We often host a sandwich night at my house, and tonight, I made a portobello mushroom sandwich. I love sandwiches! Not only do sandwiches taste great, but they are easy to make. When planning my portobello mushroom sandwich recipe, however, I added a lot of vegetables.
Although many people avoid bread, I reduce my bread carb load by removing the bread's center, creating a cavity to stack my veggies. Not only does it reduce the amount of bread, but it also makes a crusty bread that doesn't get soggy. And who likes a soggy sandwich? Not me!
Another great thing about making a stellar mushroom sandwich is the types of vegetables, and of course, the dressing is chosen to dress said sandwich. But, as you probably will agree, all sandwiches are not created equally.
For that reason, I consider this sandwich the best portobello mushroom sandwich I've made or eaten, for that matter.
What ingredients are in this stellar portobello mushroom sandwich?
Let's begin with the star of the sandwich, the portobello mushrooms. Unfortunately, I couldn't find large portobello mushrooms when I went shopping, so I opted for a 16-ounce medium container of portobello mushrooms.
- Whole-Grain French Bread or Ciabatta (both are oil-free options) or bread of choice
- Portobello Mushrooms
- Green Zucchini
- Summer Squash (yellow zucchini)
- White Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Vegan Southwest Dressing
Since the bread is the key to a fabulous sandwich, I always buy my bread in the bakery section. Believe it or not, most bread is oil-free and vegan. Most bread is made with flour, yeast, and water!
Choose your favorite bread from the bakery section and check the label. However, stay out of the processed bread aisle, as that is where you will find the bread with oil and preservatives.
Marinating the vegetables for a great mushroom and vegetable sandwich
To marinate the mushrooms and vegetables, use a mixture of balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard, and some Italian seasoning. Although I prefer grilled vegetables, I sauteed the mushrooms this time because I couldn't find large portobello mushrooms.
As a result, I marinated my mushrooms separate from the other vegetables and cooked the other vegetables on the grill. However, I suggest cutting the vegetables in similar sizes to cook equally on the grill.
Assembling the portobello mushroom sandwich (shown with a ciabatta here)
Once the mushrooms are sauteed, and the vegetables are grilled, I remove the center portion of both sides of the bread without trading through the top or bottom. Next, broil the bread, making it crispy before adding any cooked or raw vegetables.
The mushrooms go first as the sandwich's rock star, followed by the grilled zucchini, squash, onion, and red pepper. The other side of the bread is layered with Vegan Southwest Dressing, avocado, tomato, and spinach.
The magic or any sandwich or salad is always the sauce. For this particular sandwich, I chose my Vegan Southwest Dressing. For this recipe, all you need is some raw cashews, salsa, water, and lime juice blended in a high-speed blender.
But, if you don't like it spicy, consider trying these sauces for your portobello mushroom sandwich:
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Thousand Island Dressing
- French Dressing
- Cashew Mayo
- Pesto Salad Dressing
- Creamy Italian Dressing
- Secret Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Mustard Dipping Sauce
Regardless of your favorite sauce or dressing for a sandwich. We all know the sauce brings a sandwich together.
The question then remains; who is brave enough to eat this sandwich or bite into it? Me!
I'm not shy, nor do I pretend not to eat! On the contrary, I can eat a lot! And I attribute that to healthy eating. And, since I like to eat, I generally eat a lot. Now, it might take me a little longer to figure out how to eat this large sandwich, but I can eat just about anything with the right determination.
On the other hand, my husband admires my ability to eat pretty much as he does.
So, the next time you're craving a hearty sandwich, think about making a portobello mushroom sandwich full of veggies and dressed with your favorite dressing or sauce. And, whatever you do, don't forget the sauce.
And, if you're anything like me, you'll figure out how to eat this beautiful creation using one hand.
FAQs
What does a portobello mushroom taste like?
A portobello mushroom has an earthy and meaty taste, making it an excellent ingredient for burgers and sandwiches.
Is it alright to eat the gills of a portobello mushroom?
Not really. While the gills of a portobello mushroom are technically edible, they tend to make your food taste murky and nasty.
Do you love healthy vegan sandwiches? If so, we have you covered!
- Vegetable Sandwich
- Italian Sandwiches
- Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Sandwich
- Meatball Sub Vegan
- Tempeh Reuben
- Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe
- Vegan BLT
- Spicy Vegan Lentil Wrap with Baja Sauce
- Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Grilled Lavash Wrap
📖 Recipe
Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
Ingredients
Sandwich Ingredients
- 16 ounces portobello mushrooms cut in slices, or if using large portobello mushrooms, cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 loaf whole-grain Frech bread or Ciabatta bread
- 1 zucchini cut into ½ inch slices (lengthwise)
- 1 summer squash yellow squash cut into ½ inch slices (lengthwise)
- 1 white onion cut into ½ inch slices
- 2 red bell peppers but into slices equivalent to the zucchini
- 2 cups raw spinach
- 1 large tomato sliced into thin slices
- 1 avocado cut into thin slices
- ⅛ cup vegan southwest dressing or dressing of choice
Marinade for vegetables
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons of dijon mustard
- 1 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Cut the loaf of bread in half and carefully remove the excess bread from both sides of the loaf, making sure not to break through the crusty outside.
- Set aside
- Make the marinade by whisking the ingredients together.
- If you plan to use large portobello mushrooms, marinate all the vegetables in a large ziplock bag. If you are using smaller mushrooms, and you plant o saute them separate as I did, divide them and place them in a separate ziplock with a quarter of the marinade.
- Allow the vegetables at least an hour to marinate.
- If sauteeing the mushrooms in a skillet, do so over medium-low heat until browned.
- If grilling the mushrooms with the other vegetables, pre-heat the grill to 400 degrees, place the mushrooms, zucchinis, onion, and red bell pepper on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
- Then, place the bread on a baking sheet and broil for 3 minutes on low. Watch the bread, as it may cook quickly (oven broilers differ in strength)
- Then, begin stacking the vegetables, starting with the mushrooms, then eh zucchini, summer squash, onion, and red pepper.
- On the opposite side of the bread, smear the vegan southwest dressing and layer tomato, spinach, and avocado.
- Next, fold the sandwich over, cut it into serving sizes and serve with a pickle and a salad. I served the portobello mushroom sandwich with my German Potato Salad.
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! 🙂
fruitcrmble
it looks wonderful but what do you do with the bread you remove from the middle? throw it out? that seems so wasteful or do you have another way to use it? though then you would still be consuming the calories.
Thanks
Kathy Carmichael
I mention in the post to save the bread for bread crumbs to use for another recipe, or it's great to dip in soups. Freeze it, so not to consume it all at once.
Kim
Oh wow!! I just made this... and devoured it!!! I did not make the vegan southwest dressing (I was too hungry to wait!), so I used a vegan "Green Goddess" dressing I had on hand. O.M.G. This will definitely be a recipe that is used OFTEN!! Thanks, Kathy!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kim, I'm so glad you liked it! That green goddess sounds divine! Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it. You should share it on our recipe share Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganrecipesKVK
neoncrayons
Such a fabulous recipe! This is totally happening this weekend 🙂
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Veronica, I hope you enjoy the portobello sandwich. I appreciate your feedback.