Tofu Cheesesteak
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My favorite new way to cook TOFU on one of my FAVORITE SANDWICHES of all time!
I love TOFU CHEESESTEAKS! I usually make them with Soy Curls or Impossible Meat, but this style of cooking TOFU cheesesteaks is my NEW favorite! In fact, this style of cooking tofu has totally blown my mind and now I can’t wait to try it out on a ton of other sandwiches, tacos, burritos, you name it!
I first saw this method from Sauce Stache (video HERE) and honestly was skeptical at first, but when I tried it, I was honestly shocked at how good this tofu cheesesteak was!
TOFU STEAK
I’m doing things a little differently than he did. First, I’m calling for SUPER FIRM TOFU! This is the kind of tofu that’s usually vacuum sealed and doesn’t require any pressing. It’s firmer than extra firm and has very little liquid in it. All we need to do is slice it real thin, and then toss it in a beefy marinade, bake it, then rehydrate it with some grilled onions and that’s it!
If you can’t find Super Firm, you will probably have to press yours, and possibly boil it too as Sauce Stache does in his video (I believe this works like reverse osmosis to get water out of the tofu). Slice the tofu into thin strips, and then simply toss it in the marinade. Don’t worry if the slices get crumbled up a bit, Cheesesteaks will often have the meat chopped up, and this is how I prefer them too!
If you do want bigger slices, you can brush the marinade on to keep them from breaking up. But this will take longer, and to be honest, I think the texture is better when they are broken up. But the choice is yours!
Then we just need to bake the tofu to dry it out and get them chewy. After that, we’ll rehydrate them in some liquid with some grilled onions (so they are chewy but juicy) and that’s basically it!
Here’s a HANDY DANDY VIDEO TOO!
cheez whiz vs. cheese slices
The most important part of a tofu cheesesteak is, well, the cheese. For this cheese sauce, I’m doing a simplified version of the Shake Shack Cheese I did a while back. I really dig the sauce and I think it’s almost as important as the tofu steak. BUT, that being said, if you want to simply melt a couple slices of vegan cheese on the steak, that’s fine too! However, that being said, I found that doing that along with the cheese sauce made for a super cheesy experience that I think is unrivaled! So try that out too if you’re feeling adventurous!
the bread
I was lucky enough to find some Amoroso rolls, but use whatever bread you can find. The Amoroso’s are pretty perfect though, so if you can find them, I highly suggest those too! Here’s a LINK to their site to see if you have some in your area. I live in Burbank and can find them at Smart & Final, just FYI!
Some people like to put peppers on their tofu cheesesteak too, so do whatever you like. I also used some of this Hoagie Spread and I love it! So add whatever you like!
In this version, I threw together some vegan mayo and calabrian chilies and that was super good. I will say, that the version of the sandwich with the cheese sauce is pretty rich and doesn’t really need anything else, but if you wanna go super decadent (and slightly spicy) then that kinda spread is a good idea!
The soy curl steak
I also have a Philly Cheesesteak Recipe using Soy Curls, check that out HERE!
More Vegan Recipes You Might Like!
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Tofu Cheesesteak
Ingredients
- Sandwich rolls Amoroso’s if possible
- 1 package 16 oz SUPER FIRM tofu
- 1/2 a large onion diced
- 1 cup liquid can be water, or broth, or a mixture of both
Marinade
- 1 tsp Beefless Broth
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp marmite or vegemite
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp Browning Sauce optional for color
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 Tbsp water
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp pickled jalapeño brine
- 8 oz vegan cheese shreds
- 1/2 tsp Sodium Citrate optional for smoother cheese
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Tofu Steak:
- Remove tofu from packaging and pat dry. Slice into thin strips.
- Make the marinade by combining everything in a bowl. Add the tofu strips to the bowl and toss to coat them in the marinade. Don't worry if you break up the slices!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper / cooking spray and spread out the tofu pieces in a single layer. Bake at 350 F for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the tofu is slightly dried out and chewy.
- While the tofu is baking, grill up the diced onion in some oil and vegan butter. Once tofu is baked, add it to the pan with the grilled onion.
- Add 1 cup of liquid (either water, broth, or a mixture, depending on how salty you want the meat) and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and then simmer until the liquid is mostly reduced. About 10 – 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Your meat is done! Enjoy as you wish!
Cheese Sauce:
- Soak the raw cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Blend the drained cashews with the unsweetened plant milk in a high speed blender until smooth.
- Add everything but the cheese shreds to a saucepan, whisk to combine and bring to a light boil. Add cheese shreds and whisk until melted. Taste and adjust for seasoning, or add more plant milk if the sauce is too thick.
- ENJOY!
Yes yes – as he mentions, one of the best ways to have tofu ever!
This is AMAZING. Found you on IG just as I was looking for new recipe inspo and gave this a try. 10/10. Adding this to our dinner rotation!
Awesome! Glad you liked it! Thank ya!
This recipe is INSANE. I’ve made it for vegans and meat eaters alike and everyone has been blown away by how good it is. The tofu is good by itself, but the thing with the onions at the end? Pure genius. Takes it to a whole new level.
Thank you! So glad you like it!
Is this recipe in the cookbook?
Nope, but it’s right here!
You had me at tofu. Vegan cheesesteak has been a favorite for years, but the recipe I usually use (also super tofu) is more involved & so it’s become a treat-myself recipe. This is not fussy. This changed the game. And the payoff is spectacular! Also, it’s so easy (and inexpensive), it has become part of our regular weeknight go-to recipes. Even better, my spouse is happier with this recipe! (Everything is gold, change nothing, but add steaming your hero on top of the goodness in the pan (soaks in flavor!)…and add some of that lovely whiz to it, before building it. Drizzle on it, yes, but take it up by mixing it in, as well. 🤤🫶)
Awesome, glad y’all like it!!
Can the beefless broth be in a liquid form? Or must it strictly be better than bouillon
You can leave the bouillon out of the marinade but then when you rehydrate them after baking I would use broth instead of water.
Delicious! Great recipe. Mmm mmm mmm – chef’s kiss!
Next time, I will focus on how I can infuse the flavor just a little more consistently. I didn’t do a good job on this bc there were a few bites where I just tasted unflavored tofu. Maybe I will marinate it longer? Or reduce it more slowly? This will take it from exceptional to perfect!
Thank you!
Hey glad you liked it! I would simply just make sure the marinade is coating every piece evenly and that should solve that problem, thank you!
I tried this recipe last night and it was amazing. I only had firm tofu, but I left it in the oven a little longer and it worked out. I followed the”beef” Tofu recipe and threw together my own cheese sauce. I definitely have to try to cheese recipes very soon!
This tofu recipe is awesome and taught me a new way to prepare tofu in general. Turned out great despite a couple substitutions. I didn’t have the beefless broth, so I subbed in liquid aminos. I also didn’t have vegemite, so I used white miso paste. I’d say the key to this recipe is in the preparation, not necessarily the specific ingredients.
I have the tofu marinating in the fridge right now. All I had was extra firm tofu because my store was out of super firm. I just pressed it for an hour. I am going to bake the tofu tomorrow after I get done working. This is my second time making it and I am in love!!!!! I will be making it often!
Excellent! I need to make this again soon! Thank you!
Hey i have a serious problem. This has become my favorite sandwich ever!! I have been told I need to stop using oil because I have non alcohol fatty liver disease. I do NOT want to stop eating this sandwich. Do you think I could make it turn out ok without the oil? I make this sandwich every week because I love it so much! Please advise!!?? Thank you so much!
Hi, I think that should be fine, you may need to add something to help the marinade spread, so maybe sub with some water or even unsweetened vegan yogurt if needed. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Thank you so much! I will try and then let you know.
Hello! I made it without the oil and it really just wasn’t the same. Especially the sautéing of the onion. So I have decided that I will just go ahead and make this the way it’s supposed to be! It’s to darn good to not eat it! I will just have to make it every other week instead of weekly. This sandwich is absolutely amazing and my favorite! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Oh dang, that’s too bad! So glad you like it though, I wish there was a good oil alternative!
It’s all good! I have some marinating right now! It is the best sandwich I have ever had. Thanks again!
I just made a hybrid version of this (Tofu/California Cheesesteak because I don’t love soy curls) and it was epic. The tofu is so well seasoned. I’m definitely going to try your tofu crumbles recipe.
I’ve used this method of drying out the tofu in a marinade in the oven so many times now. Probably once a week with the vacuum tofu from trader joes. Anywhere from ground tofu to slices like steak. cheaper than any meat that way and sooo much better. This recipe changed my life. It really did. THEEBURGERDUDE!
NICE! So glad to hear this! Thank you!!