Vegan Pepper Portobello Steak And Rice Recipe

Whether or not you follow a vegan diet, this plant-based version of pepper steak will win you over with meaty portobello mushrooms cooked in a sticky-sweet tamari glaze with caramelized peppers and onions, all served over fluffy rice. It's a meal that checks all the boxes — bright, satisfying, packed with nutrients, and made in under 40 minutes. This meal stores exceptionally well in the fridge when saved in an airtight container. No need for takeout — this recipe is extremely versatile and if you make it at the beginning of the week you can serve it in different ways for lunches and dinners throughout the rest of the week.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Because portobello mushrooms have a thick and hearty structure they are the perfect choice to replace the flank steak or sirloin commonly used in traditional pepper steak. They soak up the sauce and transform into a meat-like texture that is delicious." Keep reading to learn how to magically transform mushrooms into "meat."

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up portobello mushrooms, onion, red bell peppers, green bell pepper, and garlic. You'll just be using the portobello caps and discarding the stems, so buying the caps pre-packaged works just fine. Green onions make a nice garnish for this dish, so grab some of those as an optional topper.

There are many types of rice to choose from and any type will work in this dish so add your favorite variety to your cart. For the flavorful sauce, you'll need cornstarch, tamari, vegetable broth, maple syrup, white miso paste, tomato paste, rice vinegar, ground ginger, dried mustard, and pepper. Toasted sesame seeds are the finishing touch as an optional ingredient.

Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and discard.

Scrape the gill from the underside of each mushroom cap and discard.

Slice the mushroom caps into ½-thick slices and place them in bowl.

Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry.

Add ¼ cup tamari to a small pot and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes.

Add the slurry and whisk continuously for 2 minutes until thickened.

Pour the sauce over the mushrooms and stir to coat.

Add the mushrooms to a large frying pan on medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan, add the onion and sliced bell peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes until they are softened.

Using the same small pot combine the remaining tamari, garlic, vegetable broth, maple syrup, miso paste, tomato paste, rice vinegar, ground ginger, dried mustard, and black pepper over medium low heat.

Make another cornstarch slurry with the remaining cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and add to the sauce. Stir for 2 minutes until it has thickened

Add the mushrooms back to the frying pan along with the sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes

Top with optional sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve with the rice.

There are several substitutions that can be made with this recipe. First off, you can use another type of mushroom such as king oyster or lion's mane. Both have a hearty texture and will do a good job of soaking up the sauce. You can also follow this recipe to make tofu steaks. It's best to use super firm tofu and cut it into thick strips.

Other vegetables that can be added in with the peppers or can replace them are zucchini or eggplant. Leave the skin on both and cut them into thick bite-size pieces. Broccoli and cauliflower are also 2 vegetables that would be delicious. Just trim them to bite-size florets. Carrot ribbons, snow peas, and snap peas are also good options.

If you don't have tamari, feel free to use soy sauce or coconut aminos. To thicken the sauces arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or potato starch will get the job done just as well as cornstarch. Instead of maple syrup, you can swap coconut sugar, agave nectar, or date syrup. The white miso paste is an important ingredient, but an extra tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce will do the trick if necessary. In terms of the rice, any other grain can stand in like quinoa, farro, sorghum, or couscous.

The vegan pepper steak is a versatile meal that can be multi-purposed in many ways. For a fresh and crunchy option, scoop the pepper steak into lettuce cups. Butter lettuce, endive, or romaine leaves work well. This could act as an appetizer or the main meal. Turn the pepper steak into a noodle dish by tossing it with cooked soba, udon, or rice noodles. You can make it more brothy by adding a cup more vegetable broth to the skillet.

Make an Asian Buddha bowl by serving the mushrooms over noodles along with extra vegetables like shredded carrots, steamed shelled edamame, sauteed baby bok choy, steamed broccoli, or shredded purple cabbage. If you want to change up the sauce, mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, and maple syrup to infuse new flavors.

For a heartier comfort food option, try the vegan pepper steak stuffed into a baked russet or sweet potato, and add extra sauce for topping. Or stuff the filling into hearty ciabatta bread to make a delicious sandwich.