 2 Tablespoons pure horseradish
Vegan Au Jus Dipping Sauce
- 1 shallot minced
- ¼ cup minced white onion
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine optional
Other ingredients
- 4 vegan oil-free ciabatta buns excess bread removed from top and bottom, or bread of choice
Instructions
Vegan Roast Beef
- With ¼ of the seitan recipe, slice the seitan thin.
- Combine the marinade ingredients and add the thinly sliced seitan.
- Marinate for 1-2 days in a refrigerated covered in a refrigerator-safe container.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- Place a single layer of vegan roast beef on the pan covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Pour the remaining marinade over the vegan roast beef pieces.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Vegan Horsey Sauce
- Mix the vegan cashew mayo with the pure horseradish.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Vegan Au Jus Dipping Sauce
- In a saucepan, saute the shallot and onion until translucent.
- Add a little of the vegetable broth if the shallots and onions begin to stick.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer.
Sauteeing the mushrooms and onions
- In a large non-stick skillet, combine the minced garlic and sliced onions.
- Saute on medium-low until the onions turn translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions appear to brown, and then add a little vegetable broth and move the onions and mushrooms around the pan with a skillet.
- Add more vegetable broth as the onions and mushrooms brown and caramelize.
- Set aside.
Assembling the Sandwich
- Toast the ciabatta buns.
- Add pieces of vegan roast beef to the bottom bun.
- Now, add sauteed mushrooms and onions.
- Smother with vegan horsey sauce or your favorite condiment.
- Top with the other toasted bun.
- Cut each sandwich in half.
- Serve with a bowl of hot au jus dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Leave a Reply